Unlike most professors, who stand under fluorescent lights and in front of a white board,  Christopher Lowe stood one recent afternoon at the edge of a wooden pier waiting for two students to resurface from their research dive.

The students, part of a special team conducting independent marine biology research that stemmed from an ichthyology class at CSULB spend several weekends a semester donning scuba gear an working at the USC Wrigley Institute of Environmental Studies at Big Fisherman's Cove near Catalina Island.

The cove, a state-protected area on the eastern side of the island, is a prime spot for studying kelp bass and has been protected since 1988.  So while others are cramming for tests at the main library  these select few are getting to spend their time studying 30 feet under the depths of the Pacific ocean.

"Our tracking so far has indicated that these fish are pretty much homebodies," said Lowe, an assistant professor of the biological science department and a 1991 master degree recipient from CSULB who oversees the Cal State study. 
Lowe himself is anything but a homebody.

The research, funded by the CSULB Scholarly and Creative Activities grant for about $4,500, examines kelp bass behavior and where in the ocean the fish prefer to live and feed, according to the team. The research will help determine the best location for a kelp bass refuge.

Kelp bass "is an important recreational species. Fishermen love the sport and it is commercially important too, because many people eat it," said Cara Snellen, a marine biology graduate and Lowe's student, who dives for some of the research.

"The study of the home-range and movements of the fish will determine how big and where to make a reserve," Snellen said. "We want to protect the right habitat. If we don't start now, the population will bottom out. We want to avoid that."
Snellen knows working with Lowe is a rare opportunity.

"He's a cool guy to work for. He grooms us to become successful biologists," she said.

Darin Topping, another marine biology graduate diver, said Lowe's expertise is helping prepare him for a career in marine research. Lowe is a nationally recognized expert and has appeared on Discovery Channels "Shark Week".

Lowe has shown the students how to catch the bass and conduct a 10-minute procedure that includes anaesthetizing the fish, inserting a transmitter near the belly, suturing the incision, and attaching an external identification tag near its dorsal fin.

"It's exciting to be out in the field, to see and interact with the ocean," Snellen said. "But anything can happened, [we] learn from those things. It keeps you on your toes. We definitely learn more out there as opposed to sitting in the library.".