San Diego, CA
Snorkelers found a rare deep-sea fish off La Jolla. It took ‘a community effort’ to haul it to shore to study.
Emily Miller and her friends had planned for a relaxing day of kayaking in La Jolla last weekend — a reunion of sorts for the former roommates.
But when they reached La Jolla Cove, the kayakers — most of whom are also marine researchers — found themselves with a bit of a “fish emergency” on their hands, Miller said.
Nearby snorkelers had found a roughly 12-foot dead oarfish, a rare species of deep-sea fish, lying in the seagrass at the cove. This discovery last Saturday was significant; fewer than two dozen oarfish have washed up in California since 1901, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
The oarfish, which can grow to be around 30 feet long, is often described as a sea serpent and has a reputation as a predictor of natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, though this myth was debunked years ago.
While the snorkelers examined the unique fish, Miller — a research associate at California Sea Grant and a former commercial fisheries observer — knew that such a rare species washing up in San Diego likely warranted closer scientific analysis. In a lab, scientists can analyze the fish’s gills and body composition to better understand its lifestyle as well as its relationship with the rest of the ocean.
“I jumped in the water and … pushed it up to the surface to get a better look,” she said.
With her friends supporting the fish, Miller threw herself over her kayak, half in the water, and began making some calls — including one to Ben Frable, the collection manager of fishes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who helped her notify the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center and local lifeguards.
After determining that the fish could be removed from the marine protected area, it was decided that the kayakers would bring the fish back to shore with them — an effort more easily said than done.
“Our small group had the mission of getting this unwieldy animal to the kayak launch,” Miller said. They struggled to orient the fish onto the kayaks, not wanting to damage the specimen, still mostly intact.
They had all but resigned themselves to swimming back to shore with their heavy haul when two passing paddleboarders offered to help. Their board was an ideal flat surface for carrying the ribbon-like oarfish.
“It was a community effort to get a rare specimen to scientists — and taking all the steps to make sure all the appropriate authorities were contacted,” Miller said. “It was a beautiful example of teamwork.”
The adult male oarfish has spent the last week at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center. On Friday, scientists conducted a necropsy to determine a cause of death.
It still wasn’t clear why the fish died. There was no evidence of trauma. But the researchers also took gill and genetic samples, along with muscle samples, which can show what kinds of isotopes are stored in the body.
“They’re not like an apex predator … like a tuna or a shark or a dolphin,” Frable explained. “But knowing where they are in this food web, especially here in California, can help us really fill out our understanding of how these kinds of things, like carbon and nitrogen, cycle in the open ocean off the coast.”
After the necropsy, Frable will preserve the fish at the Scripps Marine Vertebrate Collection, where there are six other oarfish, along with the body parts of a few others.
Oarfish live in the deep sea and can be found at depths of as great as 3,000 feet, though it’s more common for them to live around 600 feet below the surface.
It’s rare for them to wash up in California. But Southern California can be a “lucky spot” to see deep-sea fish in general, Frable said, given its proximity to many underwater canyons that make for deep-sea conditions much closer to the shore.
This fish didn’t appear to have been scavenged by other marine animals, such as sea lions or sharks, he points out — a finding that aligns with some other oarfish that have washed up. “It may just be that their skin’s a little too tough and not worth it, or maybe they just don’t taste good,” he speculates, though more research is needed on the subject.
“It’s one of these great examples of all these different things that we still don’t really know about these organisms,” Frable said. “And one of the reasons why, when we get to encounter them like this, there’s so much we can learn.”
Originally Published:
UNLV Rebels (16-14, 11-8 MWC) at San Diego State Aztecs (19-10, 13-6 MWC)
San Diego; Friday, 10 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: UNLV faces San Diego State after Kimani Hamilton scored 24 points in UNLV’s 92-65 victory over the Utah State Aggies.
The Aztecs have gone 13-2 in home games. San Diego State is eighth in the MWC with 9.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Miles Heide averaging 2.0.
The Rebels have gone 11-8 against MWC opponents. UNLV ranks eighth in the MWC shooting 34.4% from 3-point range.
San Diego State averages 79.1 points per game, 0.6 more points than the 78.5 UNLV gives up. UNLV averages 7.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.9 fewer made shots on average than the 9.1 per game San Diego State allows.
