As ocean acidification and warming continue to increase due to climate change, how will California fisheries respond? UC Santa Barbara’s Gretchen Hofmann is looking to answer that question. She is one of seven recipients of a California Sea Grant Core Award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Hofmann’s research focuses on the impact of ocean acidification on the early life stages of cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus), a bottom-dwelling rockfish that inhabits California’s coastal kelp forests. Cabezon are fished for food in the Santa Barbara Channel.

To date, no studies in California examine the vulnerable early life stages of this highly prized fish. By studying how acidic conditions impact their early development the researchers expect to get an idea of how the community as a whole will be impacted in the future. READ MORE (UCSB's The Current)