Category:Marine Mammals
The oceans' charismatic megafauna.
See also Oceans, as well as Overfishing and Marine Biology, Algae Blooms/Runoff as well as Plastic.
Ocean Giants: Epic new 3 hour PBS series on whales and dolphins.
Big Blue Live celebrates a wildlife success story and marine animal phenomenon: humpback whales, blue whales, sea lions, elephant seals, sea otters, great white sharks and more all convene in Monterey Bay once a year. Hosted by Sea Slug Dr. M. Sanjayan.
Contents
Volunteer Opportunities and Events
(See also Oceans Page)
Marine Mammal Physiology Project began in 1994 at the Long Marine Laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Terrie Williams, an exercise physiologist and professor at UCSC (video). Working with animals that are trained to voluntarily cooperate in the data collection process, Dr. Williams seeks to answer the important question of what it costs these animals to survive in the ocean. Internships.
UCSC students work with dolphins
Elephant seals You can hear them, or go visit. You can also volunteer.
Native Animal Rescue Santa Cruz audio 10/15. Need help with seabird rescue because of the Big Blob ocean warming. See Volunteer Opportunities. 10/15
Otter research internship Ottercam from Elkhorn Slough (this could be your office)10/14.
Friends of the Sea Otter has some new and exciting programs: Program 1: Marine Water Monitoring Water quality plays a significant role in sea otter health, which is why FSO is teaming up with the California Department of Public Health and asking volunteers to collect water samples all along the coast of California. The data from the water samples will ultimately be received and used by researchers working with otters and other sea mammals. Volunteers are needed to collect samples at locations along the coast where the southern sea otter call home (San Francisco to Santa Barbara). Sampling takes only about 15 minutes and must be done weekly; if we get enough interest, teams can be created so that individuals can take turns with sampling throughout the month.
Program 2: Otter Recovery The California Sea Otter Research Group needs help with otter recovery on Friday afternoons and weekends. This job would entail removing dead or hurt otters from the shoreline. Volunteers would need to walk along the shoreline and then take care of any otters that are found.
Program 3: Data Compilation and Organization. People with a scientific background are needed to help the California Sea Otter Research Group in Santa Cruz compile data. A great deal of sea otter data has already been collected and is in desperate need of organization. This work would be done in their laboratories located in Santa Cruz.Link.
Marine Mammal Rescue Center: Various opportunities including rescuing stranded animals at the Marine Mammal Rescue Center Here is info on local rescue volunteering. Video.
See also Marine Mammal Physiology Project (MMPP) at UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory. (video)
Pelican Network Feed birds, count sea otters etc.
Friends of the Sea Otter Link
Whale and Dolphin Watch covers Navy sonar. Oil exploration also uses similar techniques.
Articles/Reports
Study connects marine heat wave with spike in whale entanglements Jarrod Santora, a researcher in applied mathematics at UCSC's Baskin School of Engineering and first author of the study, published January 27 in Nature Communications 2/20
40 Tons of Fishing Nets Pulled From Great Pacific Garbage Patch 7/19 also dolphin & gray whale mortality.
Gulf Coast dolphins 7/19.
Vaquita Still Doomed Without Further Disruption of Totoaba Cartels 3/19 see specific species below.
Elephant Seals Reclaim California Beach During Shutdown 1/19 .
Marine Mammals and Turtles Protected by the Endangered Species Act Are Bouncing Back 1/19.
Poachers Ambush Sea Shepherd Vessel Protecting Nearly Extinct Vaquita 1/19 see Dolphins below. The environmental organization Sea Shepherd Conservation Society says its crew was attacked Wednesday by roughly 35 fishing boats inside a vaquita refuge in Mexico's Gulf of California.
90 Belugas, 11 Orcas Trapped in 'Whale Jail' off Russian Coast 11/18.
Fisherman jumps in to free entangled whale off central California coast 11/18.
Video tags reveal surprising details of blue whale feeding behavior 11/17 UCSC research.
Another 333 Minke Whales Killed by Japanese Fleet 3/18
The Trump Administration Might Let the World’s Rarest Marine Mammal Go Extinct 3/18 Environmental groups are suing them. Again.
Heart monitors on wild narwhals reveal alarming responses to stress: As sea ice melts, new findings add to concerns about the effects of ocean noise and increased human activity on deep-diving Arctic whales 2/18 see UCSC research below.
Leonardo DiCaprio Joins Forces With Mexican Government to Save the World's Most Endangered Marine Mammal: vRampant overfishing has driven Mexico's native vaquita to the brink of extinction, with less than 30 individuals left in the wild. 11/17.
