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Long Marine Lab's annual "Whale of an Auction" a huge success! SANTA CRUZ, CA -- The 2006 Whale of an Auction - All Jazzed Up - was a whale of a success. Under the leadership of auction chair Virginia Guhin, the Friends of Long Marine Lab raised over $120,000, including $7,500 for scholarships, through a community effort by an ambitious board, generous artists and business donors, 120 event volunteers, and generous bidders. A social and gastronomic occasion as well as an auction, the evening included a catered buffet, fine wines, champagne, music, and lots of excitement. The event, which included both live and silent auctions, raised funds to support Long Marine Lab's Seymour Center and its public education programs. Items up for bid at this year's auction included one-of-a-kind field trips with renowned scientists, vacations in exotic places, art glass, exclusive dinners, wines, and much more. Among the excursions offered this year were a photography and biology outing for four with Frans Lanting and Christine Eckstrom; a geology and history tour with geologist Gary Griggs and historian Sandy Lydon; a wild-foods foraging dinner; scientist-led behind-the-scenes and after-hours trips to Año Nuevo, Elkhorn Slough, and on research vessels on Monterey Bay; and private dinners by chefs Emile Mooser, Robert Morris, and Jozseph Schultz. The auction also offered exclusive getaways in St. Bart's, Paris, Cabo San Lucas, and San Diego, and an abundance of unique ways to enjoy the culture and beauty of Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay. All education programs and daily operations of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center depend on community support. Donations to the "Whale of an Auction" help bring marine science alive for everyone. The Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab is dedicated to educating people about the role scientific research plays in the understanding and conservation of the world's oceans. Located at the end of Delaware Ave. in Santa Cruz, the Seymour Center is open to the public every day except Mondays.
Seymour Marine Discovery Center unveils new exhibit on fisheries research SANTA CRUZ, CA--What is an otolith? How long do rockfish live? What affects salmon populations? The number of people who can answer these questions is about to increase dramatically, thanks to a new exhibit on fisheries research at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center in Santa Cruz. The exhibit will be officially "unveiled" on Friday, April 21, with free admission to the Seymour Center from 3 to 5 p.m., light refreshments, and remarks from local marine scientists. The new exhibit features the work of scientists at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Santa Cruz Laboratory. The NMFS lab is located next to UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory, home of the Seymour Center. According to the volunteer docents who lead tours and interpret exhibits at the Seymour Center, visitors began asking questions about what goes on at the NMFS lab as soon as it opened in 2000. NMFS is an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is sometimes called "NOAA Fisheries." Scientists at the Santa Cruz lab study Pacific Coast groundfish (including rockfish and other bottom-dwellers) and Pacific salmon and steelhead. Their findings influence decisions about the management of important fisheries and protection of threatened and endangered species. Wendelin Montciel, visitor programs manager at the Seymour Center, worked closely with a team from the NMFS lab to develop the new exhibit. The kid-friendly, interactive exhibit is designed to appeal to various age groups and includes hands-on activities and three-dimensional models, as well as text and image panels, Montciel said. One aspect of the exhibit is a comparison of the life histories of salmon and rockfish, showing how scientific research provides the information needed to plan successful strategies for managing fisheries. Both salmon and rockfish are popular with commercial and recreational fishers, but their life histories are dramatically different. Salmon are born in freshwater streams, migrate to the ocean, live four to six years, grow up to 48 inches, and return to the streams where they hatched to spawn. Rockfish are born in the coastal ocean, grow slowly to 18 inches, reach sexual maturity at age 20, give birth to live young each year, and can live to be more than 100 years old. Management strategies for these species must take into account these differences in their life histories. Another part of the exhibit explains what an otolith is (it's an ear bone that plays a role in hearing and balance) and how scientists can use otoliths to learn valuable information about individual fish. A third aspect of the exhibit is called "Be a Scientist." It features images of NMFS scientists as children who grew up pursuing their interest in marine science and gives kids a fun opportunity to picture themselves as scientists. The Seymour Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for students and seniors, and $4 for children ages 4 to 16. Admission is free the first Tuesday of each month. The center will be closed for the Easter holiday on Sunday, April 16. Additional information about the Seymour Center is available on the web at http://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu. Information about the NMFS Santa Cruz Laboratory is available on the web at http://santacruz.nmfs.noaa.gov.
April lecture series marks centennial of 1906 San Francisco earthquake SANTA CRUZ, CA--With 1,100 miles of geologically active coastline and most of its 36 million people living near the coast, California is at risk from both earthquakes and tsunamis. In a series of lectures in Santa Cruz on April 19 and 20, titled "Quaking 'n' Breaking: Earthquakes to Tsunamis: Then and There, Here and Now," experts will examine these risks in the context of local disaster history and recent global calamities. The talks mark the centennial of the April 18, 1906, San Francisco earthquake. On Wednesday, April 19, local historian Sandy Lydon and UC Santa Cruz geologist Gary Griggs will discuss the earthquake history and present-day geological realities of central California. On Thursday, April 20, oceanographer Bruce Jaffe and geologist Harvey Kelsey will examine the threat of tsunamis. Sponsored by the Seymour Center at UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory, the lectures will take place at 7 p.m. at the UCSC Inn and Conference Center, 611 Ocean Street, in Santa Cruz. Tickets cost $6 per evening or $10 for the series for the general public ($5 per evening or $8 for the series for Friends of Long Marine Lab members). For tickets and information about the lectures, call (831) 459-3800. Griggs, a professor of Earth sciences and director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at UCSC, and Lydon, who teaches history at Cabrillo College, are coauthoring a book on the history of natural disasters in the Monterey Bay Area. In their talks, Griggs and Lydon will discuss the major seismic events that have struck the area during the past several hundred years, including the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Griggs will provide insights into the geological mechanisms underlying the quakes, and Lydon will describe how human populations responded to the calamities. Jaffe and Kelsey are former students of Griggs who earned their Ph.D.s in Earth sciences at UCSC. Jaffe is now an oceanographer at the U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Science Center in Santa Cruz. He will present highlights from his trip to Sri Lanka and Indonesia to study the effects of the devastating tsunami that struck southern Asia in 2004. Triggered by an undersea earthquake, the tsunami rose 100 feet above the coast and traveled 3 miles inland. Jaffe found vast and widespread devastation, especially in northwest Sumatra. In some areas, however, the inhabitants had escaped destruction by wisely fleeing inland after sensing the quake. Kelsey, an adjunct professor and research associate in geology at Humboldt State University in Arcata, specializes in the study of earthquake history. He will present findings on the Cascadia subduction zone, a major offshore fault that extends from southwestern Canada to northern California. The Cascadia fault has been the main source of earthquake-generated tsunamis that have struck the West Coast in the past. Layers of sand deposited in an Oregon coastal lake during the past 4,600 years bear testimony to past earthquakes and tsunamis along this zone, Kelsey said.
