Carmel Pinnacles State Marine Reserve is a protected marine area in Carmel Bay on California’s central coast, near Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey. Centered on a distinctive underwater pinnacle formation, it also includes kelp forest, surfgrass, and the head of a submarine canyon, combining varied habitats within just 0.53 square miles. Established in September 2007 as one of 29 marine protected areas in the first phase of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative, it helps form a statewide network of protected coastal waters. All marine life within the reserve is protected, with fishing and other taking prohibited, while scientific monitoring studies its effectiveness and ocean health.

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