Whales, Sea Turtles Threatened by Trump Administration Proposal 11/17.
North Atlantic Right Whale Population Dips Below 450 After 'Deadliest Year' Since Whaling Era 10/17.
Sardine Population Down 95% Since 2006, Fishery Shut Down for Third Consecutive Year Most Pacific sardines are exported and sold as bait for foreign fisheries or feed for penned bluefin tuna or canned overseas for human consumption. Left in the water, Pacific sardines are an important food fish for many dependent predators from whales, sea lions and Chinook salmon, to brown pelicans, common murres and least terns. "Over the last four years we've witnessed starved California sea lion pups washing up on beaches and brown pelicans failing to produce chicks because moms are unable to find enough forage fish" 4/17.
Mexican Government Stands in Solidarity With Sea Shepherd to Save Nearly Extinct Vaquita 4/17. 10/17 roundup update.
Noise Pollution Forces Whales and Dolphins From Their Homes 4/17
Obama Denies All Pending Permits for Seismic Airgun Blasting in Atlantic Ocean
U.S. Navy-Trained Dolphins to Round Up Nearly Extinct Vaquita in Controversial Plan 1/17. Mexican Navy arrests poachers; U.N. Says Mexico Risks Losing World Heritage Status If It Doesn't Protect Critically Endangered Vaquita Porpoise: The vaquita, a rare species of porpoise, is the most endangered cetacean in the world. 7/16.
The ‘Silent Poison’ That Might Stop This Massive Annual Whale Slaughter. see Specific species below.
New York’s Upper West Side Has Its Own Whale
Protesters Demand SeaWorld 'Send Corky Home' 10/16
Amazing Disgrace: California Is the Only State to Permit Driftnets, Which Kill Thousands of Whales and Dolphins 8/16.
Fishing Gear Entanglement Number One Killer of Right Whales 8/16.
When Whales Cannot Hear: Ocean Noise Doubling Every 10 Years: "Marine species need sound for everything they do," says Dr. Kenneth Balcomb. "But now the sounds of ships is ubiquitous in all of the open oceans." 6/16.
World's First Whale Sanctuary 5/16.
3 Vaquitas Found Dead: The Most Endangered Marine Mammal in the World. 5/16 update.
Military training for dolphins 3/16.
The SeaWorld Orca Made Famous by 'Blackfish' Is Near Death.
Starving Sea Lion Takes Refuge at Upscale San Diego Restaurant.And last summer, a VICE News documentary revealed that a record 3,400 California sea lions washed ashore along California’s coast. The number of sea lion strandings in 2015 alone surpassed the total number of strandings combined from 2004-2012. Scientists think the unusually warm waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean could be affecting the health of marine mammals. The large swath of unseasonably hot water is wreaking havoc on everything from Washington’s crabs to Oregon’s algae, and it could be pushing fish species that seals and sea lions rely on as food sources farther north than the animals can travel. 1/16.
Sea lions exposed to algal toxin show impaired spatial memory: Permanent neurological and behavioral changes caused by the neurotoxin domoic acid may affect sea lions' ability to survive in the wild 12/15. UCSC research, see below.
Dead Humpback Calf Found Entangled in Illegal Gillnet 12/15.Yogurt Cups, Food Wrappers and a Shoe Found in Stomach of Dead Orca.
Bottlenose Dolphins Endure Brutal Capture and Slaughter in Taiji’s Infamous Cove;Sea Shepherd Condemns Japan’s Plan to Slaughter 4,000 Minke Whales but Landmark Ruling Finds Japanese Whalers Guilty of Contempt of Court 11/15.
Orcas: The California Coastal Commission has approved a $100 million plan to to double the size of SeaWorld San Diego’s orca tanks but there was one major condition: No more captive breeding. Shows will end.
Plastic Bags and Fishing Nets Found in Stomach of Dead Whale also algae bloom/dead zones 10/15
Male elephant seals use 'voice recognition' to identify rivals, study by UCSC graduate student Caroline Casey and research biologist Colleen Reichmuth finds (video) 8/15.
Why Sea Lions Are Suffering as the Ocean Warms Sea lions are known for their playfulness, but there's nothing fun about algal blooms.8/15 UCSC on blooms.
Whale rescued from plastic 8/15.(video) see Plastic
Big Oil uses extremely loud seismic testing for offshore drilling that can deafen Right Whales. 4/15.
A Milestone in the Race to Save the Critically Endangered Yangtze Finless Porpoises 4/15. See China.
Thousands to Rally Today Against Taiji Dolphin Slaughter for “World Love for Dolphins Day” 2/15.