Friends of Long Marine Lab will honor Secretary of State Bruce McPherson with Global Oceans Award SANTA CRUZ, CA --The Friends of Long Marine Lab will present a Global Oceans Award to California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson at the group's annual Gourmet Dinner benefit event on Sunday, March 12. The award recognizes McPherson for his leadership in the Friends of Long Marine Lab and his commitment to the local coastal environment. Awards will also be presented to two promising marine sciences students at UC Santa Cruz. The Global Oceans Awards were established in 2004 to recognize outstanding individuals who are making a difference for the world's oceans. The annual dinner, held this year at the Bittersweet Bistro in Rio del Mar, is one of the most popular fundraising events for the Friends of Long Marine Lab. McPherson became secretary of state in 2005 after 11 years in the state legislature. A fourth-generation Santa Cruz native, he served three years in the assembly representing Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties , followed by eight years in the state senate. While in the legislature, McPherson earned a reputation as a moderate and nonpartisan officeholder--a fiscal conservative who fought to protect California 's environment and scenic coastlines. Prior to his election to the assembly, McPherson served as the founding president of the Friends of Long Marine Lab, a community support group dedicated to supporting and promoting the public outreach activities of the Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory at UCSC. As an assemblyman, McPherson advocated and played a key role in obtaining state funding for construction of UCSC's Earth and Marine Sciences Building , home to the Institute of Marine Sciences . As a state senator, he helped secure funding for the Interdisciplinary Sciences Building , which houses Environmental Studies and other programs. Throughout his tenure in California politics, McPherson has helped to protect coastal open space and promote public access. He also helped to fund the "mussel watch" program, which tests for toxins in shellfish, and cast the deciding vote to ban offshore oil drilling in state waters. Graduate students Leslie Roland and Dana Wingfield will also receive awards at the dinner. They had the top-ranked proposals among 16 students who received research support from the Friends of Long Marine Lab Student Research Awards this year. These awards provided more than $11,000 in total funding for undergraduate and graduate student research projects in the marine sciences. Roland, who works with UCSC assistant professor of ocean sciences Matthew McCarthy, is identifying the composition of particles suspended in the water below the ocean surface and sinking into the "twilight zone." Wingfield, who works with UCSC professor of Earth sciences Gary Griggs, is elucidating habitat use of foraging juvenile loggerhead turtles in Baja California Sur , Mexico. For more information about the Global Oceans Gourmet Dinner and Awards Gala, contact Lisa M. Rose at (831) 459-3694.
Seymour Center offers marine science resources for local schools Santa Cruz, CA – More than 11,000 schoolchildren visited UCSC's Seymour Marine Discovery Center on class field trips last year. They got to study live sea creatures from Monterey Bay, discovered how marine scientists think and work, and stood in awe before the 87-foot skeleton of a blue whale. The Seymour Center 's school programs are designed to immerse students of all ages–from kindergarten through community college–in the world of marine science. The center also offers a K-12 student art contest, teacher workshops and other resources for educators. According to Youth Programs Manager Suzanne Hebert, "Our goal is to provide schools with a hands on, content rich field experience in which the students become the scientists by making observations, asking questions, creating hypotheses, and conducting experiments." Classes come from far and wide to enjoy these programs--one school in Washington state sends its students every year, said Seymour Center director Julie Barrett Heffington. But most come from schools in Santa Cruz County taking advantage of an outstanding educational resource right in their back yard. Several options are available for class field trips, ranging from self-guided tours to Discovery Lab programs taught by teams of science educators and volunteers. These hands-on lab programs incorporate the California Science Content Standards in a series of engaging, age-appropriate activities. For more information about these programs, visit the Seymour Center web site and click on the "Learning Programs" link.
Fall lecture series at the Seymour Center will focus on sustainable fisheries SANTA CRUZ , CA --The Fall Lecture Series at UC Santa Cruz's Seymour Marine Discovery Center will focus on sustainable fisheries, with six speakers providing a range of perspectives on the serious challenges facing important fisheries on the West Coast and around the world. Lecture topics will include the future of seafood, the politics of fish and the oceans, and the management of West Coast groundfish fisheries. The lectures will take place on consecutive Thursday evenings, October 6, 13, and 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the La Féliz Room at the Seymour Center. There will be two speakers each evening. Admission is $8 for the general public and $6 for members. For tickets and information, call (831) 459-3800. Thursday, October 6 Current Approaches and Recent Developments in Managing
West Coast Groundfish Fisheries Thursday, October 13 The Politics of Fish and the Oceans Thursday, October 20 It Takes a Community to Sustain Fisheries The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is a science education center located at UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory. Overlooking the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Seymour Center features aquariums, exhibits, touch tanks, an 87-foot blue whale skeleton, a gift and book shop, and more. Visitor programs include docent-led tours, field trips, and workshops. The center also offers school programs, teacher training, summer youth programs, and opportunities for college students. Information is available online at http://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu or by calling (831) 459-3800.
Long Marine Lab's annual "Whale of an Auction" set for Friday, June 17 Over the past 20 years, the auction has grown from humble beginnings into a lavish affair featuring a catered buffet, fine wines, champagne, and lots of excitement. The event includes both live and silent auctions. Tickets for the evening are $75 at the door. For additional information, call (831) 459-3800. Highlights of the items up for bid at this year's auction include exclusive vacation retreats in Paris, St. Barts, Kauai, La Quinta, Puerto Vallarta, Napa, San Francisco, and other exciting locales; a private history and geology tour of Point Lobos with UCSC geologist Gary Griggs and historian Sandy Lydon; field trips, research cruises, private presentations, and behind-the-scenes tours with renowned Long Marine Lab scientists; specialty wines and private wine-tasting tours; private art, baking, and cooking classes; a bumper-car party for 50 at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk; a lobster and clambake for 20 on the beach catered by the Crow's Nest Restaurant; artwork, jewelry, and exquisite blown glass; sports equipment and tickets to sporting events; and much, much more. All education programs and daily operations of the lab's Seymour Marine Discovery Center depend on community support. Contributions to the Whale of an Auction help bring marine science alive for the community. Last year's event was a great success, with more than 400 bidders who helped raise more than $80,000 in crucial funds for the Seymour Center . The Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab is dedicated to educating people about the role scientific research plays in the understanding and conservation of the world's oceans. Research conducted by UCSC scientists in Monterey Bay and around the world is featured in the center's exhibits, along with galleries of aquaria, seawater tables, an 87-foot blue whale skeleton, and much more. Located at the end of Delaware Ave. in Santa Cruz , the Seymour Center is open to the public every day except Mondays. Long Marine Lab is a research facility of the Institute of Marine Sciences at UCSC.
