Haliotis Rufescens Research Articles

Evolved differences in energy metabolism and growth dictate the impacts of ocean acidification on abalone aquaculture

Ocean acidification (OA) poses a major threat to marine ecosystems and shellfish aquaculture. A promising mitigation strategy is the identification and breeding of shellfish varieties exhibiting resilience to acidification stress. We experimentally compared the effects of OA on two populations of red abalone (Haliotis rufescens), a marine mollusc important to fisheries and global aquaculture. Results from our experiments simulating captive aquaculture conditions demonstrated that abalone sourced from a strong upwelling region were tolerant of ongoing OA, whereas a captive-raised population sourced from a region of weaker upwelling exhibited significant mortality and vulnerability to OA. This difference was linked to population-specific variation in the maternal provisioning of lipids to offspring, with a positive correlation between lipid concentrations and survival under OA. This relationship also persisted in experiments on second-generation animals, and larval lipid consumption rates varied among paternal crosses, which is consistent with the presence of genetic variation for physiological traits relevant for OA survival. Across experimental trials, growth rates differed among family lineages, and the highest mortality under OA occurred in the fastest growing crosses. Identifying traits that convey resilience to OA is critical to the continued success of abalone and other shellfish production, and these mitigation efforts should be incorporated into breeding programs for commercial and restoration aquaculture.

A multiscale analytical framework for mode I crack in staggered composites

Owing to the special arrangement of platelets, staggered composites can achieve superior fracture toughness. Nevertheless, a rigorous mathematical framework for the fracture analysis on them remains a challenge. Here, we show that by incorporating the mechanical behavior of individual unit cells, a multiscale analytical framework for a mode I crack propagation in staggered composites can be setup adopting the “fishnet” scheme proposed recently. The mathematical formulae for the mode I crack turn out to coincide with those for the mode III crack in homogenous ideal elastic-plastic media. Using red abalone nacre as a case study, we show that the inelastic zone in front of the crack and the R-curve given by our analysis agree remarkably well with the experiments. In the last, the design space for the damage-tolerant composites emerges from the crack sensitivity analysis, which could guide the advanced materials design.

Microbiota of the Digestive Gland of Red Abalone (Haliotis rufescens) Is Affected by Withering Syndrome.

Withering syndrome (WS), an infectious disease caused by intracellular bacteria Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis, has provoked significant economic losses in abalone aquaculture. The pathogen infects gastroenteric epithelia, including digestive gland, disrupting the digestive system and causing a progressive wilting in abalone. Nonetheless, our knowledge about WS implications in digestive gland microbiota, and its role in diseases progress remains largely unknown. This study aims to determine whether digestive gland-associated microbiota differs between healthy red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) and red abalone affected with WS. Using high-throughput sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, our results revealed differences in microbiota between groups. Bacterial genera, including Mycoplasma, Lactobacillus, Cocleimonas and Tateyamaria were significantly more abundant in healthy abalones, whilst Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis and Marinomonas were more abundant in WS-affected abalones. Whilst Mycoplasma was the dominant genus in the healthy group, Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis was dominant in the WS group. However, Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis was present in two healthy specimens, and thus the Mycoplasma/Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis ratio appears to be more determinant in specimens affected with WS. Further research to elucidate the role of digestive gland microbiota ecology in WS pathogenesis is required.

Abalone Recruitment in Low-Density and Aggregated Populations Facing Climatic Stress

Understanding spatial and temporal patterns in the recruitment of marine invertebrates with complex life histories remains a critical knowledge gap in marine ecology and fisheries. As marine invertebrates are facing multiple stressors from overfishing and climatic stress, it is important to evaluate the conditions that facilitate recruitment in low-density populations. The red abalone Haliotis rufescens historically supported an economically important fishery in California, but the fishery was sequentially closed as stocks declined, and the last fished area was closed in 2018 following the collapse of the kelp forests in Northern California. Here, red abalone recruitment was evaluated annually from 2012 to 2016 and monthly from 2016 to 2017 in Central California where red abalone naturally occur in highly aggregated but low-density populations because of sea otter predation. Trends in wind-driven upwelling, temperature, wave forces, and food resources (kelp) were evaluated over the same time period as factors that could affect recruitment patterns. Recruitment was annually consistent except in 2015, when recruitment declined by 76%, likely because of reproductive failure during the second year of the North Pacific marine heat wave. The monthly recruitment assessment was the first field assessment of red abalone recruitment over a full year, and it showed that red abalone can recruit year-round. There were no clear recruitment patterns associated with seasonal wind-driven upwelling or relaxation patterns, and kelp density was constant over the study period; however, conditions at the study sites included three key features that may provide optimal conditions for consistent recruitment: (1) spatial abalone aggregation, (2) a sheltered embayment that may retain larvae, and (3) persistent algal food resources. These results can inform statewide and global abalone recovery and management programs.

