Endangered seashell may become golden state's latest symbol

A seashell with deep ties to California's Native American heritage and environmental concerns could soon become the state's next official symbol.

With 44 state symbols already in place, including symbols as diverse as the state folk dance and an official dinosaur species, California's collection of symbolic icons is quite extensive. However, Assembly member Diane Dixon is pushing for the addition of the endangered black abalone's shell to this distinguished list.

Assembly member Diane Dixon (R-Newport Beach) has proposed making the black abalone shell the official state seashell through Assembly Bill 2504. The bill passed the Assembly unanimously in April and could get a Senate vote as early as Thursday to send it to Governor Gavin Newsom.

"I'm from the coastal district with 37 miles of coastal sand on the Pacific Ocean, and I thought we should look at something that protects that vital and critical natural resource," Dixon said in an interview.

The black abalone calls the coastlines of California and the northern part of Mexico's Baja California peninsula its exclusive home. For Native American communities in this region, the black abalone shell has held immense cultural value for millennia, serving as a food source, trade item, and raw material for jewellery and ceremonial adornments.

Remarkably, during last weekend's KelpFest celebration in Laguna Beach, Dixon witnessed members of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians performing an ocean-honoring ritual using a black abalone shell, completely unaware of her legislative proposal to enshrine this very shell as a state symbol.

"It's really meaningful to people. And I'm just honored to be able to do this," Dixon said of the experience.

Beyond its cultural importance, Dixon also hopes designating the black abalone shell as a state symbol will raise awareness about the environmental threats it faces. The species was listed as endangered in 2009 due to impacts like overfishing, disease, and natural disasters.

"We want people to know that it is a rare and endangered object and to leave it where it is," Dixon stated.

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, who supported the bill, sees the black abalone as an important species to study for insights into adapting to climate change impacts like warming ocean temperatures.

"Scientists are studying abalone to see the ways that it adapts to be able to withstand climate change...so I think it can be used as a species where we can learn the adaptive techniques," Foley said.

If approved, the black abalone shell would become one of only 15 official state shells nationwide and be permanently enshrined in the California State Capitol Museum.