Home Donate Now Gift Shop Contact Us Thanks for Your Continued Support AFTCO Manufacturing Company Alice and Brad Andrews Aqua Logic, Inc. Elli and James Atchison Dr. Ann Bowles Rose and Dan Brown Chevron Corporation The Burnham Foundation Stephen Cohen Ruth Covo Family Foundation Ruth and Art DeFever The David DeMotte Family Julie and Pete Ensor Kim and Andy Fichthorn Sally and Hal Furman, II Nellie and Santana Gonzalez, Jr. Grosvenor Family Foundation Mari and Todd Gutschow Houck Foundation Mrs. Cathy Hubbs Victoria and Murray Hutchison Karen Boudreau and Dr. Thomas Jensen Cara and Don Kent Kids Making a Difference Ann Marie and David Lambillotte Linda and Jack Miller NRG Energy, Inc. Trudy and Mike Pearlman Dixie and Jerry Sansom Sea World Parks & Entertainment Jill and Bill Shedd Peggie Shedd Bethany Smith W. Kelly Smith Bernice Stark Karen Terra U.S. SCUBA Center Drs. Pam Yochem and Brent Stewart Anne and Tig Wohlford Ken Wright, Esq. Hubbs-SeaWorld Society Members share in and contribute to the Institute's most fundamental vision: recognition that our oceans sustain our life on Earth and provide profound environmental, economic and social benefits to society. It is these individuals who offer invaluable leadership in realizing many of our most ambitious goals. For more information on how to join the Hubbs-SeaWorld Society, please call Karen Terra at 619-226-3881 or JB Kump at 407-370-1650. HSWRI is now on Facebook and Twitter! become a HSWRI Facebook Fan! Follow us: www.twitter.com/hswri or @hswri Donate Now Every day in local laboratories and outposts in far away lands, the scientists at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute work so that human and animal populations may share a vibrant and healthy environment. Our vision is a world that can sustain its rich biodiversity to ensure a lasting prosperity for future generations. But we need your help. Please help us in our quest to leave behind a world that is a little better than we found it by making a tax-deductible online contribution today. Whatever amount you can give and whatever area of HSWRI science you choose to support, your gift will truly make a difference If you would like to talk about gifts of cash, stock, property and other estate planning options that might offer you a tax benefit this calendar year, please call Karen Terra at 619-226-3881 or JB Kump at 407-370-1650. Click here for more information. Visit our Gift Shop Support the Institute by purchasing HSWRI logo gear. Be sure to check out our new zip sweatshirts and beach totes. They make great gifts! Click here to begin shopping. Visit our Gift Shop We are pleased to present our newest e-store item. Get your new, long-sleeve HSWRI T-shirt! Available in both men's and women's sized for only $20 (includes tax and shipping) at www.hswri.org, or by calling 619-226-3871. Wish List 2009 Please let us know if you are able to donate or purchase a "wish list" item for the Institute: Truck or SUV that seats four		Click here to read this update online HSWRI on the Web New Web Site Please be sure to check out our new and improved web site at www.hswri.org. Some of the sections are still under construction, but we think you'll like our new look! become a HSWRI Facebook Fan!www.facebook.com/hswri Follow us: www.twitter.com/hswri or @hswri End of Year Challenge Grant Update Thanks to everyone who participated in our End of Year Challenge Grant Fund Drive. Because of your support, we more than matched the $50,000 challenge grant, raising a grand total of $106,875! Thank you so very much for your support of the Institute. Save the Date The 2nd Annual White Seabass Benefit Tournament and Special Tribute to Bill Poole has been scheduled for July 10 and 11, 2010 in San Diego, Calif. The fishing tournament will take place on July 10th and will feature a wide range of trophy categories including the biggest white seabass, halibut and yellowtail. There also will be a special trophy for the angler who releases the most fish. Special prizes will be given for any white seabass captured alive and donated to HSWRI's brood stock program. All white seabass heads will be scanned for tags as part of HSWRI's program to identify hatchery-reared fish from wild individuals. Fishing categories include: Open Division (private boaters), Party Boat Division, Kayak Division, Spearfishing Division, and Fly Fishing Division. All of the categories offer junior angler awards. The Awards Barbecue Banquet will take place at our Mission Bay facility on Sunday, July 11. The Barbecue will feature delicious cultured-fish tacos, prepared on site by local chefs from the Chefs de Cuisine Association of San Diego, opportunity drawings and silent auction prizes, tours of the Institute's Mission Bay hatchery operations where they raise California yellowtail and halibut, rockfish, and more. View photos from last year's event in our website photo gallery. Many thanks to our sponsors, The Tuna Club of Avalon, AFTCO Manufacturing Company and David Wirth. