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Map Satellite Ranging from the highest tide line to a depth of 30 meters (100 feet), a variety of habitats is present in this refuge. The intertidal zone is relatively broad, and along the rocky coast there are numerous tidepools. The offshore rocky substrate is comparatively free of fine sediments which tend to drift down into the Monterey Submarine Canyon.
There is a rich and diverse fauna and flora. Offshore is a kelp forest, with giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, dominant. The pea kelp, Cystoseira osmundacea, is abundant; the bottom algae are primarily foliose red and coralline.
Among the more common invertebrates are sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus spp., abalone, Haliotis spp., and various species of crabs, snails and starfish. Sea otters, Enhydra lutris, occur here.
Integrity: The area has been protected for several decades and is one of the better locations on the central California coast for the study of marine biota.
Use: The area is adjacent to the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University.
January 1978
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman
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