Abalone | Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute

California’s critical kelp forests are disappearing in a warming world. Can they be saved?

The “sequoias of the sea” suck up carbon and shelter special species. They’ve been hit hard, but scientists, surfers, and more are banding together to save them.

Dying Oceans: Abalone Restoration In California

The ocean is a sponge for all the greenhouse gas emissions we produce, and entire aquatic ecosystems are beginning to collapse. Off the coast of California, the disappearing abalone population is raising flags about ocean health and the lasting impact of rising sea temperatures, acidification and pollution. Various teams of scientists, volunteers and businesspeople are collaborating to protect underwater species threatened by the invasion of sea urchins.

No, not because of Fukushima: An Explanation of Northern California’s Red Abalone Decline

By Malina Loeher

“Oh, because of Fukushima…” When beachgoers see my abalone shirt and ask about my conservation work, this is the misconception frequently returned to me in northern California. Coastal residents have been harvesting red abalone for hundreds of years, but recent population decline and closure of the last recreational fishery have brought abalone into the public’s eye.

Often I hear, “it’s because of the urchins!” or “climate change, am I right?”

Conservation

Investigating Ocean Toxicity with Evan Tjeerdema, Marine and Coastal Sciences Undergrad

Evan Tjeerdema spent the summer at Bodega Marine Laboratory, participating in both of the facility’s summer sessions. While there, he took classes like environmental toxicology and conducted two research projects: He studied the effects of environmental toxins on crab lavae and on predator-prey interactions using red abalone and starfish.

Abalone Collapse with Kelp Forests

The giant sea snails, which eat seaweed and kelp, have been left with little to eat after the North Coast's kelp forests collapsed during the past three years. Now, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of abalone are dead or starving.