UC Davis-Bodega Marine Lab

UC-Davis Bodega Marine lab is a leader in the multidisciplinary research that aims to solve complex environmental problems in coastal ecosystems. BML looks into addressing challenging questions that include climate change, coastal oceanography, ecology, evolution, conservation, ocean health, and physiology. Since 1920, scientists have studied the environs around Bodega Marine Lab. Since the region around the Bodega Marine Lab is one of the four most productive coastal ocean ecosystems on earth. Scientists were attracted there because of its abundance of sea life that occurs there. The lab includes researchers, visiting scientists, undergraduate and graduate students, staff and volunteers. The Lab is located off California Coast Highway 1. 28 miles from Santa Rosa, 65 miles north of San Francisco and 100 miles west of Davis. 

White Abalone:

White abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) are herbivorous gastropods, they live in rocky ocean waters. While abalone can be found in open low and high relief rock or boulder habitat that is interspersed with sand channels, There depth is between 80 to 100 feet, which makes them the deepest occurring abalone species in California. There distribution is not quite known. In Santa Barbara County, there are very low numbers of isolated survivors have been identified along the mainland coast. There are no recent information on current range is available for Baja California. Due to commercial fishery data, it is thought that the population is

thought to be depleted in Mexico, but the real status of the species remains largely unknown. Once there was millions of white abalone and currently studies suggest that there is approximately 1600-2500 individuals. A survey conducted in Southern California suggests that at least a 99% reduction in white abalone density has occurred since 1970. The white abalone are known to be found alone, which makes it difficult for them to find successful fertilization. There are three main threats to white abalone, they are over fishing (historic), reproduction failure and infections. The most significant threat to them was the long-term effects of over fishing. A short-lived commercial fishery began i the early 1970 and peaked in mid-1970's and collapsed in the 1980's. The over fishing reduced white abalone densities to such a low level that males and females were too far apart from one another to reproduce successfully. It is unlikely that the species will recover on its own. It was estimated that the remaining white abalone would disappear by 2010. White abalone are one of NOAA Fisheries species in the spotlight. There status is ESA Endangered, throughout its range (California and Mexico). 

NOAA and it's partners are supporting a captive breeding program at the UC Davis- Bodega Marine Lab. At an effort to avoid white abalones extinction, the Bodega Marine Lab was able to successfully captive spawning of white abalone in nearly a decade. In 2001, the white abalone became the first marine invertebrate to be listed as an endangered species. The Bodega Marine Lab is leading the captive breeding program, which began in 2010. The program allows scientists to use mood-setting enhancements, like optimum lighting and temperature controls, to cue the abalone to reproduce. Between 2003 and 2012, no white abalone was successfully spawned in captivity. In 2012, the lab was able to spawn them. There is about 60 adult abalone in captivity through the program now. Since the white abalone is an endangered species, it is not possible to collect any more from the wild. and there are not many left in captivity. They are almost doubling the amount

that they have in captivity now. The long term goal is to build the population in captivity. Then out-plant them to the wild and repopulate the Southern California sub-tidal zone with white abalone. With the continued successful spawning results, it is looking really bright for the future of white abalone. The program as UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab is the last hope to keep the species from existence. The program is collaborating among the Bodega Marine lab, NOAA, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The project is being funded by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. If you would like more information about the White Abalone program at UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab, you can contact Kristin Aquilino at kmaquilino@ucdavis.edu. She is a research scientists that is working on the white abalone captive breeding program.