Oceans Resources Enhancement Hatchery Program To begin restoring the fishery that had been depleted by over-fishing, gillnet use, and habitat destruction, the California Department of Fish and Game instituted through legislation in 1983 the Oceans Resources Enhancement Hatchery Program (OREHP). As part of the state's OREHP program the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute built an experimental marine fish hatchery in Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad, CA in 1995 to launch a pilot project to determine the feasibility of culturing white seabass to a marketable size in cages and to assess the marketability fo these fish. The white seabass was selelcted as the primary target sepcies due to its popularity as both a commercial and recreational fish, and its depleted status. Funding to support the majority of the OREHP's stock enhancment research comes from the sale of recreational and commercial fishing licenses. The OREHP is one of the few stocking programs dedicatd toward assessing the biological and econimc impacts of its releases, and it is the only program of its kind on the west coast of North America. Through its responsible approach and extensive, self-imposed scientific review process, the OREHP has established itself as a model for stocking programs worldwide. Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute: HSWRI in collaboration with San Diego State University conducts much of the OREHP research, which falls in line with the 40-year mission of the Institute.In 1963 Milton C. Shedd, one of the visionary founders of SeaWorld in San Diego met with world-reknowded marine biologist Carl L. Hubbs. Together with other business, scientific and community leaders, they founded the Mission Bay Research Foundation, later renamed the HSWRI. Today HSWRI operates as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with facilities in San Diego and Carlsbad, California and Florida. HSWRI is responsibe for overseeing the operation of the Leon Raymond Hubbard, Jr. Marine Fish Hatchery and has developed the culture protocols required for the white seabass restocking program. Leon Raymond Hubbard, Jr. Marine Fish Hatchery History:To support the large-scale experimental stocking efforts, the Leon Raymond Hubbard, Jr. Marine Fish Hatchery was constructed and dedicated in 1995. This facility is sited on outer Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad, CA on land owned by the Encina Power Plant. The hatchery is capable of producing more than 350,000 juvenile white seabass annually. The hatchery represents a unique facility that blends mariculture with scientific research toward the goal of not only improving the depleted fishery in Southern California, but also of increasing our knowledge of these species and their life history. At the hatchery, they are breeding young white seabass fingerlings from egg stage to a few inches long. Once the cultured white seabass reach 3 inches, they are tagged and transported to one of 12 grow-out facilities located up and down the coastline.    All fish heads should be saved for tag analysis! In San Diego County, you may deliver heads to: San Diego Oceans Foundation Office: 1875 Quivira Way, STE C-5, San Diego, CA 92109 (619)523-1903 Hubbs-SWRI headquarters in Mission Bay: 595 Ingraham St., San Diego, CA 92109 (619) 226-3870 Leon Raymond Hubbard Jr. Marine Fish Hatchery, Carlsbad: 4200 Garfield St., Carlsbad, CA 92008 (760) 434-9501 BACK