UC Davis Natural Reserve System - Bodega Marine Reserve
A diverse site, the Bodega Marine Reserve straddles a peninsula of coastal granite thought to have been displaced hundreds of miles northward along the San Andreas Fault. The reserve encompasses a broad range of upland, wetland, and marine habitats, including coastal scrub, coastal prairie, freshwater and salt marsh, active and stabilized dunes, harbor tidal flats, exposed and protected sandy beaches, and rocky shore with rich intertidal habitats. These habitats support a variety of flora and fauna, including migratory shorebirds, intertidal invertebrates, coastal bluff plants, and marine algae. Located on site, the Bodega Marine Laboratory provides cutting-edge research facilities and an extensive database. Adjoining the reserve is Bodega Marine Life Refuge, established by the California Dept. of Fish and Game.
Site Specifications
established: 1970
location: Bodega Head in Sonoma County, 80 km (50 mi) north of San Francisco.
size: 179 ha (442 acres)
elevation: Terrestrial: 0 to 58 m (0 to 190 ft)
Subtidal: 12 m (40 ft) deep on Marine Life Refuge
average precipition: 79 cm (31 in) per year, ranging from 34 to 134 cm (13 to 53 in) over 17 years
average temperature: January minimum: 6° C (43° F)     September maximum: 18° C (64° F)
facilities: Laboratories; library; classrooms; office space; research vessels and equipment; 40-bed dormitory; bunkhouse; visiting scientists cottage/apartments; visiting scientists lodge with six single-/double- occupancy rooms and shared kitchen.
database: Climate data began in 1967; intensive environmental monitoring (meteorological, oceanographic, biological, photographic) began in 1987; BML staffed library includes hundreds of publications on reserve-based research.
personnel: On-site staff reserve manager
NRS publications: Reserve brochure published in 1987

Contact: Claudia Luke
Bodega Marine Lab/Reserve
University of California
P.O. Box 247
Bodega Bay, CA 94923-0247;
Phone: 707-875-2020; email: caluke@ucdavis.edu

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