Students from two area high schools, including one in La Jolla, released more than 55 tagged white sea bass into local waters in a bid to restore healthy population levels.
The groups, from La Jolla’s The Preuss School UCSD and La Mesa’s Helix Charter High School, participated in a Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute “Seabass in the Classroom” program, funded in part by an SDG&E Environmental Champions grant, on May 31 on Crown Point Park, 3804 Ingraham St. in Pacific Beach
Mike Shane, research institute’s research scientist and the program’s coordinator, delivered the bass (cultured at a Carlsbad fish hatchery) to the schools. The programs are two of five local programs targeted for expansion of the “Seabass in the Classroom” plan this past year. The program teaches the students about aquaculture and stock enhancement by growing, feeding, tagging and finally releasing fish into local waters. Once released, the students’ cultured seabass are tracked by tags embedded in their cheeks.
This program is part of the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program, the result of a partnership between California resources agencies, public utility companies, sport fishing groups and the scientific community to restore depleted populations of recreationally and commercially important marine fish.
From the 1950s to the 1980s, annual party boat catches of white seabass in California dropped from more than 55,000 to less than 3,500. In August of 2013, Hubbs released its 2 millionth white seabass. Adult fish have been recovered up to 13 years after release and more than 350 miles from their release site.
– Staff and contribution