White Abalone Found After 5 Years Off California Coast

Searching for white abalone in California's coastal waters is like hunting for a needle in a haystack, except the haystack is underwater and the needle might be extinct.

That's why marine scientists celebrated when they spotted a living white abalone on May 12th during a research dive near Santa Cruz Island. Nobody had seen one in these waters for five years.

The discovery happened aboard the NOAA research vessel Shearwater as part of the "Wanted Alive! White Abalone" campaign. Julie Bursek, education and outreach coordinator for Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, was surveying the ocean floor with Jaimee Butler from the Aquarium of the Pacific when they found their quarry.

White abalone populations have crashed 99% since the 1970s, making them one of the most endangered marine animals in California. The few survivors are scattered so far apart in the kelp forests that they can't find each other to reproduce.

The team was focusing on habitat characterization near Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands when they identified promising white abalone territory in a state marine protected area. They captured video footage and took measurements, which NOAA Fisheries later confirmed as the real deal.

Why This Inspires

This single mollusk represents more than just one animal. It proves that white abalone still survive in California's waters despite kelp forest destruction from sea urchin plagues and decades of population decline.

The team also successfully deployed a new environmental DNA sampler during their survey. This technology detects genetic material that organisms shed into the water, helping scientists locate other white abalone without actually seeing them.

Community science partnerships and recreational divers reporting potential sightings have become critical tools for understanding where these creatures still exist. Every data point helps researchers identify habitats that might support recovery efforts.

Scientists plan to conduct additional surveys on the southwest side of Santa Cruz Island and attempt to relocate this individual. They'll also process the environmental DNA samples to search for signs of other survivors nearby.

One white abalone gives hope that more are out there waiting to be found.