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Rush to rescue thousands of endangered abalone buried in Big Sur landslides [San Francisco Chronicle]
Apr. 3 Wendy Bragg knew California’s abalone population was in bad shape. The UC Santa Cruz researcher had been leading surveys of black abalone along the remote Big Sur coast, one of the last strongholds of the endangered mollusk.
But how much worse things would get for this small, shelled marine creature, once a common seafood delicacy, Bragg and her fellow scientists could not have imagined.
Three months ago, when a series of winter storms blasted Central California and sent scores of mudflows down steep canyons destabilized by wildfire, thousands of black abalone on the rocky shores of Big Sur were buried alive. As the death toll grew and concern mounted about the survival of the species, Bragg and her colleagues transformed from researchers to rescuers.
Rush to rescue thousands of endangered abalone buried in Big Sur landslides
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When biologists discovered this abalone, only a portion of its shell was exposed. But after carefully removing sand from the area, it was safely removed using specialized tools called abalone irons.Kenan Chan / Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
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A young rescued black abalone near Big Sur was placed on a piece of drift kelp a long overdue meal.Kenan Chan / Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
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Biologist Wendy Bragg contorts herself to reach a buried black abalone.Kenan Chan / Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less