Scientists at the Santa Cruz Field Station study sea otters and seabirds in their environment. The USGS Western Ecological Research Center has two research missions based in the Santa Cruz region:
Location
USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
2885 Mission St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Office: (831) 460-7566
Fax: (831) 427-4709
Scientists
Sea Otter Studies and Coastal Ecology Team
Principal Investigator: Julie Yee
Joseph Tomoleoni
Michael Kenner
Seabird Studies Team
Principal Investigator: Josh Adams
Jon Felis
Emma Kelsey
Cheryl Horton
Laney White
Morgan Gilmour
Research
SEA OTTER RESEARCH
WERC research focuses on this smallest marine mammal’s population biology and its role as a keystone species in the nearshore marine community. WERC scientists conducting long-term research in California and Alaska seek to answer complex ecological questions, and they work with partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Coastal Conservancy, Monterey Bay Aquarium, University of California-Santa Cruz, University of California-Davis, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Santa Barbara Zoo, other scientists, and various conservation organizations (most notably Defenders of Wildlife). The sea otter program also coordinates closely with the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission.
Research on sea otters is mandated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the U.S. Endangered Species Act, due to the listing of several populations of sea otters as threatened. And with the attention given to the poor health of earth’s ocean ecosystems, the threats of overfishing, climate change, pollution, emergent diseases, invasive species, and loss of bio-diversity -- the sea otter is increasingly recognized as a bellwether for the health of near-shore marine ecosystems of western North America. Sea otters are useful as a sentinel species because they are relatively easy to observe, their sensitivity to many of the same factors that threaten other marine species as well as human health, and their important role as “keystone predators” in these systems.
SEABIRD RESEARCH
The WERC Santa Cruz seabird team focuses on seabirds of the Pacific Ocean, primarily species that utilize the waters off California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. Their research can broadly be categorized as:
Seabird Ecology and Marine Planning
Dr. Adams and team use aerial surveys and telemetry to inform marine spatial planning. In addition, they are interested in quantifying species vulnerabilities based on spatial distributions, habitat characteristics, behaviors and life histories.
- Seabird and marine mammal aerial surveys for marine spatial planning
- Tracking seabirds at sea
- Seabird vulnerability assessments
Seabird Health and Adaptive Management
The seabird studies team develops and applies innovative and traditional methods to assess seabird populations and trends in abundance. They also explore ways to evaluate impacts of invasive species on seabird colonies and study how habitat restoration influences seabird health.
Dr. Adams and colleagues conduct WERC seabird research with partners that include the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Navy, universities and laboratories within the California State University and University of California systems, and non-governmental organizations. WERC seabird research spans the Pacific Ocean from the California Channel Islands, Oregon, and Washington, to as far away as Hawaii and Chile.
Explore specific projects conducted at the Santa Cruz Field Station:
Seabird Health and Adaptive Management
Seabird Ecology and Marine Planning
California Sea Otter Stranding Network
Population Biology and Behavior of Sea Otters
California Sea Otter Surveys and Research
Pacific Nearshore Project
- Overview
Scientists at the Santa Cruz Field Station study sea otters and seabirds in their environment. The USGS Western Ecological Research Center has two research missions based in the Santa Cruz region:
Location
USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
2885 Mission St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Office: (831) 460-7566
Fax: (831) 427-4709Scientists
Sea Otter Studies and Coastal Ecology Team
Principal Investigator: Julie Yee
Joseph Tomoleoni
Michael KennerSeabird Studies Team
Principal Investigator: Josh Adams
Jon Felis
Emma Kelsey
Cheryl Horton
Laney White
Morgan GilmourResearch
SEA OTTER RESEARCH
Photo of a sea otter (Enhydra lutris) at Elkhorn Slough, CA. (Public domain.) WERC research focuses on this smallest marine mammal’s population biology and its role as a keystone species in the nearshore marine community. WERC scientists conducting long-term research in California and Alaska seek to answer complex ecological questions, and they work with partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Coastal Conservancy, Monterey Bay Aquarium, University of California-Santa Cruz, University of California-Davis, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Santa Barbara Zoo, other scientists, and various conservation organizations (most notably Defenders of Wildlife). The sea otter program also coordinates closely with the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission.