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or have something you'd like to donate to our auction and opportunity drawing, please call Karen Terra at 619-226-3881. Sponsorship opportunities and Sponsorship and Raffle Form. Projects Funded The Project AWARE Foundation provided a grant in support of Dr. Brent Stewart's research on the Earth's largest but relatively unknown fish, the whale shark. Thanks to the Catalina Seabass Fund for its ongoing support of our white seabass replenishment program. The Institute received a grant from the Schultz Family Foundation in Florida in support of our Ocean Health program. HSWRI in the News HSWRI Scientist, Dan Odell is listed as "Manatee Expert" in a catalogue advertising Aquatic Mammals new DVD series. Odell is one of the subjects of the "high definition DVD interviews with prominent marine mammal scientists" featured by the popular scientific publication. Dr. Odell, a former SeaWorld Orlando scientist, was one of the first HSWRI employees in Florida. Odell is still active in the field and has a current acoustic study on marine species in the Indian River Lagoon. Damon Pullias, editor of the Brevard Edition of Coastal Angler magazine, toured the Coconut Point facility and quoted HSWRI President, Don Kent in the article. The article not only gave a clear explanation of the facility and how it expands the scientific reach of the Institute, it focused attention on the historic work in aquaculture the Institute has accomplished and suggests the potential for similar fisheries replenishment work in Florida. The Del Mar Times featured the HSWRI's aquaculture program "Fish farm off La Jolla Coast in the Works" in its September 11 edition. Michael Burge, staff writer, San Diego Union-Tribune, toured the hatchery and interviewed Don Kent on October 7. Read "Angling for Survival". Dr. Ann Bowles' collaborative acoustic study on polar bears was featured in the November 2009 issue of the San Diego Zoo's ZooNooZ. Dr. Pamela Yochem was nominated as one of San Diego Magazine's Women of the Year and was featured in the magazine's November 2009 issue. San Diego News Network.com featured "Aquaculture hatches in San Diego, but are growth and methods sustainable?" Read more at www.SDNN.com. 11/12 KPBS radio interviewed Don Kent for "Fish Feed Sources Examined as Fish Farming Becomes More Popular." 11/17 KPBS Group Asks for Hold on Fish Farm Permit Process, read more at www.KPBS.org. 12/18 San Diego Union Tribune featured New Center Will Study San Diego Bay, read more at www.KPBS.org. 12/26 San Diego Union Tribune featured "Bay Effort Welcome - Alliance will benefit regional treasure", read more at www.SignOnSanDiego.com. 12/26 The Maldives InFlight Magazine featured Dr. Brent Stewart's whale shark research in "The Malidives Biggest Challenge." Research Activities Dr. Brent Stewart spent much of last year in the field. An overview of Dr. Stewart's year began with field work on northern elephant seals on the Southern California Channel Islands at San Miguel and San Nicolas Islands (the 32nd consecutive year), followed up directly by field work on whale sharks in the Maldives, then the Philippines and Western Australia (45 sharks tagged overall with telemetry instruments). This was followed by field work at San Nicolas Island on California Sea lions through summer with Dr. Pamela Yochem. December consisted of more whale shark research in the Maldives (at Baa Atoll where manta rays also aggregate), and included travel to the United Arabian Emirates as an invited speaker for an Arabian Sea whale shark workshop (see photo above). Then it was back to San Nicolas and San Miguel islands for the elephant seal season. Wendy Noke Durden and Teresa Mazza conducted several aerial and boat photo-identification surveys to assess abundance and dispersal of dolphins inhabiting the Halifax River. The two, along with Megan Stolen, attended the Southeast Regional Stranding Meeting in St. Augustine, Fla. The team also responded to over 20 bottlenose dolphin strandings, along with one pygmy sperm whale stranding and one live beaked whale. They also monitored a known entangled Indian River Lagoon bottlenose dolphin. Megan Stolen and Teresa Mazza traveled to Duke Marine Laboratory for training and consultation with researchers on an ongoing grant. Community Outreach The Institute's hatchery location in Carlsbad hosted a number of tours to school and community groups: Students from Pt. Loma Nazarene College toured the Carlsbad hatchery on September 9. This visit takes place every year. Palomar College faculty member Beth Pearson brought her Marine Biology course to tour the Carlsbad hatchery on October 19. Professor Pearson's students visit the hatchery twice a year. Lisa Yon brought two of her Palomar College oceanography lab courses to tour the Carlsbad hatchery on December 3 and 8. Professor Yon's students visit the hatchery twice a year. Cub scouts from a local Carlsbad Cub Scout den toured the Carlsbad hatchery on December 11. The Long Beach Casting Club visited the Carlsbad hatchery on December 12. Institute representatives participated in organizational meetings in St. Petersburg, Fla. on December 7. These meetings were conducted to discuss a way forward for sportfish restoration in the state. Scientific Presentations Mark Drawbridge presented a paper entitled "Offshore Structures and Aquaculture –A California Perspective" at the "Integrating Offshore Renewable Energy and Aquaculture" symposium in Newport, Rhode Island. Mark Drawbridge participated as a moderator and panelist at the Maritime Collaboration Summit in San Diego, California. Megan Stolen was an invited speaker at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stranding workshop. Scientific Publications Stolen, M., W.N. Durden, T. Mazza, and J. St. Leger. "Prevalence of harmful human interactions in the Indian River Lagoon System." Presented at the Southeast Regional Stranding Meeting. Jirsa D., K. Stuart and M. Drawbridge. The Effects of Tank Color and Light Intensity on Growth, Survival, and Stress Tolerance of White Seabass, Atractoscion nobilis, larvae. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. 40(5):702-709 Nollens, H.H., R. Rivera, G. Palacios, J.F.X. Wellehan, J.T. Saliki, S.L. Caseltine, C.R. Smith, E.D. Jensen, J. Hui, W.I. Lipkin, P.K. Yochem, R.S. Wells, J. St. Leger and S. Venn-Watson. New recognition of Enterovirus infections in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Vet Microbiol 2009 Oct 20; 139 (1-2) 139: 170-175.