Scripps Coastal Reserve is a 126-acre protected area in La Jolla within the University of California Natural Reserve System, owned by the University of California and administered by UC San Diego. Managed chiefly for teaching and research, it combines an underwater and shoreline section with an aboveground knoll, linking coastal land and nearshore waters in one protected setting. Formed through acquisitions in 1929 and 1967, it has become an important site for ecology, restoration, and field study. Students and scientists use it to study coastal life and conservation, while its trails and access near Black's Beach also make it a modestly used public route.