Peregrine falcons released to the wild at Long Marine Laboratory SANTA CRUZ , CA -- For the next few weeks, visitors to UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory will have the rare opportunity to see young peregrine falcons learning to fly and hunt in the wild. The six-week-old falcons were raised in a captive breeding program and are now being released to the wild by the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group (SCPBRG), which is affiliated with the Institute of Marine Sciences and based at Long Marine Lab. Glenn Stewart, SCPBRG program manager, said the release is a six- to eight-week process during which the group's staff and volunteers will be keeping an eye on the birds and providing them with food at the release site until they are able to capture prey on their own. In the wild, peregrine falcon parents provide food for their young during this stage, but the young birds do not learn their hunting skills from their parents, Stewart said. "It's a completely instinctive activity. They will soon be dominating the air space around the lab and chasing other birds as they begin to learn pursuit skills--it's quite an impressive aerial display to observe," he said. The three falcon siblings, two males and a female, were five weeks old when Stewart brought them to Long Marine Lab last week and put them in a specially-built box (called a "hack box") set up on a third-floor landing of the Center for Ocean Health building. Today (Monday), Stewart will open the box to allow the birds to take their first flights (known as fledging). The fledglings can be a bit clumsy at first and often land on the ground after their first flight. This is the most dangerous time for the birds, but Long Marine Lab is a very forgiving location, Stewart said. "In other locations, we have to worry about coyotes or bobcats getting them when they land on the ground. But even here we need to make sure they get back to a safe perch before nightfall, so we'll have people out there every daylight hour to monitor them for the next two months," he said. The birds have been outfitted with small radio transmitters to enable the researchers to keep track of them during the release process. The volunteers helping to monitor the birds at Long Marine Lab include six student interns from UCSC and Cabrillo College who are receiving course credits for their work with SCPBRG. This is the third year in a row that Long Marine Lab has served as a release site for peregrine falcons. Stewart said the falcons typically use the whole lab area as a home base and can often be seen perching on the roofs of the buildings and flying overhead. Until they begin catching their own prey, the falcons usually return to the hack box once a day to eat the fresh quail the attendants leave there. SCPBRG biologists have released more than 1,000 peregrine falcons into the wild since the 1970s, helping to bring the species back from the brink of extinction. Their release method, known as "hacking," is based on an old falconry technique. A detailed description can be found on the group's web site. The releases at Long Marine Lab are being carried out under a contract with Caltrans as mitigation for the potential disturbance of nesting peregrines during seismic retrofitting work on the San Francisco Bay Bridge and other bridges. The SCPBRG is dedicated to the recovery of endangered predatory birds and applies its expertise to a wide range of bird species. The organization's work is entirely supported by foundation grants, gifts from individuals, and contracts awarded by state and federal agencies.
Seymour Center to receive funding from surf industry SANTA CRUZ , CA -- For the third year in a row, the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) will provide a grant to support education programs at UCSC's Seymour Marine Discovery Center . The Seymour Center is one of 10 environmental organizations chosen by SIMA to receive proceeds from the Waterman's Weekend, the surf industry's annual environmental fundraiser. The SIMA Environmental Fund provides grants to environmental organizations based on their commitment to specific projects that will protect and preserve oceans, beaches, or surf breaks. The Seymour Center will use the funds from SIMA to educate young people about the role marine science plays in understanding and conserving the world's oceans. The exact amount of the grant depends on the funds raised during the Waterman's Weekend. Last year, the Seymour Center received over $12,000 from the SIMA Environmental Fund. The annual Waterman's Weekend serves as the primary fundraiser for the SIMA Environmental Fund through the Waterman's Classic Golf Tournament and Waterman's Ball and Auction. This year's Waterman's Classic will take place August 26 at the Monarch Beach Golf Links. The Waterman's Ball and Auction will be held August 27 at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point, California.
Save Our Shores Launches 2005 Stewardship Series at the Seymour Center: Marine Protected Areas, Tuesday, April 26, 2005, 6:30–8:30 PM SANTA CRUZ, CA -- Save Our Shores and the Seymour Marine Discovery Center have joined together to champion and support the role of public participation in the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative, California’s inspiring vision for sustaining, conserving and protecting our abundant marine life, coasts and ocean. Admission is free. Seating is limited. The forum, designed for all ages and levels of knowledge, will provide residents and visitors with meaningful perspectives on marine protected areas and the MLPA from fishing, science, and conservation experts. Attendees will also be encouraged to take an active role in the designation of marine protected areas on the Central Coast through the Blue Ribbon Task Force designated by Governor Schwarzenegger to oversee the implementation of the MLPA. The event begins with a special presentation, “Marine Protected Areas 101,” given by Jane De Lay, executive director of Save Our Shores. The evening will also feature an underwater photo documentary by Marc Shargel presented by the Coalition of Organizations for Ocean Life. A panel presentation and an interactive Q&A session with the audience will follow. Featured speakers include:
In addition, attendees will learn how their voice can make a difference in ocean conservation from Kirk Brown, communications specialist and co-director of Resource Media in San Francisco. WHAT: Get On Board: A Citizen’s Role in the Marine Life
Protection Act Initiative About the Expert Panelists: Dr.Mark Carr: As associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC), Dr. Carr’s research focuses on the ecology of coastal marine fishes and their habitats, particularly species associated with shallow rocky and coral reefs. His research on temperate and tropical reef fishes and kelp forest ecosystems has been published widely in peer-reviewed journals. He is conducting studies on the long-term dynamics of central California kelp forest ecosystems and the ecology of rocky reef fishes (i.e., their larval dispersal, recruitment, habitat associations, and movement) in association with the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO). Dr. Carr is an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow sponsored by the Ecological Society of America. He served on the steering committee for the California Marine Life Management Reform Project, an advisory committee for implementation of the California Marine Life Management Act, and was a science/education representative on the Monterey Regional Working Group of the Marine Life Protection Act. He was a member of the Science Advisory Panel for the Channel Islands Marine Reserve Working Group and is a science/education representative to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s working group on Special Marine Protected Areas. He is currently serving as a member of the MLPA Science Advisory Team. He has published several peer-reviewed papers on the application, design and evaluation of marine reserves. Zeke Grader: As executive director, Grader leads the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman's Associations (PCFFA), an organization of commercial fishing groups throughout California, with members in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. He is also executive director of the Institute for Fisheries Resources, a non-profit established to address fish habitat protection, restoration and research. Grader was raised in the fishing industry in northern California where his father was a fish processor and his mother a journalist. During his 25 years with PCFFA, Grader has been responsible for drafting legislation and regulations affecting fishing. Grader is a past member of the Department of Commerce's Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee, past president of the West Coast Fisheries Development Foundation, a member of the Environmental Law Section of the California Bar, the American Fisheries Society and the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, and a 1988 recipient of the Department of Commerce's "Environmental Hero Award." Kaitilin Gaffney: As California Central Coast Program Manager for The Ocean Conservancy, Ms. Gaffney works on a wide variety of ecosystem protection, water quality, fish and marine wildlife issues relating to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and California Central coast. Gaffney is the Conservation Representative on the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council and chairs the Sanctuary's Conservation Working Group. She also serves on the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Citizen Watershed Monitoring Network Steering Committee and has recently represented conservation interests in the Agricultural Advisory Panel of the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. Gaffney holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara, a J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law, and a master's degree in Commerce and Administration from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand where she served as a Fulbright Scholar. She is also a Planning Commissioner with the City of Santa Cruz, formerly served as a Board Member of the Coastal Watershed Council and as a member of the San Lorenzo Urban River Restoration Plan Task Force. Kirk Brown: Mr. Brown has a background in regional, national and international sustainable energy advocacy as co-director of the San Francisco office for Resource Media. In the early 90s, he served as policy director for the Business Council for Sustainable Energy in Washington , D.C. His responsibilities have helped to direct the Council's climate change advocacy efforts with business, national media, and national and international policymakers. Most recently, Brown served as assistant director of the San Francisco-based Center for Resource Solutions in support of renewable energy and energy efficiency use in the United States . About Save Our Shores: Save Our Shores is a nonprofit, grassroots organization operating throughout the central coast region including San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo counties. Founded in 1978 as a citizen action campaign to prevent offshore oil development, Save Our Shores implements programs that protect and conserve the marine ecosystems of California’s central coast for all generations. Through education, policy, and citizen action, the organization addresses the issues important to central coast communities such as maintaining clean beaches, improving water quality, establishing marine protected areas, and promoting marine education. Web site: http://www.saveourshores.org About SeymourMarineDiscoveryCenter: The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is dedicated to educating people about the role scientific research plays in the understanding and conservation of the world's oceans. Open year round to the public, the Seymour Center is part of the Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory, a research and education facility of the University of California Santa Cruz which serves as a base for field research in Monterey Bay and the ocean beyond. Web site: http://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu About California’s Marine Life Protection Act Initiative and the Blue Ribbon Task Force: Web site: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/highlights.html About the Marine Life Protection Act of 1999 (Summary): Web site: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mlpa/background.html For more information contact: Save Our Shores: (831) 462-5660.
