White abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) was the first marine invertebrate added to the federal endangered species list in 2001. This listing was a result of numerous surveys indicating that only about 1,600 white abalone remained in the wild after severe overharvesting in the 1970s and a devastating disease that spread throughout the population. To help protect this species and give populations a chance to rebound, the National Marine Fisheries Service created the White Abalone Recovery Plan, and the Aquarium of the Pacific became one of five institutions participating in the plan in 2012. The Aquarium’s contribution to the improvement of the white abalone population has grown from simple reproduction efforts to nutritional and outplanting studies. Aquarist Alexandra Lawlor will discuss these efforts, share photos of the Aquarium’s current brood stock and juveniles, and describe the abalone life cycle.

Lawlor earned a bachelor’s of science degree in marine biology from Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, and a master’s of science degree in oceanography from the University of Southampton in Southampton, England. She has been on staff at the Aquarium since 2015 and is responsible for exhibits in the Southern California/Baja Gallery.

Tune in Live

This speaking engagement will be streamed live via the web. It is free to view. Times posted are in Pacific Time. Please note that if you tune in early, you may see either a placeholder image or another scheduled guest speaker engagement.

LAUNCH THE LIVE WEB STREAM