In June 1980, the Cooperative Striped Bass Study (COSBS) 
team was organized to examine different aspects of the above 
questions (Jung and Bowes, 1980; Jung et,. al. 1981; Whipple, 
Crosby, and Jung, 1983; Whipple et. al . 1984; Jung, Whipple, and 
Moser, 1984). 
At the Tiburon Laboratory, we concentrated on the affects of 
pollutants on striped bass populations (4 through 8, above). 
From this research, a number of recommendations have been made 
(9 above). The State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) 
stressed work on the anthropogenic sources of pollutants found 
in the striped bass and identification of the pollutants (1 and 
2 above), funded additional studies on effects of pollutants and 
parasites, (4 through 8), and took a number of management ac¬ 
tions (10 above). The California Department of Fish and Game 
(CDFG) also participated in management decisions (10 above). 
There were a number of excellent reasons for selecting the 
striped bass as a model species in the San Francisco Bay-Delta 
ecosystem. The striped bass is a long-lived fish (approximately 
2 0 years) and at all ages appears to accumulate relatively high 
levels of pollutants. It is a tertiary carnivore and accumu¬ 
lates pollutants throughout the food chain. Striped bass are 
also very euryhalone, occurring in offshore marine areas, estu¬ 
aries, and in freshwater. They occur on all coasts of the Unit¬ 
ed States and have been introduced in other countries. This 
fishery is also of great commercial and recreational value. 
The major reason for studying striped bass, however, was the 
long-term decline on this population in the area, as well as in 
most other estuaries of the United States. We suggest that at 
least part of the decline may be because of the interactive dele¬ 
terious effects of anthropogenic factors, such as water 
diversion and pollution. 
California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) biologists 
have studied the striped bass population in the San Francisco 
Bay-Delta estuary for about 40 years. Their work provided the 
framework for studies of this species, particularly in the 
field. The initial results of CDFG studies revealed a high cor¬ 
relation between outflow from the Delta and survival of striped 
bass to "young-of-the-year" or juvenile stage. A correlation 
also existed between the percentage of water diverted south 
through the California aqueduct system and survival of juve¬ 
niles. On the basis of these correlations, CDFG was able for 
some years to predict survival of juveniles and recruitment to 
the fishery. These predictions became less reliable in later 
years (since approximately 1975), although outflow and diversion 
remain major controlling factors in survival. Figure 2A shows 
the decline in survival to juvenile striped bass in both the 
Suisun Bay and central Delta nursery areas; Figure 2B shows the 
decline in adult striped bass (from Stevens et. al. 1985). 
81 
