10/15/2026
🌊🐚 This year, we’ve added two new abalone outplanting sites (outplanting = releasing young abalone into their natural habitats) along the Southern California coast! 💙
Outplanting sites are carefully selected areas on the ocean reef where juvenile abalone can be released into their natural habitat, with the goal of aiding species recovery and increasing their populations in the wild.
But before abalone can be released, we need to make sure their new homes are suitable and ready! Our team monitors each site to ensure there’s plenty of algae for food and a suitable reef habitat where the abalone can thrive.
We also install bases on the reef to provide extra support and protection. These bases give our divers a secure place to attach the protective outplanting devices, PODs, and offer young abalone a sheltered space to crawl under and hide from predators once they leave their PODs. 🐚
We’re excited to be advancing abalone recovery in collaboration with the Pacific Coast Ocean Restoration Initiative, a network of partners aimed at catalyzing, coordinating and implementing marine restoration efforts across the California coast, and our incredible partners who made this possible; The Nature Conservancy in CA, NOAA Fisheries West Coast, CDFW, Paua Marine Research Group. Every step helps create a safer start for abalone and supports their vital recovery. 🌊
