Last week there was a very large red tide (phytoplankton bloom) off the Sonoma Coast, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of abalone which have been washing up along beaches this past week. The August red tide is said to have been the worst in three decades.
This is a serious concern for north coast divers, as the abalone grow very slowly and it will likely take many years for the population to recover (tagging studies indicate northern California red abalone take about 12 years to reach 7 inches, and when they reach 8 inches, it takes about 13 years to grow another inch). The abalone fishery remains open at this time, however divers are strongly advised not to take abs from the Sonoma Coast, and head farther north to the Mendocino coast.
More information and links here:
http://californiadiver.com/urgent-notice-on-sonoma-coast-abalone
Thoughts?
This is a serious concern for north coast divers, as the abalone grow very slowly and it will likely take many years for the population to recover (tagging studies indicate northern California red abalone take about 12 years to reach 7 inches, and when they reach 8 inches, it takes about 13 years to grow another inch). The abalone fishery remains open at this time, however divers are strongly advised not to take abs from the Sonoma Coast, and head farther north to the Mendocino coast.
More information and links here:
http://californiadiver.com/urgent-notice-on-sonoma-coast-abalone
Thoughts?
