Sea Urchins, Abalone, And Kelp: Their Biology, Enhancement And Management

Valuable sea urchin, kelp, and abalone resources occur throughout the world. In California these resources are especially important. Fishery managers, researchers, the fishing industry, and others are aware of wide gaps in our knowledge about the biology, population dynamics, enhancement potential, and management of these resources. Similar resources and fisheries exist in all Pacific Coast states, Maine, Canada, Chile, Japan, and other nations. A conference was organized to bring together academics, agency personnel, and resource users from throughout the world to identify research needs, management alternatives, and enhancement potential. Sea urchins were the primary focus because of the explosive growth in the fishery and urgency of management issues. Kelp and abalone discussions tended to focus on the interactions between these resources and sea urchins. Three days of papers and discussions identified many knowledge gaps and complex management issues surrounding sea urchin, kelp, and abalone resources. These are summarized in this publication.