In 2023, California moved 246 endangered abalone; by 2026, counts rose from 54 to 302, with juveniles found

Representative Image (AI-generated) In 2023, scientists relocated 246 endangered black abalone to a protected coastal site in California to help restore a population devastated by disease. Three years later, surveys recorded 302 individuals, compared with 54 before the intervention, while the density in high-quality habitat reached one abalone per square metre. Researchers also discovered juvenile abalone, raising hopes of renewed reproduction. According to a study published in Frontiers in Conservation Science, the results suggest that carefully planned relocation and habitat restoration could help the species recover. However, scientists say further monitoring is needed to establish whether the population can reproduce successfully and sustain itself over time.Why black abalone needed interventionBlack abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) is a marine mollusc found along the Pacific coast of North America, including California and Mexico. It lives on rocky shorelines in the intertidal zone, where it attaches itself to hard surfaces and feeds on algae. The species suffered severe population declines during the 1980s and 1990s because of withering syndrome, a disease associated with the b...