The Aquarium is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in an effort to increase abalone populations in Southern California as deemed necessary under the NMFS Final White Abalone Recovery Plan (2008).

To support these efforts, the Aquarium is refining rearing and cultivation techniques for red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) and white abalone (Haliotis sorenseni), has completed a certification process ensuring that our abalone facility is disease-free, and has created a multi-faceted education and outreach program to engage and inform our visitors of the ecological and economic importance of these valuable marine invertebrates.

This project ultimately lays the groundwork for the Aquarium to play an active role in abalone recovery and take the lead in providing creative and effective educational programs focused on species conservation.