Join the Aquarium of the Pacific for a live virtual lecture on our White Abalone Conservation program. Hear from Assistant Curator Daniel Munoz and Senior Aquarist Briana Fodor as they discuss our latest efforts to save this local endangered species. The Aquarium in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and various other partners have been working together to help save the white abalone from extinction. The Aquarium of the Pacific is a founding partner of the White Abalone Recovery Program and has been working with NOAA for the past twelve years on this project.

The Aquarium of the Pacific has had success in spawning white abalones in its abalone culture lab and has also been involved in various other research aspects of the program. This has included housing and caring for brood stock that helped increase genetic diversity of cultured abalone, studying food and lighting optimal for abalone care, conducting underwater monitoring surveys to help determine suitable release sites for the white abalone, research in the Aquarium’s exhibits on abalone outplanting (releasing) enclosures used in the ocean before the animals are released, and working with NOAA on a pilot study project that included raising, outplanting, and monitoring red abalone in the wild. The Aquarium of the Pacific’s scientific divers have been utilized for their expertise to assist in field research for this project that has included underwater work in the test and release sites. In fall of 2019 for the first time in history, this federally protected species was released back into the wild. White abalones were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2001. Abalones are shellfish in the phylum Mollusca, which also includes clams, scallops, sea slugs, octopuses, and squid. Their numbers were decimated by overfishing and disease.

Watch live below or sign in via Zoom. Please note that questions will only be answered for those via the Zoom webinar.