California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP)

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California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP)

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CCFRP conducts a catch and release fishing program to evaluate the efficacy of Marine Protected Areas

The California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) is a community-based science program involving researchers from six California universities, the captains and crew of 36 sportfishing vessels, more than 1,800 volunteer anglers, and partnerships with conservation and resource management agencies. By combining the expertise and ideas of a diverse group, we have successfully established protocols to evaluate Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), the status of nearshore fish stocks, and how climate change is impacting marine resources in California.

10/09/2026

Mid-July, Cal Poly CCFRP took a set of trips to Point Buchon. The sun was shining but the wind was blowing on 7/14/2026 and 7/15/2026 with trips to Point Buchon MPA and REF on board the F/V Patriot. Captain Erik and Deckhands Lucas (7/14) and Ethan (7/15) made our trips run smoothly. Each day was split between the REF and MPA sites, which made for a mix of action on board. In total we caught 385 fish from 18 different species. It was a great week for the Cal Poly School fish - the Cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus)! Pictured here one of these baddie fish caught by angler Andrew K. and expertly measured and returned to the ocean by science crew technician Tess K. Scroll through for a few more highlights from that week!
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Should we call these pics ‘The Tessazon Series’? Here is sci crew member Tess K. holding a beautiful Cabezon caught by the incredible Bill M.

Wait there’s more? Yes! Tess K. once again handling a gorgeous Cabezon. This one caught by angler Ron G.

Cool as cucumbers, sci crew tech Lauren B. poses with an Olive rockfish (Sebastes serranoides) caught by the great Michael E.

On this trip, extraordinary angler Christine E. caught many of our most iconic and abundant species, the Gopher rockfish (S. carnatus). Though they don’t get much social media attention, we wanted to highlight this beauty, identified and measured by sci crew member, Lina ‘Pelagic Magic’ M.

One of our most iconic anglers, Ray L., caught this gorgeous Vermilion rockfish (S. miniatus), which was whisked away by Tess K. for a measurement, fin clip, picture, and ride on our descending device.

These trips were also a hotspot for Treefish (S. serriceps). This one was caught by volunteer angler Jim S., and expertly handled by science crew member Karissa G.

Pictured from left to right with two more Treefish: angler Lyndon M., sci crew Tess K., angler Ron G., sci crew Lina M.

Tess K. holds up a macker Olive rockfish (S. serranoides) caught by angler Larry C. Don’t tell the other groups, but we are pretty sure we heard Larry say we were the best place to fish with.

What a vibrant Vermilion (S. miniatus) Don K.!! Sci crew memb

10/04/2026

On Thursday the Moss Landing Marine Labs crew sampled all reference cells for the Año Nuevo State Marine Reserve out of Half Moon Bay aboard the F/V New Captain Pete with Captain Mike and and deckhand Meghan. At the end of the day we caught 306 fishes from 14 different species!

With the largest catch of the day, angler Vince M. reeled in this 782 mm blue female lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus)! This beast of a fish is handled here by science crew Bowen B.

One of several China rockfish caught today (Sebastes nebulosus), but definitely the largest; this fish was caught by angler Patrick M. and held by science crew Keeler N.

This charismatic Canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger) was caught by angler Lester Y And held by science crew Maddie W.

Angler Eddie G balled out today, scoring the nice swoosh atop this China rockfish (Sebastes nebulosus), displayed by science crew Maya E.

We tried to impersonate Santa Barbara’s () catch here as we hauled in many Ocean Whitefish (Caulolatilus princeps) including this beast held by science crew Keeler N and caught by angler Vince N.

One of only three caught today, angler Francisco N. hauled in a large Canary Rockfish (Sebastes pinniger) shown off by science crew Sam P.

A common encounter in Año Nuevo, angler Chester L. pulls in this large Brown Rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus). Clearly happy about this catch, this fish is held by science crew Maddie W.

Angler Mark L. helped show off some of the different color morphologies that can be presented by Cabezons (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) here and is shown off by science crew Bowen B.

09/16/2026

The final day of the Farallon Islands surveying occurred over some rocky terrain and some great TOPE-ography. Today the Moss Landing Marine Labs crew sampled inside the reference areas for the SE Farallon Islands state marine reserve aboard the Sea Wolf Sportfishing with Captain Joe and deckhand Rav catching 437 fish!

Pic 1: This fish fought but we utilized Muhammad Ali’s Rope-a-Tope tactics to pull him in. Angler Shep H. pulled in the largest fish of the day, a Tope Shark (Galeorhinus galeus)! This female shark is also known as a School Shark or Soupfin Shark is found globally and was by far the catch of the day, measuring in at 1555 mm (that’s over 5 feet long)! This beast of a fish is held by deckhand Rav (middle) and lead field tech Jake T. (Right). The absentee of claspers by the a**l fins indicated that this shark was a female.