Largest number of walruses seen ashore in Alaska is sign of ‘tremendous change’ in climate PBS Newshour video 10/14.
Manatees May Soon Lose Their Endangered Status 9/14.
New Study Reveals Whales as Marine Ecosystem Engineers 7/14.
UC Santa Cruz biologist Nicole Thometz set out to quantify the energy demands of a growing sea otter pup, as it accounts for high mortality rates among female sea otters in some areas. 6/14
Irrawaddy dolphins—only 85 survive today in a small stretch of the Mekong River in Cambodia-- are being threatened by a newly proposed hydropower project, the Don Sahong Dam. The sound waves from the initial explosions to clear tons of rock could kill these critically endangered dolphins, which have highly sensitive hearing. If this dam is built, they would have to survive more boat traffic, lower water quality and habitat destruction.
National Aquarium Considering Ending Its Captive Dolphin Exhibit 6/14.
Whales Keep Getting Hit By Ships Along The East Coast, Troubling Scientists 5/14.
Japan accepts court ban on Antarctic whaling 3/14. whoo hoo!
Leaked documents reveal SeaWorld is drugging its orcas see Whales below.
UCSC Study Finds That Otters' Taste For Crab Is Fighting Water Pollution 8/13.
New Species Of River Dolphin Discovered In Brazil 1/14.
Endangered species could be screwed by rising seas 12/13.
California Whale Protections Suggestions Rejected By U.S. Navy 8/13
Puget Sound Killer Whales Will Remain Protected Under Endangered Species Act 8/13 (the evil-doers) 8/13.
Bottlenose Dolphin Deaths Along U.S. East Coast Seen At Higher Than Normal Rate 8/13
Dolphins know each other by name using whistles, Scottish scientists find 7/13.
Whale migration patterns changing 5/13.
Navy Training Raises New Concerns for Whales off California Coast 4/13.
Seal pup rescued photos.
Who Would Kill A Monk Seal? 5.13.
Hong Kong Risks Losing 'Pink Dolphins' Because Of China's Pollution, Conservationists Warn 5/13
Japan's Whaling Vessel, Accused By Sea Shepherd Of Intentionally Ramming Ships 3/13
Overfishing effects on marine mammals food supply. 3/13 See Overfishing.
Manatee Deaths From Red Tide: Algae Blamed For Killing 174 Of The Endangered Species In 2013
Hundreds of sea lion pups are mysteriously washing ashore in California 3/13.
The California Coastal Commission said “NO” to the Navy and their plan to deploy bombs and sonar sound off the Coastline that would likely injure, maim or kill millions of cetaceans over the next 5 years. They said that the Navy’s position is inadequate and unsupported by facts. They also said that the Navy did not keep its agreements in the past and that there was no point in making a compromise with them. In attendance were Lyndia, Lance and Kim of Whale and Dolphin Watch, several representatives from NRDC, Greenpeace, many other ocean organizations and dozens of individuals from near and far. Although the decision only affects California waters, it is still significant as it sets a major precedent for the whole country. 3/13.
'Whale Wars' Stars Called Pirates By Federal Judge, As Anti-Whaling Advocates Dealt Blow 2/13.
Lawmakers call for end to animal-deafening, oil-finding offshore surveys see also Navy sonar. 1/13
Obama doubles size of CA marine sanctuaries
News about marine mammals, including dolphins and whales.
Sea otters fight global warming UCSC research.
Whale Deaths Since 1970s Mostly Human-Caused, Study Finds 10/12
Synthetic ambergris could save whales.
NW Sea lions killed (probably by fishermen) 6/12.
Saving Whales: Now There's an App for That 4/12
Sea Shepards declare victory after limiting whale hunting season. 3/12
Grey Whale and calf in San Francisco Bay. 3/12
Dolphins have names, speak whale. 3/12
Whales boost eco-tourism 3/12.
Gulf Dolphin die-off also [off Peru 5/12 Update (images).
Exxon Valdez Oil Walloping Mom and Pup Sea Otters 2/12
Giving Rights to Orcas. another take 2/12
Dolphin stranding in Massachusetts and Navy sonar and Dolphin stranding update. text and audio 2/12. Blue whales and noise.
Navy sonar suspected or harming marine mammals.
Right Whales, the most endangered, get protection in US.
New TOPP comprehensive study of hot spots. 5/11 UCSC Dan Costa and students involved in radio tagging. UCSC's Dan Costa and students go to Antarctica to tag seals.
Status of grey whales 1/11 (with good resources).
Troubling history of Sea World killer whales. 9/11.
