The Morro Bay estuary is a national and state treasure, a vital ecological resource whose health affects our health and the vibrancy of our community and economy. While California has lost over 90% of its historical wetlands and heavily polluted other important estuarine areas, this is not the case in Morro Bay. We still have the opportunity to protect and even enhance this vital resource to improve our quality of life and that of our children's.
The Morro Bay National Estuary Program works to protect and restore Morro Bay and its watershed by conducting monitoring and research to track the health of the estuary, repairing natural habitats to protect water quality and wildlife, and educating residents and visitors on how to be good stewards of the bay.
Restoration and
Conservation
...returning functionality to ecosystems...
Understanding and Monitoring
...assessing conditions within the estuary and watershed...
Education, Outreach and Stewardship
...cultivating stewardship...
Click on the map at left to see an interactive map highlighting restoration projects within the watershed.
Data on spatial and temporal trends in submerged aquatic vegetation are rare, but the Morro Bay National Estuary Program provides a valuable exception. Their eelgrass dataset spans a decade and is one of the most comprehensive within Central and Southern California.
Bryant Chesney
NOAA