Authors

Adam Obaza, Bill Hagey, Olivia Carmack, Rilee Sanders, David Witting, Melissa Neuman

Efforts to recover the critically endangered white abalone rely heavily on outplanting hatchery-reared juveniles into suitable reef habitats. Yet predation on newly released abalone is difficult to observe directly in the marine environment. This study deployed time-lapse camera (TLC) arrays at sites in southern California to document predator activity during four outplanting events between 2019 and 2022, covering more than 187,000 images. The research examined how predators such as spiny lobsters, sheephead, octopus, and Kellet’s whelks interact with two types of outplant modules and whether these encounters translate to heightened mortality risk.

Overall predator encounter rates were low, with patterns shaped by species-specific behavior, seasonality, and the presence of urchins. The findings suggest that targeted, fine-scale adjustments—such as timing outplants after lobster fishing season or placing modules near urchins—may meaningfully reduce predation risk. The study demonstrates the value of TLCs as a high-resolution monitoring tool to inform recovery strategies for endangered marine species.