It takes just a bit of imagination and a few black and white photographs to bring the past back to life along Monterey's Cannery Row. And it was the lowly silver sardine that helped make this the fish-canning capital of the world. The sardine. Its oil is used for oil lamps and its flesh for a cheap, satisfying meal. A can of sardines and a few crackers supplied an inexpensive lunch or dinner for many folks during the Great Depression. During its heyday in the 1940s, workers packed sardines in 18 canneries along Cannery Row. But it didn't take long for overfishing and other environmental factors to all but wipe out the industry. Fortunately, the old canneries attracted developers. And now, instead of netting sardines, the focus here is on "netting" tourists. Today, Cannery Row is left without a single cannery. Many of the old buildings have been turned into restaurants and souvenir shops. The sardine boats have moved to Moss Landing, a small coastal village that's about a half-hour drive north of Monterey. Moss Landing has one of the largest fishing fleets on the West Coast. That's where Gary Greene heads up Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. He's tracked the history of the sardine fishery and says that they're "definitely back." According to Gary, local fishermen are pulling in about a hundred tons of sardines on a daily basis, a significant increase over a few years ago. But greater control of the fishery isn't the only reason for a better harvest. You can also credit the warm waters of "El Nino." Says Gary, "You now have a warm water species coming in and the sardines seem to be connected to the warm waters. They were overfished but they also moved out because of the colder waters that came in." While many of us have eaten the small, skinny variety of sardines typically packed in flat cans, the catch in Monterey Bay is of a much larger variety. That's the kind served at Phil's Fish Market near the docks in Moss Landing. His sardine appetizer is only for people who don't mind oily, strong-flavored fish. Whether you smoke, fry or barbecue them, Monterey sardines are an acquired taste. Still, enough people like sardines to keep a couple of local canneries open. These fish have their good points, providing a boost to calcium-deficient diets. In fact, the Japanese package baby sardines with California almonds for a protein and calcium-rich snack food, which we passed around at a local sushi bar, with mixed results. While their popularity here at home may not be as high as it once was, sardines are still in big demand around the world. And that's good news for a California fishery that's making a comeback. For information on Monterey Bay and Cannery Row, contact the Monterey Bay Visitors and Convention Bureau at (408) 649-1770. If you have questions or comments about this story, please E-mail Executive Producer Corita Gravitt at corita.gravitt@mailexcite.com.