• Use of research vessels and equipment not available to recreational divers;
• Working with biologists and researchers closely involved with the science needed to better manage our marine fisheries (not to mention being able to pick their brains on a wide array of topics of interest to divers).
• Opportunities to obtain related training and instruction, like small boat operation.
• Access to areas not normally dived.
• The confidence and camaraderie of diving with experienced people, all who share your skills and interests;
• …did I mention all the air you can breathe, even underwater?
• Great food prepared by none other than the DFG Captain and crew…and these guys can cook up some fish! (Or burgers for that matter.)

If all this sounds appealing, and you’re AAUS-certified, DFG would sure like to hear from you, and Dr. Laura Rogers-Bennett would appreciate an email from you about possibly helping with the 2008 abalone and urchin surveys.

So, you’re not yet AAUS certified? Not to worry! There is a great alternative for those who want to begin the training and get involved in scientifically-valuable research that even now is shaping the MLPAs along the California coast. This alternative is Reef Check California (RCCA). If you are an experienced diver you can get involved directly with helping to conserve California’s rocky reefs by becoming a trained and certified Reef Check diver. AAUS certification is not required and RCCA trainings are held in the spring and summer throughout California. As an RCCA diver myself, I can say it’s a very rewarding way to spend some bottom time. In addition, as we did on this trip during the cruise at Stornetta Ranch, Reef Check CA sometimes teams up with DFG to expand the scope of the data gathering. Presently RCCA is working with DFG and others to be able to facilitate AAUS Scientific Diver Certification. Look for updates on the RCCA website. In the meantime, check out the RCCA training page or go to this link to hear from other divers about what it is like to be a RCCA certified diver.

The DFG and Reef Check survey protocols are directly comparable to commonly used sampling methods (see Memorandum of Understanding) and were developed in collaboration with DFG, PISCO and others subtidal research programs to ensure the data collected can be used to improve marine management (see article by C. Dawson published on this site here). Divers lay 30-meter transect tapes, each on a specific heading, then conduct surveys along the transect while completing a datasheet tabulating measurements and quantities of selected species that occur within one meter on each side of the tape. The starting point of each transect is identified with GPS coordinates in the case of DFG abalone transects, and haphazardly placed in the case of RCCA surveys.

DFG survey species include emergent (i.e., large enough to be seen easily with the naked eye) red, flat, and pinto abalone as well as red and purple sea urchins. In addition, selected algal species and certain associated species (e.g., bat stars), as well as notes on seafloor composition are recorded. These species are also surveyed in RCCA surveys. Typically, it takes between 30 and 60 minutes to complete a DFG abalone transect depending on a variety of factors like the number of animals, amount of rugosity, and general sea conditions, which can be challenging in some of the shallower spots with kelp and heavy surge.

The main objective of the surveys at Point Arena Cove and Stornetta Ranch was to assess the density and size frequency distribution of red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) and red sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) populations. However, the task list for research cruises evolves continuously, based on opportunity and other needed research, and every effort is made to maximize the value of the cruise. Additions during this cruise included:
• Taking a small sample of epipodium from 50 red abalone, for genetic research (yes, they were returned “home” with strange tales to tell their friends).
• Collection and examination of 70 small boulders to assess recruitment levels of red abalone.
• Conducting plankton tows to assess levels of larval abalone.
• Conducting fish and related survey transects, in support of ongoing monitoring by RCCA in collaboration with DFG. As mentioned above, some divers aboard were trained in Reef Check protocols and were able to conduct surveys for a wider range of selected invertebrate, algal, and fish species as well as quantifying the type of substrate at this site. The RCCA transects were completed to provide a more comprehensive ecosystem site assessment at this site. Such collaboration is valuable in leveraging the skill sets of the participating groups, make it possible to field more divers, and maximize the value of each cruise. With the compatibility of DFG and RCCA data-gathering procedures and protocols, used together they provide a more complete picture of the overall underwater habitat and communities. These results, in turn, provide a more complete body of scientific evidence needed for creation and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and assist managers in making sustainable management decisions. (Click here for more information on Reef Check)

During the four days of the cruise we sampled a total of 36 transects at Point Arena Cove, and 33 at Stornetta Ranch, for a total of 69, exceeding considerably our goal of 56 total for the two sites. All the details are available in the Cruise Report (click here).

One particularly interesting aspect of this cruise was surveying abalone at Stornetta Ranch. This site was closed to public access until 2004 when the land was transferred to the state from a private owner. Prior to the public opening an extensive intertidal as well as subtidal survey was conducted to document abalone and urchin densities. The survey completed this year was the first survey of the subtidal area since the public access opening in 2004, and yielded a striking display of the effects of public access on abalone populations (see Cruise Report).

A few other cruise details:
• Again this year, the divers had as their base of operations the DFG’s enforcement vessel P/B Marlin, a 54-foot aluminum catamaran, skippered by Captain Keith Long, with Warden Steve Johnson and Engineer Jeff Rose as crew. The Marlin is equipped with a 17-foot Rigid Hull Inflatable and electric/hydraulic hoist for launching. In addition, BML supplied a 14-ft. Zodiac with a 25-horse motor. The Marlin is a capable and comfortable diving platform, and with this combination of personnel and equipment, we were able to field as many as five dive teams each day to lay and survey sixty-nine, 30-meter transects during four days of diving operations. The Department also provided a portable compressor so that empty tanks could be filled during diving operations, minimizing the number of tanks that had to be handled, and preventing the need to load and unload tanks during the cruise. Incidentally, support for the dive teams comes from the department’s Wildlife protection patrol boats, captains, and mates. Funding for many of the surveys is made possible by the recreational abalone fishing stamp funds.
• As is common, we had some mechanical problems to overcome, and some divers were limited by illness, so the schedule necessarily varied each day with status of the divers, equipment, and the research efforts.
• Water temperatures for this cruise were in the low to mid 50 Fº range, and visibility varied from less than five feet in shallow, turbulent areas, to near 40 feet on some deeper transects. Overall sea conditions were essentially flat for the entire week, making for some very enjoyable diving.

All in all, as one of the volunteer AAUS scientific divers, it was a very rewarding trip, and I encourage anyone who shares these interests to touch base with Dr. Rogers-Bennett (email). If this year is similar to the last few, trips will be scheduled periodically from mid-August through late October 2008. I hope to see some new faces this year!