White Abalone
CR

White Abalone

Haliotis sorenseni

Declining

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haliotis_sorenseni

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Haliotis sorenseni faces severe population decline primarily due to overharvesting for commercial and recreational abalone fishing, which has reduced populations to critically low levels. Ocean warming and acidification associated with climate change threaten the species' kelp forest habitat and reduce calcium carbonate availability needed for shell formation. Disease outbreaks, particularly withering syndrome caused by Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis, have devastated remaining populations along the California coast.

Threat summary

Habitat

Haliotis sorenseni inhabits rocky subtidal zones along the California coast, typically found in kelp forests and rocky reefs at depths of 6-40 meters. The species requires hard substrate for attachment and feeds primarily on drift kelp and other marine algae in these temperate marine ecosystems.

Rocky areas· major

Conservation measures underway

Species managementSpecies recoverySpecies reintroductionEx-situ conservationAwareness & communicationsLegislation

Other threatened species in HALIOTIDAE

VU

Haliotis stomatiaeformis

Unknown
Black AbaloneCR

Black Abalone

Haliotis cracherodii

Declining
Pink AbaloneCR

Pink Abalone

Haliotis corrugata

Declining
Green AbaloneCR

Green Abalone

Haliotis fulgens

Declining

Threatened in Mexico

EN

Turbinicarpus horripilus

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CR

Turbinicarpus mandragora

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EN

Opuntia pachyrrhiza

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EN

Arachnothryx tacanensis

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is White Abalone classified as Critically Endangered?
White Abalone is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Haliotis sorenseni faces severe population decline primarily due to overharvesting for commercial and recreational abalone fishing, which has reduced populations to critically low levels. Ocean warming and acidification associated with climate change threaten the species' kelp forest habitat and reduce calcium carbonate availability needed for shell formation. Disease outbreaks, particularly withering syndrome caused by Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis, have devastated remaining populations along the California coast.
Where does White Abalone live?
White Abalone occurs in Mexico, and United States. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to White Abalone?
The main threats to White Abalone are 11.1, 2.3, 2.4, and 5.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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