|  The Habitat Ecology Team conducts research in direct response to the mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act of 2006, with a focus on deep-water California demersal communities. Our goal is to provide sound scientific information to ensure the sustainability of marine fisheries and the effective management of marine ecosystems, with objectives to:
- improve stock assessments, especially of overfished rockfish species in complex habitats
- characterize fish and habitat associations to improve EFH identification
- contribute to MPA design & monitoring, and to Coast and Marine Spatial Planning
- understand the significance of deep-sea coral habitats
We use a variety of survey tools and approaches to improve our assessments of demersal fishes, macro-invertebrates (including members of deep-water coral communities), and associated seafloor habitats in water depths from 20 to 900 meters off central and southern California. Habitat-specific distribution and densities of juvenile and adult life stages of numerous Pacific Coast demersal species have been determined from non-extractive, visual surveys conducted with remotely operated vehicles (ROV), manned submersibles, scuba, laser line scan, and towed cameras, coupled with seafloor maps of the continental shelf and upper slope off California. These surveys have resulted in habitat-specific assemblage analyses on multiple spatial scales; fishery-independent stock assessments; baseline monitoring of MPAs; documentation of marine debris on the seafloor; and are being used in the California-NOAA-USGS Seafloor Mapping Program. Our research often is conducted in collaboration with academic partners from University of California Santa Barbara, University of California Cooperative Extension Sea Grant Program, Washington State University, Oregon State University, and Stanford Research Institute Intl., and with our colleagues from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and National Marine Sanctuaries. Team members | Resources A guide to the rockfish, thornyheads, and scorpionfishes of the northeast Pacific
A new guide to the rockfishes of the northeast Pacific has been published. Monterey Bay Marine GIS User Group
Supports GIS training, capacity building and increased awareness of marine spatial data sets among the broader GIS science community in Monterey Bay. Southern California coral and sponge community report
A characterization of the coral and sponge community on Piggy Bank seamount from a survey using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Deepsea Coral and Sponge Image Database
Images from 2010 surveys of deepsea corals and sponges off Southern California. NMFS Habitat Assessment Improvement Plan (HAIP)
The first nationally coordinated plan to focus on marine fisheries habitat science. Keepers of the Deep
Video about deep water marine debris research off the California coast. Christmas tree coral images
Underwater images of a recently discovered species of black coral. |
Recent publications - Understanding the capabilities of new technologies and methods to survey west coast groundfishes: Results from a visual survey conducted in 2011 using the Dual Deepworker manned submersible at Footprint and Piggy banks off Southern California
Yoklavich, Mary, Tom Laidig, Diana Watters, and Milton Love. 2013. Understanding the capabilities of new technologies and methods to survey west coast groundfishes: Results from a visual survey conducted in 2011 using the Dual Deepworker manned submersible at Footprint and Piggy banks off Southern California. [Final report to NMFS Science Advisor for Stock Assessments.] U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, Santa Cruz, California. 28 p. - Reactions of fishes to two underwater survey tools, a manned submersible and a remotely operated vehicle
Laidig, Thomas E., Lisa M. Krigsman, and Mary M. Yoklavich. 2013. Reactions of fishes to two underwater survey tools, a manned submersible and a remotely operated vehicle. Fishery Bulletin 111(1):54-67. - Regional habitat assessment prioritization for California stocks
Blackhart, Kristan, Stephen K. Brown, Bryant Chesney, E.J. Dick, Kirsten Larsen, Michael O'Farrell, Korie Schaeffer, Brian Spence, Kevin Stierhoff, Dale Sweetnam, and Mary Yoklavich. 2012. Regional habitat assessment prioritization for California stocks. Report of the Southwest Regional Habitat Assessment Prioritization Working Group. U.S. NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service. 36 p. - A guide to the rockfish, thornyheads, and scorpionfishes of the northeast Pacific
Butler, John L., Milton S. Love, and Tom E. Laidig. 2012. A guide to the rockfish, thornyheads, and scorpionfishes of the northeast Pacific. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 185 pp. - Models and maps: predicting the distribution of corals and other benthic macro-invertebrates in shelf habitats
(View document on publisher's site -- open access.)
Krigsman, Lisa M., Mary M. Yoklavich, E.J. Dick, and Guy R. Cochrane. 2012. Models and maps: predicting the distribution of corals and other benthic macro-invertebrates in shelf habitats. Ecosphere 3(1):art3 (16 p.). More publications... Pictures and videos       More pictures and videos... |