Friends of Long Marine Lab will Honor Photographer Frans Lanting with Global Oceans Award SANTA CRUZ , CA --The Friends of Long Marine Lab will present a Global Oceans Award to renowned nature photographer and conservationist Frans Lanting at the group's annual Gourmet Dinner benefit event on Sunday, March 20. The award recognizes Lanting for his outstanding contributions to the public awareness of the natural environment. Awards will also be presented to two promising marine science students at UCSC. The Global Oceans Awards were established in 2004 to recognize outstanding individuals who are making a difference for the world's oceans. UCSC Chancellor Denice D. Denton will be a special guest at the Gourmet Dinner, which raises funds for the education programs at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center . The dinner, held this year at the Bittersweet Bistro in Rio Del Mar, has long been one of the most popular fundraising events for the Friends of Long Marine Lab. The event will be hosted this year by the proprietors of the Bittersweet Bistro, chef Thomas Vinolus and his wife Elizabeth. Lanting, a photographer-in-residence at National Geographic magazine, has been hailed as one of the great nature photographers of our time. He portrays wild creatures as ambassadors for the preservation of complete ecosystems, and his many publications have increased worldwide awareness of endangered ecological treasures in the far corners of the Earth. Lanting serves on the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund and is a UCSC Foundation Trustee. Olivia Cheriton and Itchung Cheung, both graduate students in ocean sciences, will also receive awards at the dinner. They had the top-ranked proposals among the 19 students who received research support from the Friends of Long Marine Lab Student Research Awards this year. These awards provided more than $11,000 in total funding for undergraduate and graduate student research projects in the marine sciences. Cheriton is studying the dynamics of thin layers of ocean water in Monterey Bay that are associated with the periodic upwelling of cold, deep water and subsequent "relaxation" events. These oceanographic conditions play a significant role in the life cycles of various species of rockfish. Cheriton is working with Margaret McManus, who was an assistant professor of ocean sciences at UCSC and is now at the University of Hawaii . Cheung, who works with professor of ocean sciences Mary Silver, is studying harmful algal blooms. In particular, he is investigating possible marine toxin contamination in dungeness and rock crabs in Monterey Bay. For information about the Global Oceans Gourmet Dinner and Awards Gala, contact Lisa M. Rose at (831) 459-3694.
K-12 Marine Masterpieces Exhibit Opens March 12 at Seymour Center The public is invited to attend an awards ceremony and reception for the artists that will be held Saturday, March 12, at 2 p.m. at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center , 100 Shaffer Road , in Santa Cruz . Nearly 300 students entered the Marine Masterpieces Student Art Contest & Exhibition, which attracted entries from as far away as Wisconsin . The contest was open to individuals and groups that produced works that "communicate something about marine life/science, ocean conservation, or marine scientists." Individual winners were selected in each of four categories: K-1st grade, 2-3rd grade, 4-6th grade, and 7-12th grade. Winners were also selected from a separate category for group artwork. The names of winning artists will be posted on the Seymour Center web site http://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu . "We had a really good response," said contest coordinator Kevin Keedy, who manages youth programs at the Seymour Center . "The artwork is fantastic." The contest provides an opportunity for marine enthusiasts to express themselves artistically, and it encourages others to study the oceans in order to produce a work of art, said Keedy. "It's a neat way to get kids involved, and the exhibit gives the public an opportunity to see and enjoy the art," he said. A total of 288 artists produced 236 pieces that were judged by a panel of six judges. First-place winners will receive one-year student memberships to the Seymour Center , while their teachers will receive a voucher for $100 toward a class field trip to the center; other prizes include T-shirts and books. The contest was sponsored by Don and Peggy Schmitz. The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is dedicated to educating people about the role scientific research plays in the understanding and conservation of the world's oceans. Part of the Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory at the University of California , Santa Cruz , the center offers exhibit halls, aquaria, touch tanks, and public tours overlooking the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Seymour Center Hosts Sneak Preview of “Coastal Clash,” a KQED Documentary on California’s Coastal Conflicts, on November 11 SANTA CRUZ, CA--On Thursday, November 11, the Seymour Center at UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory, in partnership with KQED Public Television, presents a sneak preview of Coastal Clash, a new documentary that takes an in-depth look at the struggle between public and private interests along the California coast. After the screening, Deanna Zachary, host of KUSP Radio's Talk of the Bay, will moderate a panel discussion on local and statewide coastal issues, including public access, property rights, coastal erosion, and coastal policy. The sneak preview begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 11, at the Seymour Center. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is free and open to the public. Coastal Clash will be broadcast on Friday, November 12, at 9 p.m. on KQED Public Television Channel 9. For more information on coastal issues, educational materials, and repeat air dates, visit the KQED web site at http://www.kqed.org/coastalclash. Coastal Clash is a production of KQED Public Television in San Francisco. Gary Griggs, director of UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences and an expert on coastal geology, provided background information for the producers and is featured in the documentary. He will also take part in the panel discussion at the Seymour Center. "Let's go to the beach" has always been an entitlement of California living, with 80 percent of Californians living within 30 miles of the water's edge. But as urbanization continues to encroach on the 1,100-mile-long coast, our shoreline has come under siege. Development is swallowing up miles of coastline; access to beaches is being cut off; and seawalls may be causing beaches to disappear. A battle is raging around the fundamental question: Whose coast is it, anyway? Many Californians believe that the passage of the Coastal Act in 1976 and the subsequent creation of the California Coastal Commission and California Coastal Conservancy effectively saved the coastline. But despite the fact that California leads the nation in its protection and management of coastal resources, few locations in the United States rival California for its constant, intense pressure for development or for the politics that plague the operations of the California Coastal Commission. Coastal Clash travels the California coastline and introduces representatives from all sides of the issue. Environmental experts, coastal scientists, government representatives, community leaders, and property owners reveal the state's history of tension between public and private coastal interests, examine the science of seawalls and their effect on beaches, and offer examples of both failed and successful attempts at coastal development. Exploring the effects of seawalls, Coastal Clash visits the communities of Solana Beach and Pacifica. Beach access is examined in Malibu and Mendocino County, development in Santa Barbara County, and land trusts in San Luis Obispo County and the San Mateo Coast. The Coastal Clash project draws upon KQED Public Broadcasting's multiple platforms to offer a public radio companion series, a content-rich web site, and extensive educational outreach. For more information about the sneak preview, contact the Seymour Center at (831) 459-3800.