How Factory Farms Are Killing Seals 2/12
Books
Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us' (The Overlook Press, June 2015) by David Neiwert, interview UpFront KPFA 7:00am March 9, 2016 Facebk.
Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins by Susan Casey (ucsc ken norris and lilly).
Whale Warrior by Pete Bethune, formerly of Sea Shepherds.
The Whale Warriors, about illegal whaling near Antarctica by author Peter Heller went out with Sea Shepherds)video) (disturbing images).
Hope for the Ocean on Monterey Bay (TEDtalk) by Steve Palumbi , see also The Death and Life of Monterey Bay
Video
The Serengeti Rules: Beginning in the 1960s, a small band of young scientists headed out into the wilderness, driven by an insatiable curiosity about how nature works. Immersed in some of the most remote and spectacular places on Earth—from the majestic Serengeti to the Amazon jungle; from the Arctic Ocean to Pacific tide pools—they discovered a single set of rules that govern all life.4/18. see Systems Thinking.otter clipalso orcas.
Ocean Giants: Epic new 3 hour PBS series on whales and dolphins.
Big Blue Live celebrates a wildlife success story and marine animal phenomenon: humpback whales, blue whales, sea lions, elephant seals, sea otters, great white sharks and more all convene in Monterey Bay once a year. Hosted by Sea Slug Dr. M. Sanjayan.
Ottercam from Elkhorn Slough (this could be your office) 10/14.
Why you should care about whale poo TEDtalk video. 1/15.
'Blackfish' Documentary Looks At Tilikum And SeaWorld's Other Captive Whales. 7/13.
Ocean Giants: Epic 3 hour PBS series on whales and dolphins.
In the Wake of Giants. When humpback whales migrating between Alaska and Hawaii become entangled in marine debris, a small network of brave volunteer rescuers risk their lives to save them. Packed with action, beauty and compassion, In the Wake of Giants puts you in the rescue boats with the experts as they free the struggling whales. The effort is led by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary's Ed Lyman.
Specific Species
Dolphins (for Orcas, see whales below)
Extensive info on dolphins from WWF.
Vaquita Still Doomed Without Further Disruption of Totoaba Cartels 3/19.
Poachers Ambush Sea Shepherd Vessel Protecting Nearly Extinct Vaquita 1/19 The environmental organization Sea Shepherd Conservation Society says its crew was attacked Wednesday by roughly 35 fishing boats inside a vaquita refuge in Mexico's Gulf of California.
The Trump Administration Might Let the World’s Rarest Marine Mammal Go Extinct 3/18 Environmental groups are suing them. Again.
Leonardo DiCaprio Joins Forces With Mexican Government to Save the World's Most Endangered Marine Mammal: Rampant overfishing has driven Mexico's native vaquita to the brink of extinction, with less than 30 individuals left in the wild. 11/17.
Mexican Government Stands in Solidarity With Sea Shepherd to Save Nearly Extinct Vaquita 4/17
U.S. Navy-Trained Dolphins to Round Up Nearly Extinct Vaquita in Controversial Plan 1/17.
Military training for dolphins 3/16.
Bottlenose Dolphins Endure Brutal Capture and Slaughter in Taiji’s Infamous Cove
Dolphin cell phone rescue (video).
Vaquita In the upper part of Mexico's Gulf of California lives the world's smallest porpoise, the vaquita. Scientists believe that there are fewer than 200 of these rare and elusive mammals remaining on the planet. This endangered species--whose name means “little cow” in Spanish--has been in decline for years and is on the brink of extinction. Without new and bold protective measures, it could be lost forever. take action 1/13. 6/15 update (note, not happy one, just important).
RadioLab: human-dolphin conversations, from a studio apartment in the Virgin Islands to a research vessel in the Bermuda Triangle.*** (audio).
Irrawaddy dolphins—only 85 survive today in a small stretch of the Mekong River in Cambodia-- are being threatened by a newly proposed hydropower project, the Don Sahong Dam. The sound waves from the initial explosions to clear tons of rock could kill these critically endangered, which have highly sensitive hearing. If this dam is built, they would have to survive more boat traffic, lower water quality and habitat destruction.
Dolphin in Brooklyn (dubious humor).
Dolphins know each other by name using whistles, Scottish scientists find 7/13.
Girl makes dolphin laugh? video.
Hong Kong Risks Losing 'Pink Dolphins' Because Of China's Pollution, Conservationists Warn 5/13
‘Super mega-pod’ of 100,000 dolphins covers 35 square miles 2/13.
UCSC students work with dolphins.
