498 
Fishery Bulletin 96(3), 1998 
(Love et al., 1991). It is during the larval and pelagic 
juvenile stages that rockfish year-class strength is 
determined (Ralston and Howard, 1995) and up- 
welling appears to be a particularly important fac- 
tor affecting survival during these stages. Years with 
intermediate levels of upwelling seem to correspond 
with strong year classes (Ainley et al., 1993). 
Since the late 1970s, waters in the southern Cali- 
fornia Bight have warmed approximately 1.5°C and 
upwelling has declined to approximately one half of 
the levels observed in the late 70s and early 80s 
(Norton and Crooke, 1994). In turn, this has led to 
reduced zooplankton production (Roemmich and 
McGowan, 1995) and an apparent reduction in the 
larval and juvenile survivorship of many marine fish 
species (Holbrook and Schmitt, 1996). The current 
low-upwelling conditions are probably part of a long- 
term alternation of warm- and cold-water regimes 
that extend along much of the northeast Pacific 
(MacCall, 1996). Poor pelagic juvenile rockfish sur- 
vivorship of many species also extends at least into 
central and northern California (Ralston 7 ). Juvenile 
7 Ralston, S. 1996. National Marine Fisheries Service, Tiburon 
Laboratory, 3150 Paradise Dr., Tiburon, CA, 94920. Personal 
commun. 
bocaccio recruitment indices for central- 
northern California (Ralston et al., 
1996) show a steady decline similar to 
the decline we observed for bocaccio in 
the impingement data. 
There has also been a sharp decline 
in the numbers of both subadult and 
adult inshore rockfishes in southern 
California. These reductions are due 
both to natural mortality and heavy 
fishery exploitation. Unlike many deeper- 
water and more northerly species, the 
inshore rockfishes of California have 
relatively short life spans, often less 
than perhaps 25 years (Miller and 
Geibel, 1973; Love and Westphal, 1981; 
Love and Johnson, in press). Thus, even 
without fishing pressure, the number 
of adults of many of these species would 
tend to decrease relatively rapidly dur- 
ing extended periods of poor reproduc- 
tion. In addition, these are also very 
heavily fished species. Until the early 
1990s, most of the catch was made 
by recreational fishermen (Wine 1 ; Ally 
et al. 2 ). Beginning in the early 1990s, a 
live-fish commercial fishery developed 
that targets shallow-water species 
(Barsky 3 ). 
The sharp decreases in inshore rockfish popula- 
tions are also mirrored by similar declines in the 
populations of deeper-water species. Between 1980 
and 1996, it appears that there was also a substan- 
tial decrease in the numbers of deeper-water rock- 
fishes off southern California. An analysis of the rec- 
reational rockfish catch in southern California since 
1980 shows steep declines in catches of most of the 
important species (Love et al., in press). As an ex- 
ample, catches of chilipepper rockfish (S. goodei ) have 
declined to 0.5%, bocaccio to 1%, and widow rockfish 
(S. entomelas ) to 1.25% of 1980 levels. These declines 
are almost certainly reflective of lowered abundances 
of many species rather than a shift in fishing em- 
phasis by recreational vessels. 
It is generally held that although reef fish popula- 
tions exhibit large temporal variations, even under- 
going local extinctions, external sources of new young 
will eventually provide new recruits. Referring spe- 
cifically to the California coast, MacCall (1996) specu- 
lated on the establishment of southern marine spe- 
cies, such as the Pacific seahorse ( Hippocampus 
ingens), at the northern ends of their ranges off Cali- 
fornia. He noted that these animals probably estab- 
lish themselves during warm-water periods and, in 
the absence of fishing pressure, may survive colder 
