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

Observations 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 genus Sebastes, accounted for 96% of the observed mortalities and S. mystinus (blue rockfish) alone accounted for 72%.