UCSB is located on a mesa between four wetland zones: Goleta Slough, Campus Lagoon, a vernal pool complex and the Pacific Ocean; and, as such, has the opportunity and obligation to protect the function and ecological diversity of these natural communities. The University's Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER) helps protect and restore those areas while also fulfilling the University's mission to provide education and research opportunities in the field of ecology and conservation.
Each of the areas that have come under CCBER's management has its own story. In general, however, as the campus has grown toward the fragile edges of the mesa it has been required to mitigate its impacts to coastal resources protected by the Coastal Act. The university formally designates ecologically rich areas for long term protection as "Ecologically Sensitive Habitat Areas" (ESHA) and makes long-term commitments to restore impacted habitats.
CCBER currently oversees the management of 230 acres in nine main areas: Campus Lagoon, Manzanita Village, North Bluff, East Bluff, Storke Wetlands, San Clemente Project, West Campus Bluffs, and North and South Parcel projects.