Ronald J. Jameson

Lumber spill in central california waters: implications for oil spills and sea otters.

A large quantity of lumber was spilled in the ocean off central California during the winter of 1978, and it spread through most of the range of the threatened California sea otter population within 4 weeks. The movement rates of lumber were similar to those of oil slicks observed elsewhere. These observations indicate that a major oil spill could expose significant numbers of California sea otters to oil contamination.

Mortalities of kelp-forest fishes associated with large oceanic waves off central California, 1982-1983

SynopsisObservations of three incidents of the mass mortality of nearshore fishes are reported; each corresponded to periods of high-amplitude, long-period swells during the 1982–1983 El Niño event along the coast of central California. Members of the nearshore kelp forest fish assemblage, primarily of the genusSebastes, accounted for 96% of the observed mortalities andS. mystinus (blue rockfish) alone accounted for 72%.