[2] The Moro Cojo SMR was established in September 2007 by the California Fish and Game Commission.

[3] Moro Cojo Slough provides representation of rare brackish habitats that support threatened species.

[4] Moro Cojo and nearby Elkhorn sloughs host year-round residents tightly associated with estuaries, such as pickleweed, eelgrass, oysters, gaper clams, and longjaw mudsuckers, as well as important seasonal visitors such as migratory shorebirds, sea otters, and sharks and rays.

The nearby Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and Elkhorn Slough Foundation provide on-site management, education, and stewardship and offer public access via 5 miles (8.0 km) of trails, as well as a Visitor Center and volunteer opportunities.

Similar studies in marine protected areas located off of the Santa Barbara Channel Islands have already detected gradual improvements in fish size and number.