Downscaling global ocean climate models improves estimates of exposure regimes in coastal environments

Climate change is expected to warm, deoxygenate, and acidify ocean waters. Global climate models (GCMs) predict future conditions at large spatial scales, and these predictions are then often used to parameterize laboratory experiments designed to assess biological and ecological responses to future change. However, nearshore ecosystems are affected by a range of physical processes such as tides, local winds, and surface and internal waves, causing local variability in conditions that often exceeds global climate models. Predictions of future climatic conditions at local scales, the most relevant to ecological responses, are largely lacking. To fill this critical gap, we developed a 2D implementation of the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) to downscale global climate predictions across all Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios to smaller spatial scales, in this case the scale of a temperate reef in the northeastern Pacific. To assess the potential biological impacts of local climate variability, we then used the results from different climate scenarios to estimate how climate change may affect the survival, growth, and fertilization of a representative marine benthic invertebrate, the red abalone Haliotis rufescens, to a highly varying multi-stressor environment. We found that high frequency variability in temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH increases as pCO2 increases in the atmosphere. Extreme temperature and pH conditions are generally not expected until RCP 4.5 or greater, while frequent exposure to low DO is already occurring. In the nearshore environment simulation, strong RCP scenarios can affect red abalone growth as well as reduce fertilization during extreme conditions when compared to global scale simulations.

Foot injury survival in red abalone (Haliotis rufescens)

Recovery of the U. S. Federal Endangered Species Act-listed white abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) in California, USA depends on the success of a captive breeding program, which requires collection of wild broodstock to maintain genetic diversity. Foot damage is frequently sustained during collection and handling, and severe injuries can be fatal. This study used the proxy species red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) to investigate the ability of abalone to survive foot injury by administering foot injuries varying in severity and monitoring subsequent health and survival. In a preliminary study, 6/6 farm-origin 55–70 mm animals survived two types of injury while 5/6 survived a third type of injury. We then conducted a definitive study using 24 wild-origin animals (165–207 mm) and three intensified injury treatments. Five of six animals that received a deep tissue incision were dead the following morning, presumably from acute hemolymph loss, and the remaining animal in that treatment group died on day 41 with a systemic bacterial infection. Nine of twelve abalone that received loss of either 8% or 17% of foot sole epithelium survived until experiment termination at day 90, at which time all survivors were regenerating epithelial tissues, as evident by histology. This study suggests that abalone may be more capable of surviving significant superficial foot damage that can occur during collection and handling, at least in a captive rearing environment, than has been previously recognized.

Fiber reorientation in hybrid helicoidal composites

Naturally occurring biological materials with stiff fibers embedded in a ductile matrix are commonly known to achieve excellent balance between stiffness, strength and ductility. In particular, biological composite materials with helicoidal architecture have been shown to exhibit enhanced damage tolerance and increased impact energy absorption. However, the role of fiber reorientation inside the flexible matrix of helicoid composites on their mechanical behaviors have not yet been extensively investigated. In the present work, we introduce a Discontinuous Fiber Helicoid (DFH) composite inspired by both the helicoid microstructure in the cuticle of mantis shrimp and the nacreous architecture of the red abalone shell. We employ 3D printed specimens, analytical models and finite element models to analyze and quantify in-plane fiber reorientation in helicoid architectures with different geometrical features. We also introduce additional architectures, i.e., single unidirectional lamina and mono-balanced architectures, for comparison purposes. Compared with associated mono-balanced architectures, helicoid architectures exhibit less fiber reorientation values and lower values of strain stiffening. The explanation for this difference is addressed in terms of the measured in-plane deformation, due to uniaxial tensile of the laminae, correlated to lamina misorientation with respect to the loading direction and lay-up sequence.

