marine mammals of monterey

School Team Stewardship

2007-02-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

Our school team has been studying levels of urban run-off pollution in a marine environment, the toxicity, human impact on a watershed, wetland ecology, and the factors which impact the local watersheds. The students understand the geography of watersheds and are able to describe different ecosystems and how to be more pro-active in preventing stormwater pollution. Poor water quality is a health concern for humans and wildlife, including birds and aquatic life. Urban run-off carries pollutants into storm-drains that flow into the ocean; urbanization of watershed areas has altered the natural hydrology of southern California.

The team has studied their own school and home communities to better understand the local watershed; locating storm drains, flood channels, effects of runoff, and the pollutants that come in contact with the watershed. The team has completed a water audit at school and at their homes; in order to gather data about what happens to the water. The audit has linked their data to the local issue of stormwater runoff. The lessons continued to build on the effect of water pollution on our watershed, and biotic and abiotic factors in freshwater biomes.

The team and the school took local waterway field trips to the Ballona Wetlands, Venice, and Cabrillo Beach. They have viewed the contents of our local storm drains; observing just how much trash and pollutants from urban run-off threaten our oceans. The team has facilitated an assembly and guest speakers for the school and the Boy’s and Girl’s Club to teach the R’s – reduce, reuse, and recycle. The team is participating with the Key to Sea, Heal the Bay, World Water Monitoring Day, Generation Earth, and with the Environmental Defenders.

Day 10 - The Departure

2006-11-06T16:23:00.000-08:00

Peter Nilsson, scientist/ marine biologist team leader

Our morning was filled with team good-byes and the realization that we are all returning to different corners of our planet and most likely our physical paths would not cross again. Our team consisted of folks from Brazil, the Philippines, Japan, Mexico, and the UK. We were harmonious, tight-knit, and shared a great passion for the Monterey marine mammal study. We shared our many digital photographs in our last moments together on a CD that Anna burned for each of us. Anna also prepared delectable cinnamon apple pancakes along with our bacon specialist, Peter. One by one we each began our departure.
I had rented a vehicle coming north to Monterey and now going; returning south on highway 1, California’s coastal route of immeasurable beauty. One gem after another, Carmel, Big Sur, Cambria, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Malibu, Santa Monica, and lastly Venice. Our coastline is like a string of pearls. Special vistas include seeing the elephant seals on Cambria’s coastline, Montana de Oro in Morro Bay area, the marine protected sanctuary area of the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara and Ventura, and the surfers of Malibu. La Jolla, Sycamore, and Leo Carrillo are great campgrounds/ recreational areas in south Ventura that my Dorsey High students and I frequented often and are most accessible to LA folks. For my students, it was a first to camp outdoors, to be in a tent, and an intro to wilderness 101; which turned into a most anticipated annual event for over 10 years.
Driving home gave me time to contemplate this year’s curriculum and lessons in marine sciences, our conservation projects, and outreach stewardship activities.
Elephant Seals in Cambria

Day 9 - "Live from the Field"

2006-10-29T21:03:00.000-08:00

It is the intention of my involvement in the Earthwatch Expedition to be able to provide my students the opportunity to learn first hand with me as I experience the field study project with Monterey Marine mammals. The daily blog is a concise narration for them to follow me in the field. We have arranged conferences using our computer eye cams, mic, and audio. When the technology and internet is cooperative, it has been an exciting and engaging interaction.
Upon my return to school next week, I hope to be able to further our project with conservation projects and stewardship in our community. I will create new lesson plans and curriculum for further study with marine mammals.
Sadly, today was our last field study with the sea otters. We observed their raft behaviors when they are together; for example, their social interaction, play, rest, grooming, travel, and foraging (eating). We updated our observations every five minutes with these behavioral changes. We also noted their movements of exiting and entering the channel. In order to cover all times of day with our observations, we arrived at sunrise – despite today being daylight savings time! Two days ago, we observed through sunset, when we could no longer see them.
Following our observations, we did a beach clean-up and I stumbled upon a common murre; a sea bird that often spends most of its time at sea. The murre is a northern counterpart of the penguin, in the auks family. He was unable to fly or move, but quite alive and breathing. I recognized his condition similar to what I saw in brown pelicans with demoic acid poisoning which temporaily paralyzes their movement and ability to fly; they can literally drop from the sky. We called the Department of Fish and Game dispatch which is open 24 hours a day; and the SPCA came two hours later to pick him up from us. Hopefully, he can be treated in time if his condition is a result of demoic acid.

