2022 “Year in Review” and “By the Numbers” Reports Now Available!

Cover of the Marine Region’s 2022 Year in Review report

What did 2022 look like for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Region? As with the rest of the world, one of the prevailing themes was the return to pre-COVID-19 Pandemic activities, which was accompanied by unusual weather patterns that affected California’s marine environment. The Marine Region’s 2022 Year in Review and its companion document, 2022 By the Numbers, outline the hurdles we overcame and accomplishments we achieved last year.

CDFW Seeks Nominees for Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program Scientific Advisory Committee

A white seabass being measured at the dock.
CDFW photo by K. Lesyna

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is requesting nominations to fill two vacancies on the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program (OREHP) Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC).

California Saltwater Angling and Diving Records Program

Larry Laumann holding a trophy-size California corbina that he speared while diving.
photo by L. Laumann

Have you ever caught or speared a fish so large, you thought it might be a State record? Larry Laumann thought just that when he speared this 6.3 pound trophy-size California corbina near San Diego on the Fourth of July. Unfortunately, he checked the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Fishing and Diving Records web page after he had filleted the fish and without getting an official weight from a certified scale, disqualifying him from the new record. While Larry certainly has bragging rights, the old record for California corbina still stands at 5 pounds 15 ounces.

CDFW maintains a list of state fishing and diving records for various species. The next time you land “the big one”, check CDFW’s Fishing and Diving Records web page to see if your species is listed for either “Ocean Angling” or “Ocean Diving” under the “Fishing Type” category, depending on the method of fishing you used. Note that only the species listed can qualify for a record, other species are not accepted.

MPA Monitoring Webinar Series: Ask the Researcher

Mark your calendars, bring your questions, and join us this summer as we unpack the results of the state-funded marine protected areas (MPAs) long-term monitoring projects through an 8-part virtual webinar series!

Stack of Dungeness crab traps. CDFW photo by C. Juhasz

Brown rockfish caught by California Collaborative Fisheries Research volunteer anglers. photo courtesy Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Researchers monitoring the rocky intertidal habitat. photo courtesy MARINe

Researchers from 24 universities, agencies and institutions across California worked closely with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Ocean Protection Council (OPC) to monitor key habitats both inside and outside of MPAs, including kelp forests, rocky reefs, rocky shores, estuaries, and sandy beaches.

Exploring California’s Marine Protected Areas: Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area

Overlooking Saunders Reef SMCA
CDFW photo by S. Worden

From its gravel- and boulder-strewn shoreline, to the craggy bedrock of the intertidal that extends to an offshore reef and surrounding stands of bull kelp, Saunders Reef State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a location prized for its highly complex, diverse, and productive habitats. Saunders Reef SMCA and its regulations were adopted in 2010 by the California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) as part of California’s globally recognized Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network. It is one of the 124 marine protected areas (MPAs) established statewide from 2004 to 2012 during the implementation of the Marine Life Protection Act.