The State of California studies dead sea otters, like this one found by USGS scientists in Piedras Blancas, Calif., to learn about their causes of death and to understand the variety of environment stress factors that impact the nearshore marine environment.
Brian B Hatfield
Brian Hatfield is a Scientist Emeritus at the Western Ecological Research Center.
Brian Hatfield has been involved with sea otter research since the late 1970s and has been employed with USGS (migrating from USFWS and NBS) since the mid-1980s. Currently, he coordinates the range-wide sea otter surveys in California, including those at San Nicolas Island, and co-coordinates the sea otter stranding network. Brian maintains rebreather diving certification in order to capture sea otters for tagging and sample collection. He has participated in sea otter research in the Commander and Aleutian Islands, Prince William Sound, SE Alaska, Vancouver Island, Washington, as well as California. His current interests include the increasing shark bite-caused sea otter mortality, sea otter-fisheries interactions, recolonization of the California Islands by sea otters and the colonization of the Point Piedras Blancas, California, area by northern elephant seals.
Recent Accomplishments
Education
- MSc, Biology, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, 1979
- BA, Biology (with honors), University of California Santa Cruz, 1975
Professional Studies/Experience
Mentorship/Outreach
Professional societies/affiliations/committees/editorial boards
Honors, awards, recognition, elected offices
Scientific/Oral Presentations, Abstracts
Science and Products
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 Wildlife 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...
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.
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...
Santa Cruz Field Station
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:
Stranded Sea Otters Offer Valuable Data
The State of California studies dead sea otters, like this one found by USGS scientists in Piedras Blancas, Calif., to learn about their causes of death and to understand the variety of environment stress factors that impact the nearshore marine environment.
Science and Products
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 Wildlife 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...
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.
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...
Santa Cruz Field Station
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:
Stranded Sea Otters Offer Valuable Data
The State of California studies dead sea otters, like this one found by USGS scientists in Piedras Blancas, Calif., to learn about their causes of death and to understand the variety of environment stress factors that impact the nearshore marine environment.
The State of California studies dead sea otters, like this one found by USGS scientists in Piedras Blancas, Calif., to learn about their causes of death and to understand the variety of environment stress factors that impact the nearshore marine environment.