Anna Janovicz, our fearless Earthwatch team leader

Pelagic Shark Research Foundation

2006-10-29T17:39:00.000-08:00

We were treated this evening to Sean Van Sommeran’s special presentation and research on sharks in Elkhorn Slough, Monterey Bay, Ano Nuevo, and in Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Sean is the founder of the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation and will be the PI, primary investigator, of the Monterey marine mammal expedition next year with Earthwatch.
I could not believe that there are over 400 species of sharks and only a few are really a potential threat to people and would need to be provoked to be harmful. Most sharks are harmless to people and we are really the greatest threat to sharks. For example, the basking shark is threatened with extinction due to man’s brutal killing/ mutilation, just to obtain their fins, for a soup delicacy and tossed alive back into the sea without their fin – they will simply drown and brutally die. Shark liver is also taken to produce commercial oil products and a catch to hang the jaws/teeth as trophies.
www.pelagic.org
To see more photos of sharks and Sean Van Sommeran’s research visit:
http://www.pelagic.org/archive
Astrix and Spy Hop boats are the ones that we have used for our field work.

Day 8 - Bottlenose Dolphin Sightings

2006-10-29T17:33:00.000-08:00

If possible, it was more than a perfect day, not a cloud in the sky, warm and sunny, and no swells. It was as though the dolphins were waiting for us, because our sightings began within minutes of leaving the harbor. Sean, our fearless captain and founder of the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation, gave his little superstitious tap on the boat’s out drive, which can be detected by the dolphins through the reverberation in water. We spent the remainder of our day surrounded by the pod of bottlenose dolphins. We had over 40 dolphin sightings today, including several mothers and their calves. I had never seen dolphins breach so high, wave after wave, nor ride alongside of boat as well as bow riding. Sean said they were actually watching us and that there hearing is so acute that most likely they recognize the familiar sound of our motor. Breaching occurs when dolphins jump high out of the water and appears to fly up through the surf. Bow riding is when the dolphin leads at the front of the boat and stays ahead within its wake.

We just kept heading south; I could no longer tell whether they were keeping up with us or we were keeping up with them. Anna, was taking a photo ID of as many dorsal fins as possible and broke her record this year with 483 pictures! Sean and Anna were so familiar with this pod that they had given them names from previous encounters and recognizing their dorsal fins. This was definitely part of the Monterey Bay bottlenose resident population as opposed to a transient unit of dolphins that are only present temporarily. Our PI (principal investigator) is exploring the long-term fidelity to a particular area for long periods and maintaining their school structure through time. She is aware of particular “social units” that move back and forth along the coast.
Today, we observed the high cohesion amongst the females, “mothers” with their calves, which was most exciting.
A question for my students to consider now; what is the difference between a resident population as opposed to a transient one?

I would like to credit Peter Nilsson and Anna Janovicz for generously providing many of the awesome dolphin, otter, and whale photographs. Peter and Anna are the team leaders on our Earthwatch expedition.

Day 7 - Recording and Transcribing Observation Data

2006-10-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

We record data each day throughout our observation of the Monterey marine mammals. At the end of the day, we transcribe the recorded data and photo ID into the computer log to save and create an excel spreadsheet with GIS (geographic information system). This data is extremely important to our PI, the principal investigator, Dr. Daniela Maldini. It is through the data that she can see consistant patterns in behavior, habitat, feeding, social patterns of interaction, and their daily movements. The data gives necessary information to better understand these animals.
A little trivia about sea otters is that they eat 15 pounds of food daily, which is 25% of their body weight.
Today, I selected a specific sea otter for the focal study, to observe for several hours around sunset; we will call her Ophelia. I observed her interaction/ socialization with other sea otters, times of travel, her grooming, foraging/ feeding, and resting. She played with other otters for nearly one hour, groomed her grizzled fur off and on throughout the observation. At one point, I could see that Ophelia became very tired and began to drift away from the otter raft (composed of a close-knit group of otters). She went into a rest position, floating over to a small shore, close to the mouth of Elkhorn Slough. She beached herself and wiggled onto shore; resting for over a half hour before returning to the otter raft in the early evening. At this point, I had to end the data collection for another day; returning to our computer to enter the information into an excel program. This is a long term study and will take several years to better understand the sea otter dynamics at Elkhorn Slough and the Monterey Bay.

