Urchin cull approved for Monterey reef

[wnissen]

Tried to go kayaking out there yesterday for some culling. Ran into a bunch of problems, didn't end up diving at all once the situation was FUBAR. Y'all can read about it here if you like: Type III fun while kayak-diving

I've got friends in town next weekend, so I think I will try this again the following weekend.

Oof, that is a real series of unfortunate events. A great reminder that there is no such thing as a working dive. There is an attempt at a safe dive, and then if everything is under control there can be work done. Was the chop better or worse than on the class day? I have been caught in the Elkhorn Slough against a stiff onshore wind, they can be really ferocious. Glad you made it back safer and hopefully wiser.

 

[Brett Hatch]

Oof, that is a real series of unfortunate events. A great reminder that there is no such thing as a working dive. There is an attempt at a safe dive, and then if everything is under control there can be work done. Was the chop better or worse than on the class day? I have been caught in the Elkhorn Slough against a stiff onshore wind, they can be really ferocious. Glad you made it back safer and hopefully wiser.

Thanks. Yeah, I'm not really sure whether the chop was better than class day or not, since on class day I was on the surface roughly 9am - 12pm, but this day was roughly 1pm - 4pm. Chop is always worse in the afternoons, so it was worse than class day, but can't really say whether that was due to the time of day, or the day overall. Elkhorn slough can be really rough in the afternoons, especially if the tide is coming in!

 

[MichaelMc]

Video and article on CNN on urchin issue by Call to Earth and Sea Trees. An old video I believe, but currently on CNN home page.
Saving California’s kelp forests

Including growing sunflower sea stars in the lab to restore in the sea.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Video and article on CNN on urchin issue by Call to Earth and Sea Trees. An old video I believe, but currently on CNN home page.
Saving California’s kelp forests

Including growing sunflower sea stars in the lab to restore in the sea.

Great video!
I just wish we could develop more enthusiasm here on SB (and around) and get more people involved in helping to do something.
Maybe you might know of a more productive website or forum to get involved in besides SB since all they seem to be interested in is flying to Cozumel, airports and Covid, Shearwater computers, and the latest darling piece of travel gear.
Maybe a more California-centric diving website forum would be nice that is a little more pointed, advanced, and where people actually get involved.

 

[azstinger11]

Once the summer rates go down or I can actually get a room on base, I’d be interested in doing a culling dive or two. Haven’t done any Monterey diving so probably want to do a few other dives too though lol.

 

[wnissen]

Just a reminder that the Trained Diver Meetup is this Sunday at 8 a.m. on Park Street in Monterey. No buddy is needed. I am healing from a cracked rib so I won't be there, but it sounds like fun.

The newsletter also indicated that the goal is to begin culling outside the study zone! Pretty amazing, the grid is huge, are we actually close to that? There will be a Zoom discussing the status and direction of the project on
Thursday, Sept. 16, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

 

[Sea Filly]

I missed the training. How do I get involved at this point? I've looked at the project, but I'm not finding links to who is offering the training...and what kind of hammer is needed? It breaks my heart to see the barren rocks covered in urchins.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I missed the training. How do I get involved at this point? I've looked at the project, but I'm not finding links to who is offering the training...and what kind of hammer is needed? It breaks my heart to see the barren rocks covered in urchins.

I think Aquarius dive shop in Monterey was putting on the class.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Just a reminder that the Trained Diver Meetup is this Sunday at 8 a.m. on Park Street in Monterey. No buddy is needed. I am healing from a cracked rib so I won't be there, but it sounds like fun.
View attachment 681208
The newsletter also indicated that the goal is to begin culling outside the study zone! Pretty amazing, the grid is huge, are we actually close to that? There will be a Zoom discussing the status and direction of the project on
Thursday, Sept. 16, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

I just have a few questions.

So you guys had a ‘trained’ diver meetup, very cool BTW.
If someone showed up that was not trained would they have been shoo’d off?
Is anybody allowed to cull urchins at that site or is it for trained divers only?
If it is for trained divers only, do they have the legal authority to tell non trained divers to leave?
I’m guessing that the state is the one that approved the site for culling. Did the state hand over legal authority by special permit of that site to whoever put on the class to decide who and who can’t dive within those boundaries?
I’m just curious since I was led to believe that average lay persons were going to be allowed to help.
So in other words, if I as an “untrained” urchin culling diver decided to dive that spot and cull urchins within the zone as marked out according to the authority of State of California on the same day at the same time as the “trained” divers were there, would they have the legal authority to tell me to leave even though it is state property and free for all to use?

 

[JXT71]

Reef Check is doing surveys intended to gauge the effectiveness of kelp forest restoration actions this weekend and next weekend. It'll involve CA dept of fish n' feathers and the marine sanctuary, so if you're going to test anyone's authority please wait until after the 19th.