Abalone Withering Syndrome Disease Dynamics: Infectious Dose and Temporal Stability in Seawater.

Withering syndrome (WS) is a chronic bacterial disease that affects numerous northeastern Pacific abalone Haliotis spp. The causative agent of WS is an obligate intracellular Rickettsiales-like bacterium (WS-RLO) that remains unculturable, thereby limiting our understanding of WS disease dynamics. The objectives of our study were to (1) determine the temporal stability of WS-RLO DNA outside of its abalone host in 14°C and 18°C seawater, (2) develop a standardized protocol for exposing abalones to known concentrations of WS-RLO DNA, and (3) calculate the dose of WS-RLO DNA required to generate 50% infection prevalence (ID50) in the highly cultured red abalone Haliotis rufescens. The WS-RLO stability trials were conducted in October 2016, February 2017, and June 2017. A quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis was used to quantify bacterial DNA for 7d in seawater collected at an abalone farm in southern California, where the pathogen is now endemic. For all trials and temperature treatments, WS-RLO DNA was unstable in seawater for longer than 2d. To determine an ID50, groups of uninfected juvenile red abalone were subjected to 3-h bath exposures with four concentrations of WS-RLO at 0, 103 , 104 , and 105 DNA copies/mL. Abalone feces were tested biweekly for the presence of WS-RLO DNA, and abalone tissues were sampled 9weeks postinfection for histological and qPCR analyses. The ID50 results indicated that our protocol was successful in generating WS-RLO infections; a pathogen dose of 2.3×103 DNA copies/mL was required to generate a 50% infection prevalence in red abalone tissue. These findings are critical components of disease dynamics that will help assess WS transmission risk within and among abalone populations and facilitate appropriate management and restoration strategies for both wild and cultured abalone species in WS-endemic areas.

Tensile and shear behavior of microscale growth layers between nacre in red abalone

ABSTRACT The microscale growth layers between nacre possess distinctive aragonite structures, including columns, spherulites and organic matrices. High temporal resolution experiments were performed to elucidate the tensile and shear behavior of growth layers under dry and hydrated conditions. For a comparison, pure nacre was tested in corresponding conditions. For both nacre and growth layers, the presence of water enabled larger deformation of hydrated specimens than those of dry specimens. Hydrated growth layers exhibited lower strengths and larger failure strains than hydrated nacre under both shear and tensile loadings. Hydrated growth layers exhibited lower work-to-failure than hydrated nacre under shear, whereas they exhibited higher work-to-failure than hydrated nacre under tension. This work could further our understandings on the interfacial behavior of laminated natural materials, and may help the creation of high performance hierarchical composites.

Effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on protein structure and digestibility of red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) muscle

The protein secondary structure modifications and digestibility of red abalone muscle subjected to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments (200, 300, 400, and 500 MPa for 5 min) were evaluated. The protein structure was analysed by Fourier-Transformed Infrared spectroscopy. Protein digestibility was evaluated based on the degree of hydrolysis (DH) and peptide size distributions under in vitro gastrointestinal conditions. The intermolecular β-sheet structure was disrupted at 200 MPa, compensated by the formation of the intramolecular β-sheet. At 300 and 400 MPa, the β-sheet structure can fold on itself from the interactions that stabilize the protein structure. The 310-helix structure was significantly looser at 300 MPa. Structural modifications were accompanied by β-turn formation at 300, 400, and 500 MPa. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion is improved by HHP independently of pressure level. The results suggest that high pressure improve the DH of red abalone as a consequence of β-sheet and β-turn conformations changes. Industrial relevanceThe seafood industry uses high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) technology to reduce undesirable sensory changes and preserve the functional and nutritional properties of compounds. The HHP experiments contributed to unravel the impact of the different level pressure on digestibility. HHP treatment can change the secondary structures of proteins and improve the protein digestibility as function the pressure level. The results of this study provide valuable information for the potential application of HHP on the development of red abalone with high-nutritional value.

A Complicated Relationship: Glycosylation, Ca(II), and Primary Sequence Affect the Interactions and Kinetics between Two Model Mollusk Shell Intracrystalline Nacre Proteins.

