Bull Kelp Forest Disappearing in Mendocino

doc_flavonoid

Billy Hamilton status
Dec 27, 2019
1,740
3,198
113
i guess we should be thankful the region has flown under the radar as long as it did cuz this is old news. so old in fact that we are starting to hopefully see the other side of it with a modest rebound of starfish and bullkelp
 
  • Like
Reactions: kawika

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
11,981
22,506
113
PNW
up here our kelp forests are, locally at least, as thick as they have been in many years. the star fish are coming back too although the sunflower sea stars, the big ones with many arms, are still scarce if not completely extinct.
 

Surfdog

Duke status
Apr 22, 2001
21,768
1,988
113
South coast OR
Have they curbed sea urchin harvesting the last few years?

I know many CA coastal areas are off limits to many commercial fishing enterprises now.

That, and the otter population not really coming back as many had hoped.

"Already, the deforestation has led California regulators to suspend recreational diving for red abalone in 2018, and Mendocino County’s commercial red sea urchin fishery is almost completely shut down."

Is it shut down due to Covid, or other reasons, environmental or economic?
 

doc_flavonoid

Billy Hamilton status
Dec 27, 2019
1,740
3,198
113
sea otters inhabit the central coast so dont factor into the equation in norcal.

purple urchins are responsible for the kelp deforestation. their population exploded when a wasting disease devastated the starfish population.

what triggered the disease and subsequent starfish die off? if i had to guess, id say it coincided with an increase in the frequency of algae blooms (red tides).

it seems every summer south swell brings with a bloom flow south to north. increased bay area and delta human populations are the most likely culprit as nitires flush out of the sf bay and are carried north during south swell events
 

Subway

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 31, 2008
13,496
10,104
113
LBNY
Need more sushi restaurants. Uni specials.
SB uni fresh, is one of nature finest treasures. Bring it on. Our sushi buyer at our local buys it from overnight flights and gets first dibs. I’ll order theirs take out, so much umami goodness. While others can and are very good (Russian, Maine, Hokkaido) SB wins every time. And I’ve literally eaten them all side by side in a flight format. Full on taste test at 15 East. Wonder if they will comeback after pandemic?
 

_____

Phil Edwards status
Sep 17, 2012
6,910
3,176
113
I literally almost drowned in bull kelp maybe mid 00s in Mendocino. Abs were totally the dominant species over urchins at the time and the bull kelp was like 2' thick on the surface at low tide. From what I hear there's ongoing speculation about cause of the health of kelp beds at the islands but I won't go there. The coast seems pretty good, especially Naples.

Urchin prices to the public is insane. :crazy2:. I'm stoked for the divers, especially the ones who were getting shafted before the market really changed for what seems to be long term, but you can literally swim 20 yards out to a reef/kelp bed on the coast and pick a dozen of them in 10-20' of water in under 30 minutes. Same with lobsters (not as easy but $35-70 at market vs free this season). Give me YT, WSB, BFT, Salmon and Albacore any day of the week instead.:violin:
 

Duffy LaCoronilla

Duke status
Apr 27, 2016
38,637
27,968
113
Have they curbed sea urchin harvesting the last few years?

I know many CA coastal areas are off limits to many commercial fishing enterprises now.

That, and the otter population not really coming back as many had hoped.

"Already, the deforestation has led California regulators to suspend recreational diving for red abalone in 2018, and Mendocino County’s commercial red sea urchin fishery is almost completely shut down."

Is it shut down due to Covid, or other reasons, environmental or economic?
Urchins are sold to restaurants. Sushi restaurants. You know, where you sit at the sushi bar and order fresh uni?

When was the last time you sat at a sushi bar and ordered fresh uni?

When was the last time anyone has?
 

toPBk

Miki Dora status
Mar 27, 2002
4,724
102
63
North Pacific Beach, CA
This is the time of year (kelp reconnaissance) . . . . ..
Here in SD I don't hunt at the bottom, but I think this thread should be most commented on by either: Urchin Divers.. or maybe our mid coast amigos who'd like to see as many urchin as possible harvested... at least those guys who's thick kelp is shallower
 

r32

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 1, 2005
17,930
9,457
113
Cambria
We have a few beaches on the CC where the kelp seems to pile up. It usually smells bad, and is full of a million flies. Must be currents carrying the dead kelp into these coves?
 

_____

Phil Edwards status
Sep 17, 2012
6,910
3,176
113
as many urchin as possible harvested...
That's sorta the problem. The savvy move was a few divers who realized they can spend less time underwater, pick 100-500 units and network with restaurants, get a booth at fish markets and make same or more $ than picking 1000-5000 lbs diving all day long. None of the 100-500 divers are gonna head up to Mendocino, and right now, nobody is buying 1000-5000 lbs of urchins (when was the last time you've seen a big flatbed load up full totes of uni?) . If things open up maybe the volume divers will head up there and clean house.
 
  • Like
Reactions: toPBk

Duffy LaCoronilla

Duke status
Apr 27, 2016
38,637
27,968
113
"due to an explosion in the population of purple sea urchin, which eats the kelp, and two warm water events that lasted from 2014 to 2016.




I don’t know about you but I find it a little shady that (the top pics) they used the same photo twice and just put yellow blotches on one to depict where kelp (supposedly) was.
 

PeterDj

Legend (inyourownmind)
Jul 11, 2018
467
340
63
Kelp/Algae blooms are usually a result of excessive nitrates in the water aka sh!t. Less kelp would imply cleaner waters. Anyone who has tried to keep a live salt water reef aquarium knows the easiest thing to do is grow algae. Just look at cancun area mexico and its now full of kelp thanks to excessive population growth, they are literally swimming in their own sh!t these days. My guess is better sewage treatment and less fishing/chumming is why the kelp is disappearing up north.