Seymour Center Lecture Series Focuses on Women in Marine Science SANTA CRUZ, CA--The annual fall lecture series at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center this year highlights extraordinary women in marine science. The series, "Women Who Turn the Tides: Setting New Benchmarks in Marine Science," includes presentations on three evenings in October, starting with a panel discussion on Wednesday, October 6. The other lectures will take place on Tuesday, October 12, and Wednesday, October 20. All three events start at 7 p.m. and will be held at the Seymour Center at Long Marine Laboratory. Admission is $8 for the general public and $6 for members of the Friends of Long Marine Lab. Information and tickets are available from the Seymour Center at (831) 459-4352. Wednesday, October 6, 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, October 12, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 20, 7 to 9 p.m. (two lectures)
New Elephant Seal Sculpture at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center Honors Long Marine Lab Volunteers The life-size sculpture includes a female with her pup and a rearing bull elephant seal. It was unveiled at the Seymour Center's Volunteer Celebration in June and dedicated to "the Long Marine Laboratory Volunteers--Past, Present, and Future." The idea of putting some kind of sculpture near the entrance was part of the original plans for the Seymour Center's exhibits, said director Julie Barrett Heffington. "As our plans developed, it became clear that this was an obvious place to make a tribute to the volunteers who do so much to help us share the wonders of marine science with the public," Heffington said. Since the founding of Long Marine Laboratory in 1978 as a research facility of the University of California, Santa Cruz, volunteers have been at the heart of the lab's public education programs. Those programs are now based at the Seymour Center, which opened in 2000. Among the discoveries by UCSC scientists that the volunteers have helped share with the world are the amazing feats of the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris). The seals, which reproduce on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Reserve 20 miles north of Santa Cruz, have been a focus of research at UCSC for more than three decades. Long Marine Lab scientists discovered many of the remarkable diving, feeding, and reproductive behaviors of this impressive animal. With satellite tracking technology and other new tools, scientists at the lab are now unveiling the mysteries of elephant seal behavior during the long periods the animals spend at sea. The elephant seal sculptures were made from molds originally created in the late 1980s by the California Academy of Sciences. The academy agreed to let Long Marine Lab borrow the molds, and the new sculptures were fabricated by David Caldwell at Edge Innovations in Alameda. Edge Innovations is known for producing lifelike animatronic creatures and other special effects for feature films, including the movies Free Willy, Anaconda, and The Perfect Storm. Steve Davenport, manager of Long Marine Lab and assistant director of UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences, credited both Caldwell and the original artists who created the molds for producing a superb display that captures the striking appearance of elephant seals. "David Caldwell did a wonderful job, and it's all based on the incredible artwork of the originals," Davenport said. One of the original artists, Gloria Nusse, worked with Caldwell on the final details. Nusse was one of a team of artists who sculpted the originals out of clay (about 1,000 pounds of it) and made latex molds from the clay sculptures. The other artists involved were Steve Carr, Lindsay Dixon, Jane Eckenrode, and Frank Tose. They were advised by elephant seal experts at the academy and even spent four days on Año Nuevo Island as guests of UCSC biologists, drawing and observing the seals, Nusse said. "Working on the seals was a wonderful blending of art and science that does not happen all the time," she said. Caldwell used the academy's molds to make the Seymour Center's sculptures out of fiberglass and polyester resin. The sculptures are filled with rigid foam and anchored to cement bulkheads in the ground. The original sculptures include two bull elephant seals in a fighting pose, along with a mother and pup, but the mold for one of the bulls was damaged and could not be used. The originals have been on display for years at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. With those facilities undergoing a major rebuilding project, the academy is making arrangements to find a temporary home for its elephant seal sculptures, which are not among the exhibits in the academy's temporary museum at 875 Howard Street in San Francisco. The Seymour Center is a science education center located at Long Marine Laboratory at the end of Delaware Ave. on the west side of Santa Cruz. Overlooking the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the center features aquariums, exhibits, touch tanks, an 87-foot blue whale skeleton, a gift and book shop, and more. The center's exhibits focus on the work of researchers at UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences, which operates Long Marine Lab. Interactive stations provide hands-on learning experiences, and trained docents lead tours and answer questions. Tours of Long Marine Lab are offered from 1 to 3 p.m. daily (last tour ends at 4 p.m.). The Seymour Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. It is closed Monday. Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for seniors, students, and youths (ages 6 to 16); and free for children ages 5 and under. Admission is free the first Tuesday of each month.
Scientists Will Discuss Marine Animals and Human Noise in a Free Lecture at the Seymour Center on Thursday, June 3 SANTA CRUZ, CA--The effects of human noise on marine animals is the subject of a special presentation by three marine mammal experts on Thursday, June 3, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Seymour Center at Long Marine Laboratory. Admission is free. Seating is limited and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The speakers will be Donald Croll, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz; David Kastak, a researcher at UCSC's Long Marine Lab; and Brandon Southall, director of the NOAA Fisheries acoustics program. Their talks are part of a nationwide lecture series sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries). Southall, who earned his Ph.D. in ocean sciences at UCSC studying hearing in seals and sea lions, will give an introduction on the subject of human-produced sound in the marine environment. Southall has been traveling around the country since March as part of the NOAA Fisheries lecture series, which aims to present the public with current scientific information on marine animals and human noise. The series will continue through November. Kastak, who earned a Ph.D. in biology at UCSC, will talk about the physics of sound and hearing in the ocean and the effects of human-produced noises, mostly in relation to pinnipeds (seals and sea lions). Kastak has studied the hearing abilities of different pinniped species and the effects of human-produced noise on pinnipeds. He leads an ongoing research program on pinniped acoustics at Long Marine Lab, and is also involved in research with the U.S. Navy's marine mammal program. Croll will discuss the role of sound in the lives of the great whales and how the noise created by human activities in the ocean might affect those animals. Croll has studied the loud, low-frequency sounds produced by fin whales and blue whales, gaining new insights into how and why the whales use these vocalizations. He has also done research on how whales respond to human-produced noises.
Biologist Terrie Williams to Read from her Book, The Hunter’s Breath, at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center on Thursday, May 13 SANTA CRUZ, CA-- The Seymour Marine Discovery Center will host a celebration of the new book by Terrie Williams, The Hunter's Breath: On Expedition with the Weddell Seals of the Antarctic, on Thursday, May 13, starting at 6 p.m. Williams, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, will read from the book, talk about her experiences in Antarctica, and answer questions from the audience. Her presentation will be followed by a wine-and-cheese reception and book signing. The reception is sponsored by the Aptos Animal Hospital. Copies of the book will be on sale at the Seymour Center's Ocean Discovery Shop. Admission to this special event is $10 per person. Seating is limited. For reservations, call (831) 459-3800. In six trips to Antarctica, Williams endured brutal conditions on the coldest, driest, windiest continent on Earth in order to learn the secrets of the mysterious Weddell seals, the only wild mammals capable of surviving Antarctic winters. In The Hunter's Breath, Williams interweaves two amazing stories from those expeditions: One is the story of the seals and their remarkable adaptations to life on and beneath the Antarctic sea ice, while the other is a human story of adventure and discovery in one of the most punishing environments on Earth. Williams is based at the Center for Ocean Health, part of UC Santa Cruz's Long Marine Laboratory. The Seymour Center runs the marine lab's science education and visitor programs.
