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Home: ABOUT: Ecology: Ecosystems: Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs): California Current LME
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 Related Knowledge (17)
 5 RELATED TOPICS:
 Ecosystem Approaches to Governance Ecosystem Approaches to Governance
 Ecosystem Approaches to Management Ecosystem Approaches to Management
 Gulf of Alaska LME Gulf of Alaska LME
 Gulf of California LME Gulf of California LME
 Pelagic Ecosystems Pelagic Ecosystems
 Topic Overview
 ID# : 80391
 Visits: 2812
 Added: 14-Apr-2005
 Updated: 03-Jun-2005
  E-Mail Topic link
 Editors
 Ned Cyr
 Jennifer Perce
 Frances B. Michaelis
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California Current LME Maintained by NOAA  
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Introduction
 
The California Current LME is an example of a large pelagic ecosystem which has been studied by CalCOFI participants since 1949 .The North Pacific Current feeds into the Alaska Current and the California Current which moves south along the coastline of North America . It then flows far offshore in the Southern California Bight before touching the mainland again in Baja California, Mexico. This LME is adjacent to the Gulf of Alaska LME and the Gulf of California and the Pacific Central-American Coastal LMEs.
The main features of the California Current are:
  • Decadal variation as well as variation during El Niño and La Niña events. See more
  • High biological productivity (>250 mg C/sq m/day)
  • Characterized inshore by an extensive kelp ecosystem. Watch the video
  • Important Californian sardine fishery which collapsed in the 1940s and 50s and has now recovered
  • Ongoing fisheries for squid, groundfish, tuna and salmonids
  • Historic overharvesting of great whales may be partly responsible for changes to the ecosystem
  • Large populations of sea birds
  • Rapid urbanization in places has led to loss of habitat and discharge of pollutants
  • Marine protected areas have been established.
Fifty years of research on the California Current
Photo title: Fifty years of research on the California Current
Photo credit: CalCOFI
 
 
 
 
All  (17) Websites   (5) Documents   (4) Books   (2) Institutional Contact   (6)
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Websites
México y los Estados Unidos cooperan en la conservación en el Golfo de California Conservación en el Mar México y los Estados Unidos cooperan en la conservación en el Golfo de Californ...  Editor's Choice
Mexican-United States coalition for conservation in the Gulf of California Conservation at Sea Mexican-United States coalition for conservation in the Gulf of California...  
Assisting state, tribal and local salmon conservation and recovery efforts. Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) Assisting state, tribal and local salmon conservation and recovery efforts....  
Zooplankton samples, collection maps and searchable database Pelagic Invertebrates Collection Zooplankton samples, collection maps and searchable database 
Recreating the historic voyage of 1940 to the Sea of Cortez Sea of Cortez Expedition and Education Project Recreating the historic voyage of 1940 to the Sea of Cortez 
Documents
Bycatch of seabirds and marine mammals in central California gillnet fisheries Central California Gillnet Effort and Bycatch of Sensitive Species, 1990-1998 Bycatch of seabirds and marine mammals in central California gillnet fisheries...  
Distribution and abundance of 93 fish larval taxa in the Southern California Bight Distributional atlas of fish larvae and eggs from Manta (surface) sam...977 to 2000 Distribution and abundance of 93 fish larval taxa in the Southern California Bi...  
Distribution and abundance of 160 fish plankton categories Distributional atlas of fish larvae and eggs in the Southern Californ...: 1951-1998 Distribution and abundance of 160 fish plankton categories 
Collapse of marine mammal populations in North Pacific Ocean Sequential megafaunal collapse in the North Pacific Ocean: An ongoing...al whaling? Collapse of marine mammal populations in North Pacific Ocean 
Books
An exploration of the incredible habitats and sea life beneath the waters of the nation's largest marine sanctuary. A Natural History of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary An exploration of the incredible habitats and sea life beneath the waters of th...  
International perspective on the status and trends of marine ecosystems in the North Pacific Marine Ecosystems of the North Pacific International perspective on the status and trends of marine ecosystems in the ...  
Institutional Contact
Research and teaching on marine biodiversity and conservation. Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Research and teaching on marine biodiversity and conservation. 
Identifying and quantifying links between the environment and production of marine ecosystems and marine resources Environment Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center for... Laboratory Identifying and quantifying links between the environment and production of mar...  
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) was founded in 1987 by David Packard. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) was founded in 1987 by Dav...  
NWFSC studies living marine resources in the Northeast Pacific Ocean NorthWest Fisheries Science Center NWFSC studies living marine resources in the Northeast Pacific Ocean 
Research on marine and anadromous fish populations of California and their habitats Santa Cruz Laboratory, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries Research on marine and anadromous fish populations of California and their habi...  
Part of NOAA Fisheries. Conducts marine biological, economic and oceanographic research in California Southwest Fisheries Science Center Part of NOAA Fisheries. Conducts marine biological, economic and oceanographic ...  
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