Pic 2: The shark was exciting, but we still had plenty of other cool catches as angler Randy W. pulled in a nice Copper Rockfish (Sebastes caurinus) and a Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) on the same cast! These were shown off by science crew members Keeler N. (left) and Sam P. (right).

09/15/2026

Someone was Linging the dinner bell today since the Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) were biting on the hottest day of the year in Emeryville. On Wednesday (9/9) the Moss Landing Marine Labs crew went aboard the Sea Wolf Sportfishing with Captain Joe and Deckhand Rav for the second day this week. Today’s sunny day focused on sampling inside the SE Farallon Islands state marine reserve. The crew pulled in a total of 260 fishes of 13 different species and tagged 196 of them!

Starting off on a 2-for-1 deal, angler Shiddhartha N. brought in 2 Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) on the same drop! These were displayed here by science crew members Bowen B. (left) and Neil E. (right).

Deckhand Rav shows his approval for angler Suzanne M’s catch of this beautiful China Rockfish (Sebastes nebulosus). This fish is held by science crew Keeler N. Did you know the scientific name for this species originates from the black color with white speckling that resembles a nebula?

Matching hats and matching smiles, angler Dave K. reeled in this massive lingcod held by science crew Caroline D.

Principle Investigator Scott H. shows off this MLML classic, a Copper Rockfish (Sebastes caurinus) caught by angler Harsh*tha A.

Angler Suzanne M. was on a roll today, catching a Farallon Islands native, the Quillback Rockfish (Sebastes maliger), held by science crew Keeler N.

Oh my Cod! Another double Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) caught at the same time from angler _ (left) and Siddhartha N. (right) and held by science crew Keeler N. (left) and Sam P. (right).

Staying on brand with demersal fish that lack a swim bladder, angler Dave K. caught this massive Cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) held by science crew Bowen B.

Rounding out the lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) supply, angler Scott Y. caught this beautiful fish and shows it off with the held of science crew Neil E.

09/14/2026

UCSB’s CCFRP field team from the Caselle Lab hit the water last week, getting out to Santa Rosa Island between thunderstorms and heatwaves to kick off their 10th field season of hook-and-line, catch-and-release MPA monitoring. Volunteers and scientists were treated to two lovely days on the water with Captain Sal and the crew onboard Stardust Sportfishing where they caught and released nearly 900 fish from both MPA and reference cells inside and outside of the Carrington Point State Marine Reserve. Check out the pictures below for some highlights and stay tuned for more, as we venture back out to brave the Channel again this week!

09/10/2026

Lingcod, Vermilion, Coppers oh my! Yesterday the Moss Landing Marine Labs crew went aboard the F/V Sea Wolf Sportfishing with Captain Joe and deckhand Rav to sample half inside and half outside the SE Farallon Islands state marine reserve. The team took advantage of the hot and sunny weather to reel in 550 fish throughout the day!

The largest Lingcod of the day, angler Mark A. reeled in this massive 962 mm lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) which was heftily lifted into the air by science crew Caroline D.

Bringing in this bright, colorful Copper Rockfish (Sebastes caurinus) angler Scotty Y. was catching fish after fish, handing them off to science crew Keeler N. to properly measure and release.

Angler Adam G. was also non-stop catching fish including this Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) held by science crew Neil E.

Angler Lester Y. brought in this Copper Rockfish (Sebastes caurinus) which was not only the largest Copper Rockfish caught today at 525 mm, but also was one of two recaptured Copper Rockfish today! This one was shown off by science crew Bowen B.

Angler Scotty Y. continued his work fishing today by catching this beautiful China Rockfish (Sebastes nebulosus) held by science crew Neil E.

Switching it up, angler Gary K. brought in this massive Cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) held by science crew Sam P.

Not to be outdone, angler Lester Y. reeled in both this Copper Rockfish (Sebastes caurinus) on the left and Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) on the right. These fish were caught on the same drop and shown off by science crew Bowen B. and Caroline D. respectively.

09/08/2026

Ano Nuevo is the big apple of state marine reserves the way there were so many cabs around here! Cabezons (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) that is! On Thursday the Moss Landing Marine Labs crew took advantage of the beautiful weather aboard the with captains Mike and Meghan to catch 312 fish in the Reference cells for the Año Nuevo State Reserve!

Pic 1: Starting off the cab traffic 🚕, angler Francisco N. reeled in this nice Cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) handled by science crew Madison S.

About as large as this shallow water species gets, angler Pat M. pulled in a 443 mm Grass Rockfish (Sebastes rastrelliger), shown off by science crew Keeler N.

Sticking to fish without swim bladders, angler Mark L. pulled in this very blue Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) held by science crew Madison S.

Angler Ken Y. managed to pull in lost go-pro cameras as well as hailing in some more Cabezons (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) today. This beauty is held by science crew Neil E.