Day 6 - Monterey Bay Aquarium

2006-10-26T23:20:00.000-07:00

I had greatly anticipated this day to visit the aquarium, which surpassed all my expectations. The aquarium is situated in Monterey Bay on Cannery Row and was one of the old canneries. Every window in the aquarium has a spectacular view of the bay and is surrounded by water. I passed through a group of over 60 harbor seals resting on the beach when I was walking to the aquarium.

Everyone had told me about the tremendous kelp forest tank which occupies 3 floors of the aquarium. It is magnificent to view and to experience the diversity and web of life in the kelp forest. The sea otters depend on a healthy kelp forest and help to maintain it as well, so it is not consumed by sea urchins, which has threatened kelp forests in southern California regions. The otters place their young in the kelp, while they forage for food.

The film program at the aquarium was most informative with important relevant issues regarding conservation of our oceans that we must deal with as a global community. The programs were interactive with knowledgeable marine biologists from MBARI(Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) and were responsive to our questions.
I was able to see the following films:
EXPLORING MONTEREY CANYON
In this program, there is a link to scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who are exploring the deep sea with robot submersibles. It was interactive and I was able to ask questions about the canyon and exciting discoveries and encounter fascinating animals in the cold, dark waters of Monterey Canyon. The marine biologists who presented the film were knowledgeable and responsive to questions.
SURVIVING SHARKS
Sharks are some of the most amazing—and misunderstood—animals in the sea. Peter Benchley, author of Jaws, explores the truth about sharks and the growing threats to their survival in this 20-minute film.
EMPTY OCEANS, EMPTY NETS
Overfishing is one of the biggest threats facing our oceans today. The film gave suggestions and actions to help solve this problem. In this 15-minute film, I was able to learn about some of the steps that can be taken to help keep our oceans healthy. Information about making sustainable seafood choices, is available through interactive Seafood Watch guide that can help to choose seafood that's good for one’s health and for the oceans was given out to everyone at the aquarium.
It is important to ask questions when shopping and eating out for fish. For example:
Where is the seafood from?
Is it farmed or wild-caught?
How is it caught?
There are concerns with how fish are caught or farmed or with the health of their habitat due to other human impacts. We need to avoid fish from sources that harm other marine life or the environment.
The aquarium provides hands-on/ stewardship programs for children of all ages, schools, educators, and is pro-active on many conservation issues to protect our oceans and wildlife. It was a transformational and educational experience. The galleries and exhibits are stunning; especially the coral, jellies, and ocean's edge. I enjoyed seeing the penguins, wetland and aquatic bird exhibit, sea otters,and outer bay areas.

Aquarium website: www.montereybayaquarium.org

Day 5 - Dolphin Observation Survey

2006-10-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

Our sea conditions today were less than ideal with large swells that made it difficult to go close to the surf and to observe dolphins. The bottlenose dolphin stay in the surf area within the inshore waters no further than two kilometers off shore and can easily be seen from the beach. The near shore waters are a highly productive spawning ground for coastal fish which attracts dolphins to this area of the surf. We were not able to get any photo-identification from the boat today due to the swells.
We were able to encounter a number of sea otters in the swells milling around or resting around the kelp and we counted over 100 sea lions just congregating on the rocks near one of the Monterey harbors. We saw a sea lion that had fresh shark wounds which will make it difficult for him to forage and survive.
We observed many brown pelicans in the sea that have also been endangered due to human impact of contaminates in the ocean.
Please consider what we can do to improve environmental conditions that impact our oceans and wildlife; especially toxic chemicals that pollute our watershed and runoff into the ocean.

Day 4 - Monterey Bay

2006-10-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce the Monterey Bay area to you.
Click here for a map of the Monterey Penninsula You can use the sliding scale on the left side of the map to adjust the geographic locations larger or smaller.
The City of Monterey is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in central California. As of 2005, the city population was 30,641. The city is noted for its rich history of resident artists beginning in the late 1800s and its historically famed fishery. Monterey is home to the Naval Postgraduate School the Defense Language Institute, former Fort Ord; Fleet Numerical Oceanography Center, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Monterey American Viticultural Area; Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf and a Marine Mammal Center field station located in the area.
It is from Monterey that the semi-hard cheese known as Monterey Jack originated!

