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Images

Western Ecological Research Center (WERC) images.

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Person wearing a face mask with birds on it looks through the window of a plane at fluffy clouds
Masked up and en route to begin a photographic aerial survey
Masked up and en route to begin a photographic aerial survey
Masked up and en route to begin a photographic aerial survey

Masked up and en route to begin a photographic aerial survey for seabirds and marine mammals off Central California, over the California Current.

Two people wearing N95 masks and waders stand hip-deep in a pond next to a net, one hands a container to the other.
Translocating a red-legged frog egg mass
Translocating a red-legged frog egg mass
Translocating a red-legged frog egg mass

Adam Backlin and Elizabeth Gallegos translocatw an egg mass of the California Red Legged Frog from a donor site in the mountains of Baja California MX. The recipient site, where the photo was taken, was at Mesa Grande in San Diego County.

Adam Backlin and Elizabeth Gallegos translocatw an egg mass of the California Red Legged Frog from a donor site in the mountains of Baja California MX. The recipient site, where the photo was taken, was at Mesa Grande in San Diego County.

Two people wearing waders stand hip-deep in a pond, holding a large net between them
Releasing red-legged frog tadpoles into a temporary enclosure
Releasing red-legged frog tadpoles into a temporary enclosure
Releasing red-legged frog tadpoles into a temporary enclosure

Researchers Liz Gallegos and Adam Backlin releasing California red-legged frog tadpoles into a temporary enclosure as part of an international translocation. The tadpoles were collected from the Sierra San Pedro Martir mountains of Baja California, Mexico and transported to two sites in the United States.

Researchers Liz Gallegos and Adam Backlin releasing California red-legged frog tadpoles into a temporary enclosure as part of an international translocation. The tadpoles were collected from the Sierra San Pedro Martir mountains of Baja California, Mexico and transported to two sites in the United States.

Aerial view of Lake Cuchuma on a cloudy day, viewed out the window of a plane, under the wing
Clouds over Lake Cachuma
Clouds over Lake Cachuma
Clouds over Lake Cachuma

Clouds over Lake Cachuma.  En route to begin a photographic aerial survey for seabirds and marine mammals off Central California, over the California Current.

Clouds over Lake Cachuma.  En route to begin a photographic aerial survey for seabirds and marine mammals off Central California, over the California Current.

Spotted butterfly perches in the middle of a marigold
Checkerspot butterfly on desert marigold
Checkerspot butterfly on desert marigold
Checkerspot butterfly on desert marigold

Checkerspot butterfly on desert marigold in Lake Mead National Recreation Area

From under an airplane wing high above the ground, we see green hills, with a rainbow extending down from behind airplane wing
Rainbow captured along the CA coast from a plane
Rainbow captured along the CA coast from a plane
Rainbow captured along the CA coast from a plane

This photo was taken during an aerial photographic survey of seabirds and marine mammals along the California Coast. The project is supported by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and helps planning in advance of potential offshore wind energy development along the California Coast.

This photo was taken during an aerial photographic survey of seabirds and marine mammals along the California Coast. The project is supported by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and helps planning in advance of potential offshore wind energy development along the California Coast.

View of the Big Sur California coast from the ocean, with snow capped mountains
Big Sur viewed from a plane above the ocean
Big Sur viewed from a plane above the ocean
Big Sur viewed from a plane above the ocean

Late spring snow on the Santa Lucia Mountains in Big Sur while conducting aerial surveys offshore.

Aerial view of Cuvier's beaked whale
Cuvier's Beaked Whale
Cuvier's Beaked Whale
Cuvier's Beaked Whale

Aerial image of Cuvier's Beaked Whale.

Oddly shaped, oval fish with wing-like fins, seen at great distance in aerial view
Ocean sunfish (Mola mola)
Ocean sunfish (Mola mola)
Aerial view of the ocean, with a small dot that is a trash bag
Trash bag in the ocean
Trash bag in the ocean
Trash bag in the ocean

Trash bag in the ocean. Photos capture some of the visible human impacts on the California Current, from trash bags to plastic bottles to mylar balloons and ghost fishing gear.

Trash bag in the ocean. Photos capture some of the visible human impacts on the California Current, from trash bags to plastic bottles to mylar balloons and ghost fishing gear.

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