May 2, 2014 — Black Abalone inhabit the rocky intertidal areas off the Channel Islands near naval facilities in Southern California, including San Clemente and San Nicolas Island, and are an important part of the Navy’s concerted efforts to protect endangered species.
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) began working with Black Abalone in the late 1990s by testing their larvae for antifouling properties that could be used to replace toxic materials. To avoid potential negative impacts to the environment, SSC Pacific created an innovative restoration program to increase the number of disease-resistant Black Abalone within impacted areas.
“We felt that our laboratory at SSC Pacific could be used for growing the larvae to adult-sized abalone in an effort to increase depleted abalone numbers in offshore waters,” said Dave Lapota, a scientist with the organization who is leading this preservation effort. “Based on our initial undertaking, we realized that we could increase the abundance of remaining populations by transplanting adults offshore in affected areas, thereby increasing recruitment to the impact populations.”
An endangered species listed in the Endangered Species Act, the decline of Black Abalone is the result of overfishing and a disease known as withering syndrome. Other factors responsible for the decline are illegal harvesting and habitat destruction. Natural predation by various predators, including sea stars, Southern sea otters and striped shore crabs, as well as competition for space with purple and red sea urchins, has also led to the drastic decline of Black Abalone.
Read the full story at the Lemoore Navy News