Vaquita In the upper part of Mexico's Gulf of California lives the world's smallest porpoise, the vaquita. Scientists believe that there are fewer than 200 of these rare and elusive mammals remaining on the planet. This endangered species--whose name means “little cow” in Spanish--has been in decline for years and is on the brink of extinction. Without new and bold protective measures, it could be lost forever. take action 1/13. 6/15 update (note, not happy one, just important).
Gulf Coast's Dead Dolphins Remain A Mystery For Scientists (GRAPHIC PHOTO) 11/12.
Various fun Grist stories 2/13.
Texas Dolphins Stranded Off Coast Prompts NOAA To Declare An 'Unusual Mortality Event'] 6.12
Gulf Dolphin die-off also off Peru 5/12
What I Learned From Working With Dolphins by Maddalena Bearzi, Founder, Los Angeles Dolphin Project, and author of book Dolphin Confidential. 4/12
The Dolphin Defender good info on sonar and chemicals (PBS Nature).
Dolphins in Gulf seem to affected by oil spill 3/12
Spinner dolphins and Dolphins playing with bubbles. Another from from Ocean Giants.
The Cove is a documentary about the annual slaughter of dolphins in Japan. audio and videoText and audio. trailer. Short overview in Scientific American.
Peter Tyack studies the the social behavior and acoustic communication in whales and dolphins, learning how these animals use sound to perform critical activities, such as mating and locating food. TEDtalk.
Whale and Dolphin Watch covers Navy sonar.
Ocean Giants: Epic 3 hour PBS series on whales and dolphins.
Whales
Fisherman jumps in to free entangled whale off central California coast 11/18
Another 333 Minke Whales Killed by Japanese Fleet 3/18
Obama Denies All Pending Permits for Seismic Airgun Blasting in Atlantic Ocean 1/17.
The ‘Silent Poison’ That Might Stop This Massive Annual Whale Slaughter.
Protesters Demand SeaWorld 'Send Corky Home' 10/16
Amazing Disgrace: California Is the Only State to Permit Driftnets, Which Kill Thousands of Whales and Dolphins 8/16.
Fishing Gear Entanglement Number One Killer of Right Whales 8/16.
Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us' (The Overlook Press, June 2015) by David Neiwert, interview UpFront KPFA 7:00am March 9, 2016 Facebk.
Landmark Ruling Finds Japanese Whalers Guilty of Contempt of Court 11/15.
Orcas: The California Coastal Commission has approved a $100 million plan to to double the size of SeaWorld San Diego’s orca tanks but there was one major condition: No more captive breeding. 10/15.
Plastic Bags and Fishing Nets Found in Stomach of Dead Whale also [http://ecowatch.com/2015/10/29/algal-blooms-whale-die-off algae bloom/dead zones 10/15.
The Incredible Story of Humpback Whales Trying to Save a Baby Gray Whale from a Killer Whale Attack .
Ocean Giants: Epic new 3 hour PBS series on whales and dolphins.
Big Blue Live celebrates a wildlife success story and marine animal phenomenon: humpback whales, blue whales, sea lions, elephant seals, sea otters, great white sharks and more all convene in Monterey Bay once a year. Hosted by Sea Slug Dr. M. Sanjayan. 1st live blue whale.
Orcas and Their Sixth Sense: The Deeper Ramifications of Cetaceans’ Echolocation Abilities see Marine Mammals. Echolocation proved by UCSC pioneer Ken Norris.
Why you should care about whale poo TEDtalk video. 1/15.
New Study Reveals Whales as Marine Ecosystem Engineers 7/14.
Could whale-watching replace whaling in Japan? The newly created Japan Whale and Dolphin Watching Council will promote marine mammal eco-tourism, offering a lucrative alternative as Japan loses its taste for hunting wild cetaceans.
Japan accepts court ban on Antarctic whaling 3/14. whoo hoo! Not everyone on board. 4/14.
Leaked documents reveal SeaWorld is drugging its orcas.
Plastic kills whales. see Plastic.
How Whale Feces Slows Down Ocean Warming 3/14.
Sardines in decline (an important part of food chain, like mehaden) [although 11/13 big upsurge in Monterey bay, happy humpback whales (video), we're not quite sure why]. Politely avoid eating divers.
'Blackfish' Documentary Looks At Tilikum And SeaWorld's Other Captive Whales. 7/13.
California Whale Protections Suggestions Rejected By U.S. Navy 8/13
'Whale Wars' Stars Called Pirates By Federal Judge, As Anti-Whaling Advocates Dealt Blow 2/13.
Whale migration patterns changing 5/13. Right whale background
Blue Whales pictures.