Nickname: "The Cradle of History,
California's "First" City"
Website: http://www.monterey.org
I have several questions for you,now that you have a little background on Monterey Bay.
-What are the special environmental features and geography of this area?
-What famous vegetable in this area makes it the ________ capital of the US? You can see Marilyn Monroe posing on billboards with this vegetable?
-Why do think they call an area of Monterey "Cannery Row" and why is that area of historical significance?
-What makes Elkhorn Slough a special place and how is it being protected?
Please post your answers in the comment area of the blog!

Day 3 - Moss Landing; Sea Otter Observation

2006-10-23T17:16:00.001-07:00

Our field study focus was on observing sea otters today. We recorded their dives and surfacing, behavior, their prey and size of prey. We used their paws to observe and compare the size of their prey. When sea otters and other marine mammals get their food we call it foraging. We observed them eating clams, worms, and urchins and hitting the clam shell an a big rock on their chest to crack it open.
We observed many otters (over 30) huddled together, which is called a raft. They interacted playfully, traveled together, rested/ floating on their back with their paws up, and continuously groomed their fur like a cat. The baby, pup, always stays with the mother. As the sea otters age, they become grizzled, which is a whitening of their fur and was a part of our observation in the field today. Below, you can see the otter with grizzled fur on his face.

This aquatic member of the weasel family is found along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The sea otter spends most of its time in the water but, in some locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest. Sea otters have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water.

Sea otters love to float at the water's surface, lying on their backs in posture of serene repose. They sleep this way, often gathered in groups. These charismatic animals often float in forests of kelp, or giant seaweed, in which they entangle themselves to provide anchorage in the swirling sea.

These aquatic otters do more than sleep while floating on their backs. They are often seen with a clam or mussel and a rock that has been deftly snared from the ocean floor. Otters will place the rock on their chests, and repeatedly smash the shellfish against it until it breaks open to reveal the tasty meal inside. They also dine on such aquatic creatures as sea urchins, crabs, squid, octopuses, and fish.

Sea otters are the only otters to give birth in the water. Mothers nurture their young while floating on their backs. They hold infants on their chests to nurse them, and quickly teach them to swim and hunt.

Sea otters are meticulously clean. After eating, they wash themselves in the ocean, cleaning their coat with their teeth and paws. They have good reason to take care of their coats—it helps them to remain waterproof and insulated against the cold. Sea otters have thick underfur that traps air to form an insulating layer against the chilly waters (they have no insulating fat). This coat is invaluable to otters, but it has worth to some humans as well.

Sea otters were hunted for their fur to the point of near extinction. Early in the 20th century only 1,000 to 2,000 animals remained. Today, 100,000 to 150,000 sea otters are protected by law.

Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: Up to 23 years
Size: 4 ft (1.25 m)
Weight: 65 lbs (30 kg)
Protection status: Threatened
Size relative to a 6 ft (2 m) man:

Embraced by some of northern California’s most beautiful shoreline, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of the largest protected marine areas in the world. Millions of visitors are drawn to the otters, harbor seals, and birds that splash along its beaches—but it is the sanctuary’s blue expanse of water that teems with an unsurpassed explosion of life.
Twenty-six species of marine mammals live in the sanctuary. Besides the seals and otters, bottlenose dolphins and two species of porpoises live there year-round. And each year a variety of sea lions, dolphins, and whales drop by. All told, the sanctuary is home to 26 species of marine mammals, 94 species of seabirds, 345 species of fish, 4 species of turtles, 31 types of invertebrates, and 450 species of large marine algae.
I hope this information will give you a new understanding of the need to preserve and protect the wilderness that lies below the ocean waves.

Day 2 - Elkhorn Slough

2006-10-23T06:10:00.000-07:00

Day 2 – Elkhorn Slough

We powered out of Moss Landing early this morning to Elkhorn Slough aboard the Astrix. We observed a group of sea lions basking in the sun and just hanging out together. A lone harbor seal came by with just the top of his head above water. On our way out of the harbor, we encountered dozens of sea otters floating on their backs with their paws and feet sticking out of the water. As we left the harbor, I was told that the Monterey Canyon below us under the water was as large and deep as the Grand Canyon; which is 1000 feet deep!! We encountered several pinnipeds of porpoises, California sea lions, and harbor seals. Much to our surprise, we encountered humpback whales feeding and followed them for nearly one hour.

