Graduating Student’s Study Examines Spawning Behaviors of the Protected Marine Snail June 3, 2021 Share This: Red abalone, the largest species of abalone in the world and the most common abalone found off California’s coast, is in trouble due to overfishing, disease and climate change. In her study, graduating master’s student Marissa Velarde Wu is mapping out the red abalone spawning behaviors and characteristics to find out why populations are declining in efforts to save this protected marine snail. Velarde Wu, who will earn a master’s degree in biology, is working on completing her thesis project this summer and graduates in August. The 2021 graduate plans to participate in Cal State Fullerton’s in-person stage walk commencement celebration June 13.