I'm sure most of you abalone divers have already heard about the die-off, but just in case you haven't, here's a link for more info:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110907/articles/110909674?p=1&tc=pg So far, it would appear that the abalone here haven't been affected, but I think it would be safe to assume that there may be different regulations regarding abalone next year.