Sharks, red tide and scuba diving: That's enough to keep me from scouring the frigid waters of Northern California for abalone (and I can already hear the cries of gratitude from the wet-suiters who ...

Just outside the town of Mendocino in the middle of Van Damme Beach, a weathered placard educates bystanders about the region's red abalone, a once prolific seasnail whose mild taste and iridescent ...