Scientists are worried about the health of the Morro Bay Estuary because of a rapid decline in a plant considered to be at the base of the system's food chain.
Years ago there were hundreds of acres of healthy eelgrass and now there are fewer than 15.
Thursday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill designed to help restore the eelgrass in Morro Bay and other coastal waters of the state.
SB 1363 was written by Central Coast State Senator Bill Monning. It will require the Ocean Protection Council in coordination with the state Coastal Conservancy to establish a restoration program.
Monning said Thursday in a statement that the bill "is an important step forward in the restoration of eelgrass in the state, a multi-beneficial native California plant that creates a more hospitable environment for other native species and helps to mitigate the impact of carbon dioxide on the earth’s atmosphere.”