A popular, highly mobile species of rockfish in the ano Nuevo region are Black Rockfish (Sebastes melanops), like the one caught here by angler Marianna B. and shown by science crew Kerri J.

09/03/2026

Today the fish were biting, and then biting again! The first day this week of fishing from the with Captain Melynda and Deckhand Mike was completed by the Moss Landing Marine Labs crew; sampling Año Nuevo State Marine Reserve. The crew took advantage of the calm water and sunny weather, catching 324 fish from 15 different species!

The largest Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) caught today (751mm) first by angler Tim A. and handled by science crew Keeler N.

This fish look familiar? It should as this same lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) was caught (recaptured) on the next drift by Lead Field Technician Jake T. filling in for a volunteer angler and handled by science crew Sam P. Some fish never learn…

Not only did we catch Lingcod today, but also tons of rockfish! One of a whopping 14 Vermilion Rockfish (Sebastes miniatus) was caught here by angler Larry C. and handled by science crew Neil E.

A staple for the Ano Nuevo reserve, the Moss Landing Marine Labs crew hauled in many Brown Rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus) today, like this one shown by science crew Keeler N. and reeled in Corinne C.

Matching science crew Maddie W.’s red sunglasses, this bright red Vermilion Rockfish (Sebastes miniatus) was caught by angler Lino G.

Here Science Crew Neil E. shows off a humongous Yellowtail rockfish (Sebastes flavidus) caught up on the bow by angler Brian F.

Adding to the count of Vermilion Rockfish (Sebastes miniatus) caught today, angler Logan O. reeled in this beauty, handled by science crew Maddie W.

08/15/2026

Final day this week for the Farallon islands, we will say Bro-catch-e-yo (Bocaccio) later to this awesome fishing location. For the third day this week, the Moss Landing Marine Labs crew braved the wind to trek out to the Farallon Islands to sample the State Marine Reserve’s reference cells. They were accompanied by Captain Jon and deckhand Rav aboard the Sea Wolf Sportfishing out of Emeryville. As the weather calmed down, the crew pulled in 528 fish throughout the day!

Pic 1: The first of the season for the Moss Landing crew, a birthday Boccaccio (Sebastes paucispinis) was pulled in my angler Oren B who was celebrating his birthday with us aboard the Sea Wolf! (Everyone wish Oren a happy birthday). Science crew Caroline D had easy holding this fish by its massive lip for our viewing pleasure.

Continuing the trend of large Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus), this monster was hauled in my angler Scott Y and presented carefully by science crew Keeler N.

Up on the bow angler Pat M managed to haul in this vibrant red Vermillion Rockfish (Sebastes miniatus).

Angler Greg R. was hauling in a large diversity of species today, including this Copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus) held by science crew Keeler N.

Previously we got to show a female of this sexually dimorphic fish species (meaning males and females look externally different). Now we get to show the other side! This male Kelp Greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus) was caught by angler Jason C. and held by science crew Maia E.

Angler Stanley S kept on trend with another Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) held by science crew Sam P. Lingcod do not have swim-bladders and therefore don’t suffer from barotrauma nor need to be descended. This is because they spend all of their time on the bottom of the seafloor and don’t need to equalize their buoyancy at a shallower depth!

Another Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) showing off the menacing mouth with the help of science crew Maia E’s handling. This fish was caught by angler Eddie G.

Matching with this scaleless fish, angler Greg R. reeled in a nice looking Cabazon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) held by science crew Caroline D.

08/13/2026

Yesterday the Moss Landing Marine Labs crew traveled to sample our second day in the Farallon Islands, fishing inside the State Marine Reserve. We caught a total of 276 fish, 39 of which were lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) aboard the F/V Sea Wolf with Captain Joe and deckhand Rav.

Pic 1: Looking to join the Blue Men Group after this, this Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) was the largest of the bunch today, measuring just over 800mm (31.5in). This blue fish was caught by angler Stanley S. and held by science crew Maddie W.

A staple of the Farallon Islands, science crew Keeler N. shows off a Quillback Rockfish (Sebastes maliger) caught by angler Jonathan P.

This Olive Rockfish (Sebastes serranoides) was caught by angler Spencer H. and held by science crew Maia E.

A combo of two popular music genres, this Rock Sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata) was caught by angler Chris L. and held by science crew Sam P.

Angler Gene D. contributed to the Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) party with this beautiful fish held by science crew Caroline D.

Angler Dave K. pulled in this colorful Cabazon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus) held by science crew Keeler N. Did you know Cabazon’s have a second set of pharyngeal jaws that are spiked plates used to grind up shelled invertebrates they eat. You may hear them grinding these plates in anger when you pull them in!

Showing off a Farallon Islands classic, a Tuffed puffin (Fratercula cirrhata)!

Address

8272 Moss Landing Road
Moss Landing, CA
95039

Telephone

+18317714479

Website

https://www.ccfrp.org/

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