The formation of the mollusk shell requires the participation of proteins, many of which may be interactive with one another. We examined a model protein pair system from the mollusk Haliotis rufescens, wherein we probed the interactions between recombinant forms of two major nacre layer proteins, AP7, and the glycoprotein, AP24. Here, the focus was on the impact that the AP24 glycosylation and primary sequence had on AP24-AP7 binding. We find that both the glycosylated and nonglycosylated variants of AP24 bound to AP7 but with different quantities, kinetics, and internal rearrangements. Moreover, the binding of AP7 with nonglycosylated and glycosylated AP24 was found to be Ca(II)-dependent and -independent, respectively. Yet both variants of AP24 combine with AP7 to form hybrid hydrogel particles that are similar in their physical properties. Thus, AP7 and AP24 protein sequences are interactive and form hydrogels, but the interactions are tuned by glycosylation and Ca(II). These features may have an impact on the nacre matrix formation.

Combination of stiffness, strength, and toughness in 3D printed interlocking nacre-like composites

Constituted by mineral tablets and organic interlayers, nacre is known for its attractive combination of stiffness, strength, and toughness. The impressive mechanical property of nacre can be attributed to the ‘brick-and-mortar’ structure which is usually defined with two geometric parameters: tablet aspect ratio and volume fraction of the stiff phase. Inspired by the interlocking tablets found in red Abalone and Hyriopsis cumingii, we study the effect of interlock by introducing a third parameter: tablet waviness angle. Tension tests and single edge notched bend fracture tests are performed on the specimens of interlocking and non-interlocking nacre-like composites that are fabricated using a high-resolution multi-material 3D printer. Stress distribution, deformation pattern and parameter analysis reveal the mechanical behavior of interlocking and non-interlocking nacre-like composites and how these three parameters affect the performance. Two failure patterns (soft phase failure and tablet break) and three toughening mechanisms (uncracked-ligament bridging, constrained microcracking, and crack deflection/twist) are found in three-point bending fracture tests, which uncovers the key to high toughness. Interlocking nacre-like composites clearly show enhanced tensile and fracture performance with an unusual combination of stiffness, strength, and toughness.

Warm Water Shifts Abalone Recruitment and Sea Urchin Diversity in Southern California: Implications for Climate-Ready Abalone Restoration Planning

Nearshore kelp forest ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change and ocean warming, which can alter community dynamics and change the trajectory of species recovery in unpredictable ways. Abalone (Haliotis spp.) populations in the Southern California Bight (SCB) are still recovering from a combination of overfishing and disease, despite the closure of the fisheries 20 years ago and active restoration programs for abalone species in the region. For this study, abalone recruitment and sea urchin populations were surveyed in artificial habitats (16–22 m) across a spatial and temporal climatic gradient in southern California from 2010 to 2017 to inform the development of climate-ready abalone restoration programs. The SCB encompasses warm and cool islands, and experienced two periods of ocean conditions—cool (2010–2013) and warm ocean conditions (2014–2016). Dive surveys of the artificial habitats revealed that juvenile abalone recruitment remained low during the study period, suggesting that recovery is slow. Warm-water years favored recruitment of juvenile pink (Haliotis corrugata) and green abalone (Haliotis fulgens), with the highest abalone recruitment observed at Catalina Island. Endangered white abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) were not observed despite placing the artificial habitats in suitable deep rocky reefs, which is further evidence supporting their endangered species status. The coolest site, San Diego, had little abalone recruitment, with a few juvenile red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) and threaded (Haliotis kamtschatkana) abalone present. Sea urchin abundance and diversity increased during the warm period, with the largest increase at Catalina Island. During the warm period, Coronado sea urchin (Centrostephanus coronatus) increased in abundance, coincident with a decrease in the commercially valuable temperate red sea urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus). Potential shifts in the sea urchin assemblage to warm-water sea urchins may negatively impact recovering abalone populations and the red sea urchin fishery. Climate-ready abalone restoration will require ecosystem-based monitoring, tracking on not only abalone recruitment but also sea urchins, algal abundances, ocean temperature, and kelp forest communities as climate change may lead to complex and unexpected ecosystem interactions.