The Last Orca Scientist Eva Saulitis has dedicated her life to a vanishing group of whales that survived the Exxon Valdez spill but is now nearly extinct. (dialects)
Sperm Whales Adopt Deformed Dolphin: Report 1/13. Whales adopting disabled dolphin is the feel-good story of the millenium ].
Killer whale gives birth video.
Why Killer Whales Don’t Eat People: Where Science and Legend Meet. Slideshow with info.
Whale Deaths Since 1970s Mostly Human-Caused, Study Finds 10/12
Synthetic ambergris could save whales.
Tracking Blues with military technology 10/12.
Humpback whale video off California coast. 8/12
Capt. Paul Watson explains how he came to found Sea Shepards. (inspiring but not easy to listen to). He's been arrested for trying to stop shark finning. 5/12
Mosquitoes fingered for killer whale deaths at SeaWorld 4/12
Saving Whales: Now There's an App for That 4/12
Gigantic Journeys: Humpback and Gray Whale Migration KQED Quest video.
Whaletrackers is a series of online documentary programs that journey across the world's oceans to explore the lives of whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Sperm whale steals a fish video.
The Whale, the story of Luna, the playful, inquisitive young orca who got separated from his pod and made friends with the humans in Vancouver’s Nootka Sound.
"Surfer nearly swallowed by whale"(video) near shore in Santa Cruz. article"A pod of humpback whales has been hanging out off the Santa Cruz coast, noshing on anchovies that flock to the area to feed on plankton. The woman found herself in the middle of a feeding frenzy called lunge feeding, which occurs when whales herd anchovies and shoot straight up out of the water with their mouth wide open to catch the fish."
Killer whale kills great white shark: According to National Geographic, "To prey upon the shark, the Orca has learned how to immobilize it by turning it on its back -- a state called 'tonic immobility.'" Sharks freeze when rolled onto their backs. And that's exactly the strategy the whale in this film seems to have taken, keeping the shark immobile until it suffocates, then and feeding on it.
"Whale Fall" story on Radiolab led to beautiful video of an intricate world of paper cutouts to illustrate the different stages a whale carcass goes through after dropping to the bottom of the ocean.
Rescued whale dances (video).
Whale rescued from fishing net in Mexico. Dolphins save dog.
Whale Wars on Discovery Channel.
Jean Michel Cousteau "Call of the Killer Whale" 2009
Fellowship of the Whales. Humpbacks. PBS Nature full episode.
Whales endangered by ultraloud military sonar Blue whales and noise. Whale and Dolphin Watch covers Navy sonar. Update: Navy Training Raises New Concerns for Whales off California Coast 4/13.
To Kill a Whale . Despite the protest about the killing of whales and the impact of international whaling bans, the people of the Faroe Islands, a Danish community, still practice a ...annual pilot whale cull. This documentary looks at the arguments from both the Faroese people and the conservationists on this contentious issue.]
Photographer Paul Nicklen found an extraordinary new friend diving under the Antarctic ice to get close to the much-feared leopard seal. Share his hilarious, passionate stories of the polar wonderlands, illustrated by glorious images of the animals who live on and under the ice. TEDtalk.
Whales boost eco-tourism 3/12.
America's last whaling station (shut down in 1973 by Endangered Species Act) was in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World. The 300-year saga of the American whaling industry. PBS
Otters, Seals etc
Sea Lion uses crosswalk video.
Cute baby cyborg seals 11/13.
Hundreds of sea lion pups are mysteriously washing ashore in California 3/13.
Revenge of the sea lion! video.
Who Would Kill A Monk Seal? 5.13.
Ringed, Bearded Seals Listed Under Endangered Species Act Due Partially To Climate Change Concerns 1/13
Exxon Valdez effect continues 2/12 text.
Arthritic Otter Plays Basketball At Oregon Zoo (VIDEO) plus slideshow.
Aquarium Staff Teaches Adorable Orphaned Otter Pup How To Otter 11/14.
Otter 501 trailer) is a new documentary. video clip
Sea Otter mortality mystery. One suspect domoic acid
KQED Quest story on sea otter mortality includes UCSC 2/07.
UCSC alum Gena Bentall studies sea otters with USGS.
Otter foster mom at local aquarium. otter eats crab lunch.
Ocean Animal Emergency Features UCSC folks. You can volunteer to help at Marine Mammal Center (see volunteer page).
UCSC Prof. Dan Costa and his students are tagging marine life to send back realtime information never before available. You can follow activities at TOPP and see Video from KQED's Quest. Video update 5/11. New TOPP comprehensive study of hot spots. 5/11 UCSC's Dan Costa and students go to Antarctica to tag seals.