Research on sea otters is mandated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the U.S. Endangered Species Act, due to the listing of several populations of sea otters as threatened. And with the attention given to the poor health of earth’s ocean ecosystems, the threats of overfishing, climate change, pollution, emergent diseases, invasive species, and loss of bio-diversity -- the sea otter is increasingly recognized as a bellwether for the health of near-shore marine ecosystems of western North America. Sea otters are useful as a sentinel species because they are relatively easy to observe, their sensitivity to many of the same factors that threaten other marine species as well as human health, and their important role as “keystone predators” in these systems.
SEABIRD RESEARCH
The WERC Santa Cruz seabird team focuses on seabirds of the Pacific Ocean, primarily species that utilize the waters off California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. Their research can broadly be categorized as:
Photo of a Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) in flight. (Credit: Jonathan Felis, USGS. Public domain.) Seabird Ecology and Marine Planning
Dr. Adams and team use aerial surveys and telemetry to inform marine spatial planning. In addition, they are interested in quantifying species vulnerabilities based on spatial distributions, habitat characteristics, behaviors and life histories.
- Seabird and marine mammal aerial surveys for marine spatial planning
- Tracking seabirds at sea
- Seabird vulnerability assessments
Seabird Health and Adaptive Management
The seabird studies team develops and applies innovative and traditional methods to assess seabird populations and trends in abundance. They also explore ways to evaluate impacts of invasive species on seabird colonies and study how habitat restoration influences seabird health.
Dr. Adams and colleagues conduct WERC seabird research with partners that include the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Navy, universities and laboratories within the California State University and University of California systems, and non-governmental organizations. WERC seabird research spans the Pacific Ocean from the California Channel Islands, Oregon, and Washington, to as far away as Hawaii and Chile.
- Science
Explore specific projects conducted at the Santa Cruz Field Station:
Seabird Health and Adaptive Management
Dr. Josh Adams and his science team at WERC study seabird health and support adaptive management by quantifying abundance patterns and behaviors associated with habitats at sea, where seabirds spend the overwhelming majority of their lives. Adams’s team also employs conservation science to support resource managers on land, where seabirds are obligated to nest. His group provides scientific...Seabird Ecology and Marine Planning
Seabirds are Department of the Interior (DOI) Trust Species and are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act. To support science-based decision capacity and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) among U.S. Government resource managers, Dr. Josh Adams and the WERC seabird team have partnered with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...California Sea Otter Stranding Network
The California Sea Otter Stranding Network is part of the USGS effort to monitor southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) and provide data to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. WERC's sea otter team works with multiple institutions and partners to report, recover, and examine stranded sea otters. In addition, instructions on how to report a stranded sea otter are included in this webpage.Population Biology and Behavior of Sea Otters
WERC's sea otter researchers are developing and utilizing a variety of methodological and analytical tools to understand the causes of biological and ecological trends in sea otter populations, and to predict the ecological consequences of management practices on these populations and their ecosystems.California Sea Otter Surveys and Research
WERC collaborates with other research scientists to conduct annual population surveys of the southern sea otter -- a federally listed threatened species. In coordination with the California Department of Fish and Game and other institutions, ongoing surveys and research continues to inform the southern sea otter recovery plan for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and contributes to our...Pacific Nearshore Project
Sea otters are crucial indicators of the health of our nearshore waters and coastal resources, from kelp forests to fisheries. What clues does the sea otter's decline hold for our knowledge of ecosystem and global change? WERC's sea otter team and U.S. and Canadian researchers have teamed together to investigate. Relevance to USGS Missions: This research project has direct relevance for the...