Using Density-Based Fishery Management Strategies to Respond to Mass Mortality Events

Extreme environmental events that trigger mass mortalities are making fisheries management more challenging. Catastrophic events can have unforeseen impacts on fished resources outside the scope of fishery models and management plans. Mass mortality events (MME) that rapidly reduce densities can decrease the productivity of Haliotis spp. abalone and other benthic free spawning marine invertebrates that require minimum densities for reproductive success. Density-based indicators using fishery-independent measures of density on the fishing grounds serve as an important alternative source of information for management. In northern California, this approach is used to manage the recreational red abalone Haliotis rufescens fishery using densities at key fished sites to guide management. In 2011, a harmful algal bloom (HAB) impacted the southern region of the fishery providing a test of the density-based indicators. Surveys following the HAB revealed a 35% decrease in average density in the southern portion and a decrease in the fishery overall. Empirical fishery-independent density surveys could be used in a range of fisheries for detection of impacts from nonclimate-related stressors such as overfishing and pollution as well as climate-related stressors such as warming, acidification, hypoxia, and disease bolstering climate-ready management. Ecosystem indicators may also be used as early indicators of future changes to productivity. As climate change is predicted to increase the intensity and frequency of MME, managers will need to use sensitive indicators to inform effective climate-ready management responses.

Factors influencing half‐pearl (mabe) production and quality in the red abalone Haliotis rufescens

The factors influencing half-pearl (mabe) production in the red abalone Haliotis rufescens were investigated, as a strategy to optimize the technology for the development of a pearling industry in Chile. The effects of abalone size (small, large), implant position (dorsal, central, ventral and their combinations), and number of nuclei (one, two, three) were analysed on the quantity, thickness of the nacre layer and quality (shape, colour, lustre, defects) of the mabe produced. The size of abalone did not exert a clear influence on the quantity and quality of mabe, but the position on the shell (firstly) and number of nuclei (secondly) did. More mabe, with thicker nacre, brighter lustre and fewer defects occurred in small or large abalone implanted with only one nucleus on dorsal position. In contrast, small and large abalone implanted in the ventral position formed less mabe, with thinner nacre, poor lustre and more defects. This likely occurs because mantle tissue folds at the ventral position and does not always cover the nucleus, leaving it partially or totally exposed. Most of the pearls were categories AA in small abalone and A in large abalone; only three AAA gems were produced in large abalone with one nucleus on dorsal position or with three nuclei (DCV). Based on these results, we recommend implanting abalone at 60–100 mm shell length, with only one nucleus on the dorsal position.

Early Red Abalone Shell Middens, Human Subsistence, and Environmental Change on California's Northern Channel Islands

Red abalone (Haliots rufescens) shell middens, a distinctive site type on the California Coast dating primarily to the Middle Holocene, provide important insight into human-environmental interactions and climatic and environmental change. Despite decades of research and debate about why red abalone middens formed and how they relate to past human behavior and environmental change, significant questions persist about the nature of these sites and how they relate to broader trends in human diet and land use. Here, we present the results of excavation at three red abalone middens on the northern Channel Islands. Two of these middens, CA-SRI-26 on Santa Rosa Island and CA-SMI-692 on San Miguel Island, are among the older reported red abalone middens, at roughly 8000–7300 cal BP, and help fill a significant temporal gap in our understanding of the initial period of intensive red abalone harvest. The third midden, CA-SMI-172, dates to ~6300 cal BP and fills a spatial gap on eastern San Miguel Island. When placed in the context of other Channel Island red abalone middens, our analysis demonstrates that people at some of the earliest red abalone middens harvested more red abalone and larger sized individuals than later in time. These data suggest that people likely placed predation pressure on red abalones across the red abalone midden period (8500–3500 cal BP) and that human activities worked in tandem with other environmental changes to influence the disappearance of the red abalone midden phenomenon ~3500 years ago.

Chromosomal and molecular characterization of 5S rRNA genes in the North American abalones Haliotis rufescens Swainson (red abalone) and H. fulgens Philippi (blue abalone)

Abalone is an extremely valuable food source derived from cultured and wild animals, the later from populations under intense fishing exploitation and of high conservation value. As part of a long-term study to characterize genes from abalone that can be used as markers for hybrids certification, we characterised 5S ribosomal DNA (5S rDNA) in red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) and blue abalone (H. fulgens). The 5S rDNA arrays occur to a single pair of metacentric chromosomes at interstitial positions in both species. Two types of 5S genes were found, named types I and II, each associated with different non-transcribed spacer (NTS) sequences. The structure of the 5S rRNA genes and the NTS indicate incomplete homogenisation of the 5S rDNA arrays. The divergence of the 5S genes between species provide polymorphisms which can be used to distinguish red from blue abalone in forensic analysis of commercial production.

