----- Original Message -----
From: "Smith, Patrick" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Saxon, Andy, M.D." <[log in to unmask]>; "Bibb, Dr. John"
<[log in to unmask]>; "Kanner, Paul" <[log in to unmask]>; "Osborne, Dave"
<[log in to unmask]>; "Ritman, Susan" <[log in to unmask]>; "Smith, Brian"
<[log in to unmask]>; "Suzi & Bill" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 10:52 AM
Subject: Abalone Status at Channel Islands
FYI,
I though you might find this interesting.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hi Everyone,
I thought I would send a brief synopsis of what we found on our recent
(December, 2004) White Abalone cruise off the east end of Santa Cruz
Island, Dec 7-11, and a brief assesment of the abalone population within
the Park.
The purpose of the December cruise was to search for locations to place
four BARTS (similar to the Parks ARMs (artificial recruitment modules)
we use at the KFM (Kelp Forest Management) sites to monitor
recruitment.) at three locations, survey for and to collect broodstock
white abalone. This effort utilized a CDFG ROV (Remote operated
vehicle) which was deployed off the CINMS vessel Shearwater, and a crew
of four divers off the CDFG vessel Garibaldi. In five days of diving
AND five days of using the ROV we were only located FIVE live abalone.
Four of the five abalone were white abalone and the other was a threaded
abalone. Three of the four white abalone were collected for broodstock
and are at CIMRI (Channel Islands Marine Research Institute). All of the
abalone were found between 50 and 120 ft. The alarming aspect of this
trip was that no live pink or red abalone were found off a large area
around the east end of Santa Cruz Island. Many of the areas we dove had
large populations of red, pink and white abalone in the past.
Two of the four white abalone we found were relatively small, (114 and
105
mm) and other two were large (170 and approximately 170mm). The two
small ones were found at depths of about 60ft and about 1 mile away from
the kelp
forest monitoring site at Yellowbanks where we observed several juvenile
white abalone in 2000 and 2001. Slightly over 100mm is about what we
would
expect to see from a abalone recruitment event that happened in 2000, so
it
appears the recruitment we detected at the KFM Yellowbanks may have been
slightly successful than what we observed at our monitoring site.
Unfortunately, there is no indication that this recruitment event was
large
enough to dramatically increase the population of white abalone.
Below is my brief assessment of the current status of subtidal (all
abalone
except black abalone) abalone populations whithin Channel Islands
National
Park:
Green, Pink and White abalone are so rare they are virtually missing
from all of the subtidal areas within the Park. There may be a few
green abalone left in the shallow areas around Santa Barbara Island.
Pink abalone are virtually gone from all of the Islands, with an
occasional older individual observed within the Landing Cove area.
White abalone are
virtually gone with only an occasional individual observed. I don't
think
I would be able to find more than a handful of pink, green or white
abalone
in a weeks worth of diving in prime habitat. Red abalone are virtually
absent at Santa Barbara, Anacapa and the majority of Santa Cruz Island
(there is an occasional one observed at the West end of the Island. The
population of red abalone has been greatly depressed at Santa Rosa
Island during the later part of the 1990's. However, red abalone appear
to be increasing in abundance in many areas such as the south side of
the Island and possibly Talcott Shoals area. We expect red abalone to
slowly recover at our monitoring sites in Johnson's Lee. The red
abalone population on San Miguel is doing well and at the KFM site at
Wyckoff Ledge their density
has been at its highest since monitoring began in 1982. Overall, the
red abalone population at San Miguel Island is relatively healthy.
Threaded abalone nearly disappeared at the Channel Islands and mainland
during the 1980s and 1990s, but since 1999 we have observed these on a
regular basis at the Islands and mainland.
This is just a brief synopsis, if you have any questions or want further
information please don't hesitate to contact me.
David
David Kushner
Channel Islands National Park
1901 Spinnaker Dr.
Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 658-5773
[log in to unmask]
Patrick Smith
416-4209 office
990-8166 cell
Area Engineer
AI&T
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