Abalone research published
SeaDoc-supported research about Northern Abalone was recently published in the journal, Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems.
The study, conducted by L. Rogers-Bennett and collaborators, did dive surveys in 2005 to determine the best habitats for restoration of Northern Abalone. They found that the best habitat was kelp beds with abundant encrusting coralline algae.
Here's a tidbit taken out of the study results. In 1979 a similar study was undertaken in San Juan Channel. Researchers found a lot more abalone during those dives (224 of them versus 17) and they were diving for less time.
If you put it into minutes per abalone, in 1979 it took an average of 2 minutes and 8 seconds to find each abalone.
In 2005, it was 40 minutes and 49 seconds per abalone.
Get the full paper from here.
