In 1974 Santa Cruz residents Donald and Marian Younger donated approximately 40 acres of land on the open coast near Monterey Bay for the development of a UCSC coastal marine research station. Approximately 25 acres of the donated land became the Younger Lagoon Reserve (YLR), a relatively undisturbed coastal lagoon with fresh and salt water marsh that has been surrounded by agriculture for most of the last two hundred years. The UCSC Institute of Marine Sciences established the Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory on the land adjoining YLR.

Younger Lagoon Reserve contains wetland, beach, and upland environments and supports a variety of vegetation types and wildlife species.  As can be seen in the picture to the left, YLR is hardly a pristine wilderness nor is it heavily buffered against all the impacts of neighboring uses, but it is located only a short distance from the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Since the nearby mountains form a continuous natural habitat of many hundreds of square miles, YLR has great value as a coastal reservoir for many plant and animal species.

Younger Lagoon Reserve was accepted as a University of California Natural Reserve System (NRS) reserve in 1986 and is now managed by the UC Santa Cruz Natural Reserve unit. The UC NRS maintains the goal of contributing to the understanding and wise management of the Earth by supporting university-level research, education, and public service activities in protected natural areas.

Younger Lagoon Reserve is available for guided public tours through the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Access to YLR for University and K-12 research and class projects can be obtained by submitting a Reserve Use Application to the reserve director.