Crittercam is a videocamera attached to ocean animals to observe their behavior. UCSC alum will show this work April 5th at UCSC.
Elephant Sea Cam at Ano Nuevo (you can go on [http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1115 free tours).
Antartic seals (audio and video).
Pictures of baby ottersgrooming (video).
Hope for the Ocean on Monterey Bay (TEDtalk) by Steve Palumbi , see also The Death and Life of Monterey Bay.
Manatees and motor boats.
Audio
RadioLab: human-dolphin conversations, from a studio apartment in the Virgin Islands to a research vessel in the Bermuda Triangle.***
Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us' (The Overlook Press, June 2015) by David Neiwert, interview UpFront KPFA 7:00am March 9, 2016 Facebk.
Seal sitters protect pups transcript Loe.org 4/12
Sea Lion Rescue 5/09 (with slideshow). Next month, the Marine Mammal Center in the Marin Headlands opens its doors to the public for the first time in four years. The Center treats sea lions, elephant seals, and other marine mammals that run into trouble along our coast. They swallow fishing lines, get hit by boat propellers and, increasingly, come down with a bacterial infection that scientists say they still don't understand.
An amazing whale story (Realplayer required)***
'Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest' by Sy Montgomery (several chapters on audio)
UCSC Research
(See also UCSC green departments and people)
(See Slugs in Action for more complete list).
List of UCSC departments involved in researching the ocean.
Study connects marine heat wave with spike in whale entanglements Jarrod Santora, a researcher in applied mathematics at UCSC's Baskin School of Engineering and first author of the study, published January 27 in Nature Communications 2/20.
Environmental, social changes shift how elephant seals communicate 12/18
Visionary in Marine Sciences: The Institute of Marine Sciences brings together scientists working in many different fields.
Heart monitors on wild narwhals reveal alarming responses to stress: As sea ice melts, new findings add to concerns about the effects of ocean noise and increased human activity on deep-diving Arctic whales 2/18
Video tags reveal surprising details of blue whale feeding behavior 11/17.
Wild West Coast A warm blob of water, a bloom of toxic algae, unexpected sightings of ocean life, and an El Niño have left UC Santa Cruz researchers wondering what the future holds for North America's west coast and its marine ecosystem.2017
Some current UCSC ocean research 9/10
Sea lions exposed to algal toxin show impaired spatial memory: Permanent neurological and behavioral changes caused by the neurotoxin domoic acid may affect sea lions' ability to survive in the wild 12/15.
Male elephant seals use 'voice recognition' to identify rivals, study by UCSC graduate student Caroline Casey and research biologist Colleen Reichmuth finds (video) 8/15.
UC Santa Cruz biologist Nicole Thometz set out to quantify the energy demands of a growing sea otter pup, as it accounts for high mortality rates among female sea otters in some areas. 6/14
Graduate student Peter Cook trained Ronan, a California sea lion, to bob her head in time with a rhythm. Scientists once thought that the underpinnings of musical ability were unique to humans.
UCSC alum Gena Bentall studies sea otters with USGS.
Dan Costa and his students are tagging marine life (example Elephant Seals) to send back realtime information never before available. You can follow activities at TOPP and see Video from KQED's Quest as well as PBS's Ocean Animal Emergency More videoNew TOPP comprehensive study of hot spots. 5/11
John Francis, vice president of research, conservation, and exploration for the National Geographic Society works with Crittercam
Ken Norris, cetologist who helped establish Natural Reserves and Long Marine Lab oral history online and in Science Library QH31.N67 J37 1999. "His pioneering investigations in marine mammalogy confirmed dolphin echolocation skills in a series of elegant experiments. Much of what is now known about whales and dolphins, specifically their social and familial interactions is due to his work. His expertise in marine mammalogy also resulted in his strong influence on public policy in the crafting of the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972. His leadership and research were also instrumental in the national campaign to reduce the dolphin kill in tuna fishing. Norris was the author of over a hundred scientific papers and several books on dolphins and porpoises."
Tim Tinker researches sea otters. Video Info on otter mortality.
Mele Wheaton just received a Switzer Fellowship for improving teaching about the environment. She has worked on conservation, including sea otters.
Terrie Williams, professor of biology and director of the Marine Mammal Physiology Project (MMPP) (video) at UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory sprang into action and were ready when an oil-soaked otter arrived from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where she had been stabilized. Williams has also done research on seals during the Antarctic winter, the harshest season in the harshest environment on Earth. adopt a monk seal. Terrie looks back at otter rescue at the Exxon Valdez spill 25 years ago.