SIMA to Donate Proceeds from 2004 Waterman’s Weekend to Ten Proven Environmental Organizations SAN CLEMENTE, CA, May 4, 2004 — The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) announced today that the proceeds from the 2004 Waterman’s Weekend, the surf industry’s annual environmental fundraiser, will be distributed among ten environmental organizations that will dedicate those funds to programs that will address water quality and ocean pollution issues, defend beaches and surf breaks from development, or provide public education about ocean conservation. The ten environmental organizations selected to receive a percentage of the proceeds from the Waterman’s Weekend in the form of a 2004 SIMA Environmental Fund grant are: Surfrider Foundation, Ocean Institute, Wildcoast, Heal the Bay, Orange County CoastKeeper, Surfing Education Association, Alaska Wilderness League, Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Algalita Marine Research Foundation and Save the Waves Coalition. Each organization was chosen by the SIMA Environmental Fund Board of Directors based on their commitment of funds to specific projects that will protect and preserve oceans, beaches and/or surf breaks. All of the organizations are returning beneficiaries, with the exception of Algalita Marine Research Foundation and Save the Waves Coalition, which are new grant recipients this year. “The focus of the SIMA Environmental Fund is on funding and supporting ocean-based environmental concerns. We have zeroed in on groups that best protect the ocean environment, that cover a broad spectrum from educational to activist,” said Paul Naude, chairman of the SIMA Environmental Fund Board of Directors and CEO of Billabong USA. “There has been an increase in environmental awareness and victories have been achieved, but there are still battles that need to be fought. Poor water quality and beach closures affect this industry financially and, as a result, surf industry companies have a vested interest in ensuring that our oceans continue to be healthy and accessible.” The SIMA Environmental Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation formed by the surf industry to provide support in the form of grants to environmental organizations. The annual Waterman’s Weekend serves as the primary fundraiser for the SIMA Environmental Fund through the Waterman’s Classic Golf Tournament and Waterman’s Ball and Auction. This year’s Waterman’s Classic will take place August 27 at the Monarch Beach Golf Links. The Waterman’s Ball and Auction will be held August 28 at The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point, California. In addition to raising money for the environment, the Waterman’s Ball will be the venue for the surf industry to honor six-time world champion Kelly Slater as Waterman of the Year for his decade-long impact on competitive surfing, revolutionary filmmaker Greg MacGillivray as Environmentalist of the Year for his efforts to create environmental consciousness through film, and legendary surfer Miki Dora with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting influence on surfing style. The SIMA Board of Directors also elected to bestow a special award this year on Bethany Hamilton for her remarkable bravery and poise after surviving a shark attack last fall. In choosing the 2004 SIMA Environmental Fund grant recipients, the SIMA Environmental Fund Board of Directors requested that applicants submit a proposal detailing how the funds would be used to improve the ocean ecology or surf locations. Each organization’s proposal included a description of the specific program that the grant would be directed to, including a justification of the program and expected environmental impact. “The support from SIMA through the Waterman’s Ball makes it possible for Wildcoast to keep up our fight to save the point breaks of Baja. The Ball is the surfing world’s most important event for the support of the warriors who battle to keep our waves clean and pristine,” said Serge Dedina, executive director of Wildcoast and 2003 Environmentalist of the Year. Following is a list of the 2004 SIMA Environmental Fund grant recipients along with a description of the program(s) to which the organizations will be directing their grants: Surfrider Foundation Grant will enable efforts to provide the public with an annual report on the health of our beaches, to protect or enhance surf locations through a coastal mapping program, and to ensure or protect the quality of water in the surf zone through grassroots efforts. Ocean Institute Grant will bring fifth grade students in the communities once removed from the beach to the Institute for hands-on education about the environmental impact of their behaviors. Wildcoast Funds will support continued efforts to save surf breaks in Baja California by stopping the Mexican National Tourism Fund (FONATUR) from illegally building marinas that would destroy unique point breaks. Heal the Bay Funds will support programs to ensure that Los Angeles area waterbody quality regulations conform to the clean water act and a study of the impact of Southern California coastal power plants on marine life. Orange County CoastKeeper Grant will support efforts to reduce the health threats to wave riders and swimmers caused by urban runoff pollution in the coastal zones of Orange County, California. Surfing Education Association Dedicated funds will be used to prevent destructive legislation from being passed that would threaten surfing sites at Waikiki Beach and other surfing areas on O’ahu. Alaska Wilderness League Dedicated funds will help protect sensitive marine and coastal areas offshore of the Arctic Refuge from oil exploration or development. Seymour Marine Discovery Center Funds will be used to educate young people about the role marine science plays in understanding and conserving the world’s oceans. Algalita Marine Discovery Center Funds will be used to cover the costs of increasing the length, duplicating and distributing a documentary video that illustrates the harmful effects of non-biodegradable plastic debris on marine life. Save the Waves CoalitionFunds will assist in the production of a full-length documentary film intended to share the history of surfing in Madeira, Portugal, and to raise awareness of the threats to Madeira’s surf spots. Sponsorship packages for both the 2004 Waterman’s Classic Golf Tournament and Waterman’s Ball and Auction are currently on sale. Individual tickets for the Waterman’s Ball are scheduled to go on sale in July. To reserve a sponsorship package or for sponsorship information, please contact Melinda Carter at SIMA by calling (949) 366-1164 or via e-mail at melinda@sima.com. The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is the official working trade association of more than 300 surf industry suppliers. Founded in 1989, SIMA is a non-profit organization that serves to promote awareness of the surf industry and participation in the sport of surfing through public relations efforts and a variety of services, educational programs and research. In addition, SIMA actively supports oceanic environmental efforts through its 501(c)(3) charitable environmental foundation, the SIMA Environmental Fund. In the past 14 years, the SIMA Environmental Fund has raised more than $2.3 million for environmental groups seeking to protect the world’s oceans, beaches and waves. For more information contact: Megan Tompkins, SIMA Marketing & Communications Manager, (949) 366-1164, megan@sima.com.
