The rockfish tagging crew out at oil platform Gail.
 

Rockfish populations have shown dramatic decline throughout the southern California Bight over the last 20 years. Many species of rockfishes are thought to move very little, which is one of the reasons they may be so susceptible to overfishing. Nevertheless, surprisingly little research has been done to determine home ranges and site fidelity for many rockfish species. While many of the natural reefs in California have been fished quite hard, oil platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel have functioned as de facto reefs providing habitat for rockfish.

 

Yannis holding a bocaccio before it is released back to the bottom.

It’s not the Unibomber. It’s Greg Hoisington, master rockfish fisherman.

Collaborating with Dr. Milton Love of the Marine Science Institute at U.C. Santa Barbara, we have been tagging rockfishes caught from oil platforms in the east Santa Barbara Channel with acoustic transmitters.  Acoustic listening stations are located around the platforms to receive information about individually tagged rockfishes tagged with acoustic transmitters.

This project is funded by the Minerals Management Service (MMS).