We recorded information or data each time we encountered and observed a marine mammal and took GPS waypoints every 15 minutes. We had a survey log that required such data as the GPS latitude, longitude, the Beaufort scale of sea movement (calm to white caps/ choppy), the amount of cloud cover, wind speed/ direction, the event and species code, minimum and maximum of mammals, the dolphin behavioral state, and their direction of travel. Some of the behavioral states are social travel/ socialize, surface feeding, diving, slow and fast travel, slow and fast dive, and milling. We record all of this collected data on the computer at the end of the day for the research project and for further study. We also took over 300 photographs for documentation and we looked over every picture to determine the quality and value of it for further use.

We had a very good day with many documentations, lots of valuable data, and incredible experiences of seeing these marine mammals!

Day 1

2006-10-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

My expedition to Monterey Bay began on highway 1 around 5pm; traveling up the coastline to Monterey. The water and sky were clear, bright, and beautiful, with a colorful sunset. I got as far as Cambria, near San Simeon, where the Hearst Castle is located when I realized it was time to rest. Sunrise was around 6:50am, at which time I passed through a one street town named Gordo and then on to one of California's greatest treasures, Big Sur. I made many stops around Big Sur to see the breathtaking ocean and cliff views which are posted to this blog. I made my way into Monterey Peninsula around 9 am and arrived to Pacific Grove at 9:30. The scientist/ research house where we all stay is on a beautiful street with many other Victorian houses; which are over 100 years old!!

Our first day in Pacific Grove, began with a tour of the house, introductions to one another, and a tour of Monterey Bay. We walked to the bay and learned about our dolphin project as well as the otter study. I learned many physical differences of the pinnipeds; which are harbor seals, California sea lions, and porpoises. We practiced identifying them with photographs. Most importantly, we studied the dolphin's dorsal fins. Every dorsal fin is like a fingerprint, no two are alike, each one as identifying marks. We learned how to collect and record the data using GPS (global positioning system) and GIS (geographic information systems). We learned about calling out our observations on the boat for the scientists to photograph the mammals. The front of the boat is the bow, back is the stern, left side is port, and the right side is starboard. We call out our siting using the clockwise setting of time; like 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, etc. We are learning the latin names for the mammals.

Marine Mammals of Monterey

2006-10-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I am a K-12 teacher in Venice, California and I am greatly honored this month to be selected as an Earthwatch fellow in Monterey and to be supported by a generous grant from National Geographic. My expedition project will be a field study of the bottlenose dolphin and sea otters in Monterey Bay, which will be communicated to schools with a "live from the field" program.

This project is the evolution of over a 10 year study that is putting together a very interesting ecological picture. I will be helping with a variety of aspects of the research, from data collection in the field and data entry that will be dedicated to the conservation of this marine environment.

The sea otter study has the overall goal of understanding how shifts in the prey base relate to shifts in the sea otter population distribution and abundance, and how these shifts may ultimately affect the overall sea otter population in Monterey Bay.

The bottlenose dolphin study aims to estimate their density and abundance in Monterey Bay; determining their distribution and patterns of occurrence, examining ranging patterns, group organization, and life history parameters. We will also be examining stock structure, reproductive status, and their contaminant levels.

I look forward to sharing my expedition with you and answer your questions. I hope that this project will be as exciting for you as it is for me. Elkhorn Slough, the site of the sea otter study, harbors the third largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California after San Francisco and Tomales Bays. This ecological treasure at the center of the Monterey Bay coastline provides habitat for numerous plants and animals, including more than 340 species of birds. The slough is also a major fish nursery for the region. Because of Elkhorn Slough's richness, the State of California has designated it as a preserved area, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has included its tidal waters as part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and established a National Estuarine Research Reserve on its shores. Surrounding Elkhorn Slough is a series of ridges covered with a rare maritime chaparral community and associated coastal oak woodlands.

I hope to post my digital photos so that you can virtually experience this very special place. See you in the field!

Renee Klein