UCSC's Seymour Center Premieres on UCTV Primetime in Santa Cruz Tuesday, May 18 at 9:00PM
Global Oceans Awards to be Presented at Long Marine Lab’s Annual Gourmet Dinner Benefit SANTA CRUZ, CA--The Friends of Long Marine Lab will present the first Global Oceans Awards at the group's annual Gourmet Dinner benefit event on Sunday, March 21. The awards are a new addition to the annual dinner, which raises funds for the education programs at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Congressman Sam Farr will make the award presentations at the gala event, which will take place at the Bittersweet Bistro in Rio Del Mar. The first Global Oceans Awards recognize two of the top students engaged in ocean-related research projects at UC Santa Cruz. Veronica Vigilant, a third-year graduate student in ocean sciences, is studying domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by certain marine algae, and how it affects marine life in Monterey Bay. Morgan Bond, a first-year graduate student in ecology and evolutionary biology, is studying the growth and survival of steelhead trout on the Central California Coast. "We believe students like these will play a crucial role in promoting a better understanding and appreciation for the oceans in the decades to come," said Richard Beal, education chair of the Friends of Long Marine Lab Board of Directors. The Gourmet Dinner has long been one of the group's most popular fundraising events. It is hosted this year by the proprietors of the Bittersweet Bistro, chef Thomas Vinolus and his wife Elizabeth. The dinner will feature a five-course feast paired with fine wines from award-winning California vintners. Beal said that when the Friends of Long Marine Lab Board of Directors discussed making an award ceremony part of the annual fundraising dinner, they decided to honor young scientists at the start of their careers, and to have the awards presented to them by someone noted for lifetime achievements in marine conservation. The group chose Congressman Farr, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and has been a reliable champion of ocean conservation efforts, to be the first presenter of the Global Oceans Awards. Vigilant and Bond had the top-ranked proposals among the 15 students who received research support from the Friends of Long Marine Lab Student Research Awards this year. These awards provided nearly $10,000 in total funding for undergraduate and graduate student research projects in the marine sciences. Vigilant is working with Mary Silver, professor of ocean sciences, who has been studying the domoic acid toxin and the algae that produce it since the early 1990s. Blooms of the toxin-producing algae occur periodically in Monterey Bay and have been linked to poisonings of sea lions and seabirds. Previous research has shown how the toxin moves through the food web in surface waters, accumulating in sardines and anchovies that feed on the algae, and eventually poisoning animals that eat those fish. Vigilant is investigating whether the toxin also moves into deep waters offshore, where other organisms might be affected. Bond is working with Mark Carr, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and Bruce MacFarlane, a researcher at the National Marine Fisheries Service lab in Santa Cruz, to study the steelhead that spawn in Scott Creek north of Santa Cruz. This and other coastal steelhead populations in California are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Bond's research focuses on the juvenile fish as they move downstream and make the transition from the freshwater habitat where they hatched to the ocean where they will grow to adulthood. In particular, he is interested in the factors that influence the growth rates of the juveniles and their subsequent survival in the ocean. For more information about the benefit Gourmet Dinner, or to make reservations, call Lisa Rose at (831) 459-3694. Reservations are $150 per person.
Long Marine Lab Research Building Named in Honor of William T. Doyle, Founding Director of UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences SANTA CRUZ, CA--A monthlong celebration of
the 25th anniversary of UC Santa Cruz's Long
Marine Laboratory culminated in a ceremony
on Saturday, October 25, at which one of the
lab's original research buildings was dedicated
in honor of William T. Doyle, professor emeritus
of biology and founder and long-term director
of UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS).
UC Santa Cruz's Long Marine Laboratory Celebrates its25th Anniversary With a Special Lecture Series and Public Programs SANTA CRUZ, CA--Long Marine Laboratory turns
25 this fall, and the oceanside research facility
will be celebrating its silver anniversary
with a variety of public programs, tours, and
lectures during the first 25 days in October.
Highlighting the October celebration is a stellar
lineup of speakers for the lab's annual fall
lecture series. In addition, there will be
special exhibits and commemorative activities
throughout the month at the lab's Seymour Marine
Discovery Center. Fall Lecture Series
Peregrine falcons take flight at Long Marine Lab
Glenn Stewart, SCPBRG program manager, said the birds may remain in the area of the laboratory for a month or longer, taking food provided by the researchers, while they develop their flying and hunting skills. Visitors to the lab's Seymour Marine Discovery Center have enjoyed many opportunities to see the falcons, especially during the first week after their release. Later, they began spending increasing amounts of time away from the lab, returning to the nest box about once a day for food, Stewart said. "In the wild, it takes about a month for them to learn to hunt for themselves and become independent from their parents," he said. The three falcons, all males, were released using the same methods that SCPBRG biologists have used since the 1970s to help bring the peregrine falcon back from the brink of extinction. The group has released more than 950 peregrine falcons into the wild, mostly in California. These are the first to be released at Long Marine Lab. "We use a release method known as 'hacking,' after an old falconry method for getting young birds in shape before taking them up for hunting. The difference is that we are returning them to the wild," Stewart said. (A detailed description of hacking can be found on the SCPBRG web site at http://www2.ucsc.edu/scpbrg/hacksite.htm.) The release at Long Marine Lab was planned as mitigation for the disturbance of a nesting pair of wild peregrines during seismic retrofitting work on the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Caltrans contracted with SCPBRG to carry out the release, which was required under state and federal wildlife regulations. The young falcons were hatched by captive parents and raised in a large aviary with minimal human contact to prevent tameness toward people. When they were five weeks old, they were transferred to the release site, called a "hack box," set up on a third-floor landing of the Center for Ocean Health building at Long Marine Lab. The box, with a gravel-covered ledge, is similar to a natural eyrie. It has a hatch where food can be dropped in surreptitiously, so the birds aren't aware that they are being fed by people and don't become tame. The falcons were held in the hack box for about a week while their flight feathers grew in. On April 3, Stewart slid back the bars that covered the front of the hack box, giving the birds their first opportunity to try their wings. One bird took its first flight the next day, and the others soon followed. A supply of fresh quail ensured that the birds would continue to associate the hack box with food as they explored their surroundings. "They usually return to the box daily for up to six weeks for food that we secretly provide in the box, but it's very unpredictable how much time they will spend at the front of the box," Stewart said. When SCPBRG began its work in 1975, only two nesting pairs of peregrine falcons remained in California. Peregrine populations throughout North America had been decimated by the pesticide DDT, which caused the birds to lay thin-shelled eggs that broke or dried out. In 1999, when the peregrine falcon was removed from the endangered species list, the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave the SCPBRG an award in recognition of its "pioneering efforts" to restore wild peregrine populations. The group is currently engaged in a survey to quantify the current population of peregrine falcons in California. The researchers estimate that there are more than 250 breeding pairs in the state, but the last comprehensive survey was done in 1992. "We used to be able to observe every nesting site, but there are so many now that we don't have the staff to keep track of them all," Stewart said. The group has been recruiting a large network of volunteers throughout the state to provide information about nesting pairs of peregrine falcons. People who know of peregrine nest sites and are willing to make at least two visits to the sites this spring are encouraged to contact the SCPBRG at falconet@ucsc.edu. More information about the survey is available on the group's web site at http://www2.ucsc.edu/scpbrg/peregrine_survey.htm. The SCPBRG is dedicated to the recovery of
endangered predatory birds and applies its
expertise to a wide range of bird species.
The organization's work is entirely supported
by foundation grants, gifts from individuals,
and contracts awarded by state and federal
agencies.
