NEW:
Documentary video on our abalone recovery efforts.

Abalone outplanted in Puget Sound!

Canada lists northern abalone as 'endangered'!

The pinto (northern) abalone story

Abalone populations in Washington State may not survive without intervention and THEY NEED YOUR HELP.

The pinto, or northern, abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) is an iconic invertebrate that used to thrive among the rocky shores and kelp beds of Washington State and British Columbia. These algae grazing mollusks once supported important subsistence and recreational fisheries in Washington, but they have recently followed the trends of abalone worldwide and declined precipitously.

The loss of this charismatic invertebrate would affect the ecology of the Puget Sound in unknown ways, and would also deprive future generations the opportunity to connect with their environment by observing or sustainably harvesting a healthy abalone stock.

In response to declines, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has prohibited abalone harvests since 1994. Yet despite protection, populations have continued to decline to a point from which they may not be able to recover on their own. State and federal agencies, university scientists, local non-profits, and concerned citizens are teaming up to SAVE OUR ABALONE, but we can not do this alone. See how YOU CAN HELP.

Don't forget to visit our galleries above to see photos of abalone and the on-going efforts to save them.