MEDIA ADVISORY -- Mission Bay High students release sea bass into ocean

MEDIA ADVISORY -- Mission Bay High students release sea bass into ocean

Reporters and editors: See below for advisory from Hubbs-Sea World
Research Institute about science students from Mission Bay High releasing
sea bass into the ocean tomorrow. The students, working with Hubbs-Sea
World, raised the fish from eggs and are now setting them free. It's a
very visual and fun event and your coverage is invited.

Unless otherwise noted by the teachers on duty, all students can be
photographed and interviewed.

If you have any questions, contact Mike or Eileen at Hubbs-Sea World.

Jack

Jack Brandais | Communications Department | San Diego Unified School
District | (619) 725-5570 (Desk) | (619) 607-0477 (Cell)

Attention: Assignment Editors June 5, 2014

MEDIA ADVISORY

MISSION BAY HIGH SCHOOL ³SEABASS IN THE CLASSROOM² STEM EDUCATION PROGRAM
WILL RELEASE WHITE SEABASS INTO THE OCEAN

WHAT: Students from Mission Bay High School participating in
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute¹s ³Seabass in the Classroom² (SITC)
program, funded in part by a SDG&E Environmental Champions grant, will
release 25 tagged juvenile white seabass into local waters to restore
healthy population levels.

WHEN: Friday, June 6, 2014 2:45 PM

WHERE: Crown Point Park, 3804 Ingraham Street, San Diego, CA 92109 (North
end, at the dirt parking lot)

DETAILS: Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute¹s Research Scientist and SITC
Program Coordinator, Mike Shane, delivered the fish that will be released
tomorrow to Mission Bay High School in March 2014 as part of Mission Bay
High School¹s brand new ³Seabass in the Classroom² (SITC) STEM education
program. Mission Bay High School is one of five local school programs that
have benefitted from expansion of the Institute¹s SITC program this past
year due to the generous ongoing support of SDG&E and private local donors
and partners.

The SITC program incorporates a hands-on, learning experience into school
science curriculum and couples it with field activities related to the
release of cultured marine fish. The program teaches the students about
aquaculture and stock enhancement by growing, feeding, tagging and finally
releasing, the fish into local waters. Once released, the students'
cultured seabass are tracked by tags embedded in their cheeks.

This HSWRI program is part of the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery
Program (OREHP). OREHP is the result of an extraordinary partnership
between California State resources agencies, public utility companies,
sportsfishing groups and the scientific community to restore the depleted
populations of recreationally and commercially important marine fish.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, annual party boat catches of white seabass in
California dropped from over 55,000 to less than 3,500. Partly as a result
of that, in 1983, the OREHP Advisory Panel identified white seabass
(Atractoscion nobilis) as the most appropriate species to initiate this
long-term research program. Since program funding is generated by fishing
license fees north of the Mexican border and south of Point Arguello,
HSWRI¹s fish culture, tag and release, and assessment activities are
focused in Southern California.

Due to private donor support, funding from public utility companies, and
the ongoing support of sportfishers and sportfishing groups, OREHP
releases thousands of fish each year. On August 21, 2013, HSWRI released
its 2 millionth white seabass. Adult fish have been recovered up to 13
years after release and more than 350 miles from their release site.

MEDIA INTEREST: Interview opportunities with HSWRI scientist, Mike Shane,
and participant school teachers about the ³Seabass in the Classroom² and
its benefit to the educational outcomes of local San Diego students.

CONTACTS: Mike Shane, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI)
619-226-3870
Eileen Sigler, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI) 619-226-3881
Mission Bay High School, Steve Walters, (858) 273-1313
SDG&E Media Relations, Allison Zaragoza, 619-820-1517

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