An Annotated Genome for Haliotis rufescens (Red Abalone) and Resequenced Green, Pink, Pinto, Black, and White Abalone Species.

Abalone are one of the few marine taxa where aquaculture production dominates the global market as a result of increasing demand and declining natural stocks from overexploitation and disease. To better understand abalone biology, aid in conservation efforts for endangered abalone species, and gain insight into sustainable aquaculture, we created a draft genome of the red abalone (Haliotis rufescens). The approach to this genome draft included initial assembly using raw Illumina and PacBio sequencing data with MaSuRCA, before scaffolding using sequencing data generated from Chicago library preparations with HiRise2. This assembly approach resulted in 8,371 scaffolds and total length of 1.498 Gb; the N50 was 1.895 Mb, and the longest scaffold was 13.2 Mb. Gene models were predicted, using MAKER2, from RNA-Seq data and all related expressed sequence tags and proteins from NCBI; this resulted in 57,785 genes with an average length of 8,255 bp. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphisms were called on Illumina short-sequencing reads from five other eastern Pacific abalone species: the green (H. fulgens), pink (H. corrugata), pinto (H. kamtschatkana), black (H. cracherodii), and white (H. sorenseni) abalone. Phylogenetic relationships largely follow patterns detected by previous studies based on 1,784,991 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms. Among the six abalone species examined, the endangered white abalone appears to harbor the lowest levels of heterozygosity. This draft genome assembly and the sequencing data provide a foundation for genome-enabled aquaculture improvement for red abalone, and for genome-guided conservation efforts for the other five species and, in particular, for the endangered white and black abalone.

An oxytetracycline bath protocol to eliminate the agent of withering syndrome, Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis, in captive abalone populations

Abalone (Haliotis spp.) populations are in decline due to overfishing and/or disease in all regions that historically supported important fisheries worldwide. Two species have been federally listed as Endangered in the USA. Recovery plans for these and other highly depleted species typically include outplanting of progeny from captive-reared broodstock, for which maintaining good health is essential to promote gonad development and maturation. In California, USA, the principal disease of concern for abalone is withering syndrome, caused by a gastrointestinal intracellular Rickettsiales-like prokaryote named Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis (Ca.Xc). We report the application of an antibiotic bath exposure method to eliminate the pathogen in captive red abalone (H. rufescens) populations. A series of eight, 24-h baths consisting of 500 ppm oxytetracycline in seawater were delivered over a period of 21 days. Testing of feces by PCR and histology indicated complete elimination of Ca.Xc by day 105 following the first bath treatment. Mean oxytetracycline levels in the digestive gland reached a peak of 670 ppm at the end of the treatment period and remained above 100 ppm for 125 days. Survival rate, body condition index, growth and a measure of foot muscle health were similar between treated and control groups, despite tetracyclines being potentially toxic or immunosuppressive in some animal systems. This method should prove useful for creating Ca.Xc specific-pathogen-free captive abalone populations for land-based production and to prevent pathogen transfer when abalone are introduced to growing regions where the pathogen is not present.

An indicator‐based decision framework for the northern California red abalone fishery

AbstractAmong abalone species that were once harvested along the California coastline, red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) supports the remaining recreational fishery. To support development of a red abalone fishery management plan, non‐governmental organizations have initiated expanded data collection and developed fishery management strategies. The latter is the subject of this study, as we present a management strategy evaluation (MSE) of a multi‐indicator decision tree. The decision tree relies on landings from each of 56 fishing sites and length frequency information collected during fishery‐independent diver surveys at a subset of sites. The decision tree was designed to cope with existing data limitations and to ensure that localized meta‐population dynamics were adequately considered in decision‐making. It was also necessary to balance the potential for localized abundance changes with the practical issue of implementing fishery regulations at larger spatial scales. The MSE demonstrated that undesirably low stock sizes could be avoided while also continuing to maintain a viable fishery, even under environmental conditions that are detrimental to abalone populations. Under less‐severe environmental conditions, stock size was maintained, on average, above the biomass associated with production of maximum sustainable yield. Our discussion centers on steps that were taken to refine the decision tree and to incorporate feedback from scientists and stakeholders and to facilitate transparent evaluation of management options.