California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program

From 2007-2016, CA Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) scientists and fishermen have conducted hook-and-line surveys within three Central Coast State Marine Reserves (Point Lobos, Piedras Blancas (2008 only), and Point Buchon, SMRs) and a State Marine Conservation Area (Año Nuevo, SMCA), along with nearby reference sites (Figure 1). The Año Nuevo, Point Lobos, Piedras Blancas, and Point Buchon MPAs encompass areas of 10.2 mi2, 5.4 mi2, 10.4 mi2, and 6.7 mi2 respectively.

Reference sites were based on the criteria that they shared similar size, habitat, and oceanographic conditions with the nearby MPAs. Within the boundaries of each MPA and reference site, 500 m x 500 m grid cells were created and used to randomly select sampling locations. The grid cells were positioned in nearshore rocky habitats, in water less than 40 meters deep (to limit fishing mortality from barotrauma), in areas that had been identified by fishermen as having suitable habitat for nearshore fishes.