Monterey Abalone Populations?

[humanFish]

Yesterday, after spotting a real live, albeit small(2 inch diameter) abalone yesterday at Lover's Point I got to thinking to myself: "I've seen hundreds of abalone shells in Monterey, most no bigger than a tea plate, but I've only seen one or two LIVING abalone over a dozen or so shore dives in Monterey. Why do they seem to die so young? Being that they feed on kelp and kelp is abundant it wouldn't seem like they are starving to death...so does that leave predation? I know otters like to eat abalone, but what other animals eat them? Are there other factors at play?"

Anybody happen to know?

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

I remember hearing about some invasive disease that killed abalone in Southern Cal. The guy who told me that said that this disease (rotting foot disease or something) was what had done in the abs in So Cal even more than overfishing.

Sorry I don't remember more details, and that may not be the answer at all, but maybe disease has something to do with the absence of abs in Monterey? Even if not, does anyone know of a disease that affected abs in So Cal? And why not Nor Cal?

Gregg

 

[humanFish]

I remember hearing about some invasive disease that killed abalone in Southern Cal. The guy who told me that said that this disease (rotting foot disease or something) was what had done in the abs in So Cal even more than overfishing.

Sorry I don't remember more details, and that may not be the answer at all, but maybe disease has something to do with the absence of abs in Monterey? Even if not, does anyone know of a disease that affected abs in So Cal? And why not Nor Cal?

Gregg

sounds like a job for some tough actin' tinactin

Thanks for jogging my memory on that one...I have heard of rotting foot disease before in reference to SoCal populations, but I don't recall it being applied to NorCal......

 

[lee3]

I have seen so many live abalone, even purple ones, on shore dives in the monterey and carmel sites that I don't even think twice about them anymore. There are some awfully big ones down there too since they are protected.

 

[mweitz]

I've seen quite a few "larger" ones in Monterey as well. They manage to hide fairly well. I spend a lot of time looking in cracks and crevices though...

 

[humanFish]

I've seen quite a few "larger" ones in Monterey as well. They manage to hide fairly well. I spend a lot of time looking in cracks and crevices though...

Interesting. I guess I need to look a bit harder for them then. I never have a problem seeing them when I'm ab diving in Sonoma. I guess the population up north is just more abundant, or predation in Monterey drives them deeper into the crevices...

 

[ba_hiker]

those cute little otters are major abalone preditors. I would suspect they get quite a few in the monterey area, and none further notrh in sonoma

 

[coreypenrose]

those cute little otters are major abalone preditors. I would suspect they get quite a few in the monterey area, and none further notrh in sonoma

I've always thought the sea otters combined with the overfishing from previous decades to clean out most of the local abs. I've had some local divers say that abs can still be found, but I've never seen them. Then again, I don't spend too much time rooting around in cracks.

 

[jky]

I've always thought the sea otters combined with the overfishing from previous decades to clean out most of the local abs. I've had some local divers say that abs can still be found, but I've never seen them. Then again, I don't spend too much time rooting around in cracks.

Howdy, Corey;

Abs are not really rare in Monterey, but since the return of the sea otters they tend to hide pretty deeply in crack or become lunch.

FWIW, I found a decent sized (4") green ab along the Breakwater wall on a night dive a week and a half ago. First I've ever seen, I think.

jky

 

[BrianM]

I remember hearing about some invasive disease that killed abalone in Southern Cal. The guy who told me that said that this disease (rotting foot disease or something) was what had done in the abs in So Cal even more than overfishing.

Sorry I don't remember more details, and that may not be the answer at all, but maybe disease has something to do with the absence of abs in Monterey? Even if not, does anyone know of a disease that affected abs in So Cal? And why not Nor Cal?

Gregg

Here's a good link with info on the withering foot disease:

http://www.csgc.ucsd.edu/STORIES/AbWhither.html

I read an article from a north coast ab diving newsletter (which I cant find now) that had info regarding the Dept of Fish and Game trying to restock some species in nor-cal as a test...turns out they used abalone from so-cal that were infected with the bacteria...maybe they should have waited to find a cause for the disease before transporting any abolone from other locations... sad but typical.