Discover the coastal bluff native plant habitat
surrounding the Seymour Center

The Seymour Center's educational and interpretive programs extend beyond the indoor exhibits and classrooms to include the natural environment of the Long Marine Laboratory site and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The center serves as a base for docent-led tours of Long Marine Lab facilities, Younger Lagoon Natural Reserve, and the shores of the marine sanctuary. Its design incorporates outdoor gathering spaces and a sanctuary overlook.

Joni L. Janecki & Associates of Santa Cruz designed the landscaping and outdoor interpretive areas at the Seymour Center and for the Center for Ocean Health.

Janecki's landscape design seeks to emulate the indigenous coastal bluff plant communities. It contains native plants collected on-site from the Younger Lagoon area and propagated specifically for the landscape at the Seymour Center. The planting is representative of the native coastal bluff habitat and is partially irrigated with drip irrigation to minimize water use. The native plants are drought-tolerant and adapted to the harsh winds and fog of the coastal environment. They also provide habitat for the area's native birds and other animals.

Elkhorn Native Plant Nursery, based in Moss Landing, implemented the landscape design, collecting seeds and cuttings from the local area, propagating plants, preparing the site, and installing and maintaining the plantings. Plantings are maturing into a beautiful coastal prairie.

The site features pathways and places where visitors can view the restored coastal bluff plant communities and observe the area’s diverse bird life.

The parking area incorporates a system for treatment of paving runoff. In addition, native grasses and wetland species planted along the drainages provide "bio-filtration" of drainage water, reduce runoff from the site, and create small areas of wetland habitat.

Native plant landscaping has also been installed on the berm that separates Long Marine Laboratory from Younger Lagoon. The berm, a three-quarter-acre site, was planted primarily with native grasses, a few shrubs, and scattered trees, including coast live oak. This area serves as a buffer between the lab and Younger Lagoon, which is part of the UC Natural Reserve System.

The landscape design for the Center for Ocean Health draws from the forms and landscape patterns developed for the Seymour Center. Overall, the site design complements the natural environment and the functional needs of the Seymour Center and Long Marine Laboratory.

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