Vandenberg State Marine Reserve

[2] To the north of Vandenberg SMR is Point Sal State Beach, an 80-acre (320,000 m2) park with 1 ½ miles of oceanfront.

To the south is Gaviota State Park, a popular place for swimming, fishing and camping.

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

[4] Local scientific and educational institutions involved in the monitoring include Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station, University of California Santa Cruz, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Research methods include hook-and-line sampling, intertidal and scuba diver surveys, and the use of Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) submarines.