The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

that is located at 1700 Elkhorn Road in

Watsonville Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, located in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 according to the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self- ...

, California. The reserve encompasses the central shore of

Monterey Bay Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area and its major city at the south of the bay, San Jose. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by ...

and is approximately south of

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

. The

Elkhorn Slough Elkhorn Slough is a tidal slough and estuary on Monterey Bay in Monterey County, California. It is California's second largest estuary and the United States' first estuarine sanctuary. The community of Moss Landing and the Moss Landing Power Pl ...

is established as a part of the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

and is being managed as the Elkhorn Slough Ecological Reserve through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Description

The mission of the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve is to promote the environmental education, research, and protection of ecosystems found in Elkhorn Slough

salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is domin ...

along with the surrounding watershed. There are programs hosted that work towards conserving and protecting the wildlife and habitats in Elkhorn Slough, as part of the National Estaurine Research Reserve system.

Recreational and Educational Activities

The visitor center features exhibits and five miles (8 km) of trails that offer a diverse variety of plants and animals to see. This reserve also serves as a spot for kayaking and birding as well, where visitors can be surrounded by seals, fish, sea otters, and marshes. The Elkhorn Slough also contains various species of leopard sharks, birds, and fish that are considered to be threatened habitats. Visitors can observe these forms of wildlife in the watershed while learning more about these rare estaurine communities. File:Elkhorn Slough 007 Students observing.jpg, Students Observing Elkhorn Slough 2016 File:Elkhorn Slough 008 Pier.jpg, Pier at Elkhorn Slough 2016 File:Elkhorn Slough.jpg, Trail at Elkhorn Slough 2008

References

External links

Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (ESNERR)
- official website operated by the Elkhorn Slough Foundation
Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
at the

National Estuarine Research Reserve System The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a network of 29 protected areas established by partnerships between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and coastal states. The reserves represent different biogeographic re ...

{{Protected Areas of California, SWA National Estuarine Research Reserves of the United States Nature centers in California Nature reserves in California Protected areas of Monterey County, California Estuaries of California Monterey Bay Landforms of Monterey County, California California Department of Fish and Wildlife areas