Meet Myrtle. Myrtle was recently a distinguished LightHawk passenger. She got a ride from Long Beach, California to the Bodega Marine Lab in Bodega Bay, California as part of our ongoing partnership to restore white abalone population on the Pacific Coast.

Myrtle was on the move to participate in a captive breeding program. She is one of 10 total wild origin white abalone in captivity, so she offers huge potential to transform the recovery of the species by increasing the gene pool.

The White Abalone Captive Breeding Program is part of an international collaboration dedicated to the restoration of federally endangered white abalone to rocky reef habitats. White abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) once played a key role as grazers and ecosystem engineers ranging from Point Conception, California to Baja California, Mexico, and are a NOAA “Species in the Spotlight”, one of eight species considered among the most at risk of extinction in the near future.

A successful captive breeding program has been established at the Bodega Marine Lab where they are currently caring for thousands of white abalone. The program also includes various partners throughout the state of California and Mexico that breed white abalone broodstock, in an effort to increase the quantity of and genetic diversity of the animals available for restoration work.

LightHawk has conducted multiple flights as part of the program, transporting literally millions of white abalone juveniles to be raised in captivity before implantation in the wild. Our efforts and those of our partners are Building Momentum for Lasting Change!

We’re grateful to volunteer pilot Michael Baum for donating this flight! The LightHawk team and our partners are so thankful for your efforts and contributions to conservation and the future of Pacific Coast White Abalone!