Commercial Diver Portal

How to Get Involved

Hello and thank you for your interest in this program. This page is for licensed commercial urchin divers only. Recreational divers and citizen scientists should go “back” and find the link to their page.

This is a highly collaborative project with many partners.  However, your main contact will be with CA Department of Fish and Wildlife, who are overseeing the removal effort. If you would like to be part of this coordinated effort, you we need to do the following:

  1. Contact (Cynthia.Catton@wildlife.ca.gov) to get a letter of authorization to participate in the program and learn about process and procedures.
  2. Multiple partner organizations in the program have money to pay commercial divers. For the near future, divers will be paid by the Watermen’s Alliance, contact Josh Russo.  Make sure you know who is handling your payment before you go out and give them your payment information.
  3. The partnership will tell you the priority areas to work and where to bring in your catch.
  4. When weather permits, notify the Noyo Center for Marine Science about your dive plan and when you expect to get back to port (info@nc.mymcn.org). The Noyo Center will get volunteers to meet to you collect data on your catch.
  5. Fill out this DIVER DATA FORM within 24 hours of your return.
  6. Submit invoices for work accomplished for each diver on your boat. Payment will be handled directly with the organization assigned to your work.

 

Thanks! Together we will make a difference in our nearshore habitats and support the recovery of our kelp forest ecosystem.

February 22 Urchinomics meeting recording.