Expedition Will Highlight New Legal Protections for Ocean Life in the Channel Islands and Assess Ecosystem Health
Oceana is embarking on its final expedition in a three-part series exploring and documenting ocean biodiversity off Southern California in partnership with luxury Swiss watch manufacturer, Blancpain, and in collaboration with marine geneticist Dr. Adrian Munguia-Vega. The first two expeditions have already identified more than 13,000 unique ocean species around the Channel Islands, bolstering the need for new wildlife protections established into law last month when Governor Newsom signed AB 1056 (Steve Bennett—D, Ventura).
“Waters off the Channel Islands still hold many mysteries,” said Oceana’s Pacific Marine Scientist and expedition co-lead Caitlynn Birch. “The new state law will grant additional safeguards for ocean life, helping ensure a sustainable future for California’s ocean ecosystems and the people and wildlife who rely on them. Continued research is critical to understand the full extent of ocean biodiversity in the region, assess how these ecosystems change over time, and ensure robust wildlife protections for generations to come.”
The expedition series furthers Oceana’s campaigns to restore ocean abundance and Blancpain’s commitment to ocean exploration and preservation. The expedition team is conducting research using scuba diving surveys to document ocean biodiversity and collecting water samples for analysis in a lab to identify environmental DNA (eDNA) left behind in the water by marine plants, fish, and animals. This third expedition will expand the eDNA database in the region and explore further offshore islands.
Set gillnets—mile-long nets anchored to the seafloor to catch California halibut and white sea bass—entangle sea lions, sharks, rays, and other fish species, raising concerns about the impacts of this fishing gear to ocean biodiversity. State waters around the Channel Islands and federal waters off Southern California are the last remaining places set gillnets are allowed. By removing this gear through a phase out, AB 1056, signed into law on October 13, 2025, will protect more than 100 different ocean animals that become entangled in these nearly invisible nets. Waters will be safer for an abundance of marine life while causing minimal disruption for the fishing families who depend on them today.
Ocean waters off Southern California, however, face additional threats, including expanded offshore oil and gas production in federally managed waters. This expedition will provide critical data and information to help better understand the ecosystems that would be at risk if offshore oil and gas lease sales were to proceed.
- For more information about this expedition visit https://usa.oceana.org/expeditions/southern-california-expeditions-2024/
- Watch this video of scientists explaining what eDNA is, and how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVMDoSTCNSg
- To learn more about ocean biodiversity at risk from set gillnets visit www.oceana.org/KeepCAOceansThriving
