de really critical for the culture of california fofor that time. we had to recommend to the fish and game commission that it be closed after several years of severe impacts to the kelp forest. lackey: it's definitely affected business, and my tours have been greatltly affecteded for the a b diving. and they estimate thatat it's, youou know, anywhere fromm $44 to $ $54 million out of ouor local economy, just from the abalone,e, and that really hurt. with busininess down, , you kno, considererablyless than 50%, it's almost at a break-even point for r me. i'm hanging in there. i'm still l doing it. the economy is on everyone. you know, the gas stations, the markets, the hotels, state parks. catttton: we've been n surveyine kelp fororest for ththe last 200 yearars now. we've seeeen a seve decline of the kelp forest and severe impact toto the algal communities, and those are directly impmpacting the abalone fishery because the abalone rely on the k kelp for food. soso w'e had 4 years of severe starvation conditions for abalone and other herbivores in the system, and we're seeing evidence of mass mortalitities of thehe abalone n the wild. so the kelp forest has declined dramatic