This rather charismatic mollusk is the white abalone, a Critically-Endangered species of sea snail that’s Wanted: Alive in the state of California.
That’s because it hasn’t been seen in 5 years after populations declined 99% since the 1970s.
On May 12th, 2026, a research mission aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel Shearwater identified a living white abalone as part of the Wanted Alive! White Abalone campaign that engages citizen scientists and recreational divers to record potential sightings of the creature.
With so few remaining among the coastal kelp forests of California, which themselves have been severely reduced by sea urchin plagues, individuals are often too far apart to reproduce successfully.
Scientists like those onboard Shearwater are working hard to understand where white abalone still occur and what habitat may support their recovery.
“It’s been like searching for a needle in a haystack,” explained Julie Bursek who is the education and outreach coordinator for Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
“Community science, research partnerships, and habitat surveys like this one are all important tools for helping scientists better understand where white abalone may still survive in the wild.”
Bursek and her team surveyed areas near Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz islands, focusing on habitat characterization and collecting environmental DNA, or eDNA, which allows scientists to collect and analyze genetic material shed by organisms into the surrounding water.
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After initial surveys on the southeast side of Santa Rosa Island, the team moved to a state marine protected area on the southwest side of Santa Cruz Island. There, the team identified promising white abalone habitat.
During a survey dive, Bursek along with Jaimee Butler, assistant dive safety officer of field operations from Aquarium of the Pacific, a partner on the Wanted Alive! White Abalone project, spotted what they guessed was their quarry.
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They took video and a shell length measurement. Project leads at NOAA Fisheries later confirmed the sighting based on video footage, marking the first live white abalone discovery in the sanctuary’s waters in five years.
The team also successfully deployed the new eDNA sampler and collected samples for future analysis. Next steps include conducting additional habitat surveys on the southwest side of Santa Cruz Island, attempting to relocate the individual, and processing the eDNA samples.
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