The teams play for the second time in conference play this season. San Diego State won the last meeting 82-71 on Jan. 24. Miles Byrd scored 23 points points to help lead the Aztecs to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Reese Dixon-Waters is shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc with 1.6 made 3-pointers per game for the Aztecs, while averaging 13 points. Byrd is averaging 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds over the past 10 games.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is shooting 50.9% and averaging 20.6 points for the Rebels. Hamilton is averaging 1.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Aztecs: 5-5, averaging 74.9 points, 28.9 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 6.9 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.0 points per game.
Rebels: 6-4, averaging 84.1 points, 32.3 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 6.4 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 80.8 points.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Military bases in San Diego County and nationwide have increased security measures due to last weekend’s U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, prompting traffic delays near base entrances, enhanced ID checks and access restrictions.
The Naval Air Station North Island on Coronado ports three aircraft carriers, including the San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln, which led some of the first-wave attacks on Saturday.
Naval Base Coronado warned motorists of possible traffic delays at all base entry points due to the increased security measures.
Targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command and control facilities, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and military airfields.
The U.S. operation, dubbed “Epic Fury,” and Israeli operation, “Raging Lion,” began striking targets at 1:15 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday.
As of Tuesday, at least six U.S. service members had been killed in action.
The strikes also killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who had been Iran’s supreme leader since 1989, making him the longest-serving head of state in the Middle East.
Iran’s offensive forces claimed to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles, but according to an X post from U.S central Command, “The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”
Those with concerns regarding the heightened security can contact San Diego County’s Office of Emergency Services at 858-565-3490 or oes@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Less than 3 weeks after the San Diego Unified School District finalized a new contract with teachers, the school board voted unanimously on Tuesday to move forward with layoff notices for other district employees.
The layoffs affect classified employees — workers who are employed by the district but are not teachers and are not certified. That includes bus drivers, custodians, special education and teacher aides, and cafeteria workers.
The district says it is eliminating 221 positions — 133 that are currently filled and 88 that are vacant — to save $19 million and help address a projected $47 million deficit for the next fiscal year.
Preliminary layoff notices will go out on March 15, with final notices by May 15.
The district estimates about 200 classified employees will receive preliminary notices, but of them, about 70 are expected to lose their jobs based on union-negotiated bumping rules.
Bumping allows employees with more seniority to move into another position in the same classification, thereby “bumping” a less senior employee out of that role.
Lupe Murray, an early childhood special education parafacilitator with the district, said the news came as a shock after the teacher strike was called off.
“When the strike was called off, I’m like, ‘Yes!’ So then when I got the email from the Superintendent, I’m like, ‘Wait, what?’ So, I think everyone was shocked,” Murray said.
The district says it sends out annual layoff notices, as all districts in the state do.
Before Tuesday’s board meeting, classified employees rallied outside, made up of CSEA (California School Employees Association) Chapters OTBS 788, Paraeducators 759, and OSS 724. They were joined by parents, students, and the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
Miguel Arellano, a paraeducator independence facilitator with San Diego Unified and a representative of San Diego Paraeducators Cahpter 759.
“What do we want? No layoffs! When do we want it? Now!” the crowd chanted.
Arellano said he felt compelled to act when he learned about the potential layoffs.
“The first thing that went through my mind was that I need to speak up. I need to protect these people,” Arellano said.
Inside the meeting, the board heard emotional, at times tearful testimony from classified employees before voting unanimously to move forward with the layoff schedule.
Superintendent Fabi Bagula said the district has tried to protect classrooms from the cuts.
“We have tried our best to only, I mean, to not touch the school. Or the classroom. But now it’s at the point where it’s getting a little bit harder,” Bagula said. “What I’m still hoping, or what I’m still working toward, because we’re still in negotiations, is that we’re able to actually come to a win-win, where there’s positions and availability and maybe even promotions for folks that are impacted.”
Arellano warned the layoffs could have a direct impact on students.
“We are already spread thin, so, with more of a case load, it’s going to be impossible to be able to service all the students that we need to have,” Arellano said.
Follow ABC 10News Anchor Max Goldwasser on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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