Chris Wilmers and Terrie Williams', a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCSC, will team up to explore questions of puma behavior, physiology, and ecology using radio collars. Cougar GPS story. Story of Atlas, who crosses Hwy 17. Sea otters fight global warming, 9/12 audio interview.
Carol Howard (’85) author of Dolphin Chronicles (Bantam, 1996) a popular account of her graduate work with dolphins (review). Current job: science writer and communications coordinator for the Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing.
Amy E. West "left a landlocked state to study the ocean, joined Peace Corps to live among cannibals, moved to New Zealand for graduate school without first being accepted, and racked up research experience worldwide in subjects ranging from sifters (phytoplankton) to drifters (whales) without climbing any career ladder...channeling Sylvia Earle, Jacques Cousteau, and Rachel Carson collectively to publicly demonstrate the relevance of marine science." She interned at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and recently published an article on recycling plastic in the Pacific Gyre.
Robin Dunkin, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, LML Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Latex balloons are a major cause of death in marine turtles, birds, dolphins, seals, and sea lions as well as other wildlife. Despite claims to the contrary, there has been very little work to quantify the degradation time of latex in the environment. Open Lab.
Wild, Wild West Coast study of warm water effects. Urchins, otters, whales, Raimondi & Carr. 1/16.
UCSC Articles
UCSC Study Finds That Otters' Taste For Crab Is Fighting Water Pollution 8/13.
Sea otters fight global warming
Olive the Oiled Otter was rescued near Monterey. She has her own Facebook page with a good article of status of otters.
Sea lions exposed to algal toxin show impaired spatial memory: Permanent neurological and behavioral changes caused by the neurotoxin domoic acid may affect sea lions' ability to survive in the wild 12/15.
Past UCSC Events
1/15 Whales, Science, and "Scientific Whaling" in the International Court of Justice Marc Mangel, Distinguished Research Professor, Mathematical Biology and Director, Center for Stock Assessment Research at UCSC leads a compelling discussion about using science as the foundation to interpret international law. Mangel discusses his involvement in the March 2014 International Court of Justice ruling that has effectively ended Japan's annual killing of almost 1,000 whales a year (a win for both whales and for science).
| Marine Mammal Research Tour | |
| 9/27 |
9/27/2009 Sunday 2:15 PM to 3:30 PM Go behind the scenes at Long Marine Lab. Learn about the work of scientists and their studies of dolphins, seals, sea lions, and whales. Tour is best suited for adults and children over 10 years of age. Space limited, free with admission. Reservations required: 459-3800 Location: Other Campus Location Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab Category: Announcement - Tour Invited Audience: Open to Public Admission: $6 Adults; $4 Youth (10-16), Students, Seniors (64+); Members, and UCSC undergrads are free.
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| Sea Otters : Barometers of Ocean Health | |
| 10/01 Th |
10/01/2009 Thursday 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Dr. Tim Tinker (USGS): Big Sur vs. Monterey: Understanding Human Impacts on Sea Otter Population Health AND Dr. Keith Miles (USGS and UC Davis): The Doctor is In: Using Human Medicine to Diagnose What Ails the Sea Otter. Since being protected by the Endangered Species Act, the sea otter population has recovered from less than 50 animals near Big Sur to more than 2400 animals along the California coast today. Despite this good news, recent data indicates a declining population—WHY? We don’t hunt them for fur. We don’t trap them in nets. They are a protected species. What is happening to the sea otter and what does it mean to us? Six of the most prominent marine scientists and world otter experts will take us on a journey of discovery and understanding as to why sea otters are a barometer of ocean health. “Unlike previous decades where overhunting and fishing were the key causes, at least 50 percent of otter deaths are now due to a variety of infectious diseases, parasites, and pollution” says Dr. David Jessup, Wildlife Veterinarian at the Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center, California Department of Fish and Game. The first of three distinct lecture evenings will cover the many obstacles facing sea otters today, what their declining population tells us about the health of our oceans, and what we are doing to prevent further decline of this charismatic and important “keystone” species. Location: Other Campus Location Room: La Feliz Room Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, near Natural Bridges State Beach Invited Audience: Open to Public Admission: Free Sponsored by: Luckenbach Trustee Council Estimated Attendance: 98 Contact information for this event: Name: Abby Borsgard Phone: 459-3799 Email: aborsgar@ucsc.edu Web |
Subcategories
This category has the following 4 subcategories, out of 4 total.
Articles in category "Marine Mammals"
The following 4 pages are in this category, out of 4 total.