UCSC Researcher Will Describe Scientific Voyages to Antarctica in a Public Talk at the Seymour Center on Wednesday, March 12 SANTA CRUZ, CA--As chief scientist aboard the research vessel Laurence M. Gould, Daniel Costa led a research team investigating the ecology of the Southern Ocean around Antarctica on two cruises in 2001 and 2002. Costa, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, will share his experiences conducting research during the harsh Antarctic winter, along with breathtaking photos he took along the way, in a public lecture and slide show at Long Marine Laboratory. The lecture will take place at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center on Wednesday, March 12, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is $6 for the general public and $4 for members of the Friends of Long Marine Lab. The biologically productive waters off Antarctica support trillions of shrimplike crustaceans called krill that play a central role in the ecology of the Southern Ocean. Animals that feed on krill include commercially important fish, seals, whales, penguins, and other seabirds. How the krill and their predators survive the long, cold polar winter is one of the questions the researchers on the Laurence M. Gould set out to answer. The cruises were part of the Southern Ocean component of the Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics survey (SO GLOBEC), which is part of a wider international GLOBEC program funded in the United States by the National Science Foundation. The program was set up to study how marine life is affected by environmental change. Costa serves on the executive committee of the SO GLOBEC program, in addition to his role as chief scientist on the two cruises. Because so many top predators concentrate on krill as their primary food source, scientists have been concerned about the vulnerability of the Southern Ocean ecosystem to environmental perturbations, such as climate change, Costa said. "One of our main goals is to understand the role of climate in driving the ecosystem of the Southern Ocean," he said. "We'd like to know, for example, what factors determine the number of krill that survive the winter." The program's field studies involved two research vessels, the Laurence M. Gould and the Nathaniel B. Palmer. As chief scientist of the Laurence M. Gould, Costa was responsible for coordinating the work of a diverse group of researchers, while conducting his own research on crabeater seals. Despite their name, crabeater seals eat mainly the shrimplike krill. They have evolved elaborately shaped interlocking teeth that they use to filter krill from the water. Although they are probably the most numerous seals in the world, crabeater seals have been difficult to study because of their remote habitat. To follow the movements of crabeater seals and study their feeding behavior, Costa used electronic tags that transmitted signals to the researchers via satellite. Satellite tags were also used to study the movements of Adélie penguins. Other researchers on the cruise focused on whales, krill, the algae that live in sea ice, and various aspects of the physical environment. An unexpected finding from the 2001 field studies was the occurrence of "hot spots," areas of abundant Antarctic krill where predators such as minke whales, humpback whales, seals, and penguins were also found in large numbers. Conducting field studies in the Antarctic winter was hard work, but the researchers also found time to have fun, Costa said. In his talk at the Seymour Center, Costa will try to convey a sense of what life was like on the cruises, while presenting some of the scientific findings to come out of the SO GLOBEC program. This release is available electronically at the following web site: http://press.ucsc.edu.
Lecture Promises"Behind the Headlines" Look at Keiko the Whale SANTA CRUZ, CA--Keiko the killer whale has been making headlines since the early 1990s, when he starred in the popular Free Willy movies. For a look behind the headlines at the effort to return Keiko to the wild, the public is invited to a talk at UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory by Charles Vinick, executive vice president of the Ocean Futures Society. Vinick directed the society's Keiko Project from 1999 to 2002 and is still involved as an adviser. The lecture will take place at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center on Wednesday, February 19, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is $6 for the general public and $4 for members of the Friends of Long Marine Lab. This lecture is best suited for ages 9 and up. The Ocean Futures Society was responsible for Keiko during the three and a half years he spent in Iceland, living in a sea pen in Klettsvik Bay and periodically venturing into the open ocean. Vinick accompanied Keiko aboard the U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane that took the famous whale from the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon, to Iceland in 1998, two and a half years after he had been moved to Oregon from a Mexico City amusement park. Vinick spent every summer in Iceland and made regular visits during the rest of the year. Summers were a time of peak activity, when Keiko spent increasing amounts of time in the open ocean, interacting with wild orcas. Vinick will discuss his experiences working with Keiko, the scientific work his organization has been able to accomplish, and the challenges of working on a project that has been the subject of such intense public interest and media attention. "The media tends to need a controversy to make a good story, and a lot of times the controversy has overshadowed what Keiko himself has achieved," Vinick said. In the summer of 2002, Keiko left Iceland on his own, traveling eastward across the North Atlantic for 30 days until he reached the coast of Norway. Management of the Keiko Project is now overseen by the Free Willy/Keiko Foundation and the Humane Society of the United States, with the Ocean Futures Society serving an advisory role. "Keiko has demonstrated that he has the capacity to travel over 1,000 miles in the open ocean and to sustain himself without being fed by humans," Vinick said. "When he arrived in Norway, the public and media attention was overwhelming. Children swam with him and people fed him. Media attention focused on his interest in people more than on what he had accomplished in his travel to Norway. That truly misses the point. Keiko has proven time and again that he is remarkably resilient and self-sufficient, and he tends to push the envelope beyond what people think he can do." Nevertheless, Vinick said there are a number of challenges facing Keiko in the weeks and months ahead. Later this month, wild orcas are expected to arrive in Taknes Bay, Norway, where Keiko has been since December. Last summer, Keiko spent most of his time in the open ocean interacting with wild Icelandic orcas. No one knows whether that will happen with the new whales he will encounter in Norway, Vinick said. More information about Keiko is available
on the web site of the Ocean Futures Society
at http://www.oceanfutures.org.
For reservations and information about Vinick's
lecture and other events at the Seymour Center,
call (831) 459-3800 or visit the center's web
site at http://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu.
Seymour Center Lecture Series 'Voices From the Sea' Celebrates Marine Sanctuary's Tenth Anniversary SANTA CRUZ, CA--The annual fall lecture series at the Seymour Center
at Long Marine Laboratory marks the tenth anniversary of the Monterey
Bay National Marine Sanctuary this year with a program called "Voices
from the Sea: Three Evenings in Celebration of Monterey Bay and Beyond."
Speakers include sanctuary superintendent William Douros and UCSC professor
of ocean sciences Mary Silver, recipient of the 2002 Mary Sears Woman
Pioneer in Oceanography Award. Program Schedule for "Voices from the Sea" September 19: Celebrating the Sanctuary
September 26: Focusing on Research
October 3: Teaching and Reaching the World
Marvelous marine mammals get the spotlight at the Seymour Center SANTA CRUZ, CA--Local marine mammals are starring in the Seymour Center's winter program at UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory. From January through March, the center presents "Marvelous Marine Mammals," a series of events focused on Monterey Bay's sea lions, sea otters, dolphins, whales, and elephant seals, and the scientists who study them. Events include three science lectures, a whale-watching trip, and ongoing activities and presentations inside the exhibit hall at the Seymour Center, which is located at the end of Delaware Avenue in Santa Cruz. Lecture Series Thursday, January 31: Tom Kieckhefer, president of the Pacific Cetacean Group, will speak on "Whales and Dolphins of Monterey Bay." Kieckhefer's talk will highlight local whales and dolphins, particularly humpbacks, and will also review the work of the Pacific Cetacean Group. Thursday, February 21: Daniel Costa, UCSC professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, will discuss "The At-Sea Biology of the Northern Elephant Seal." Considered "extreme animal athletes," elephant seals can dive for two hours at a time to depths of more than 5,000 feet. Thursday, March 7: UCSC graduate student Laura Yeates will present "Warm and Fuzzy? How Sea Otters Manage in a Cold Ocean." Sea otters are the only marine mammals to rely solely on fur insulation rather than blubber to stay warm. Yeates has been working with otters at Long Marine Lab to study how they can survive frigid ocean temperatures. All lectures will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Seymour Center. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $4 for members. Tickets and information are available from the Seymour Center at (831) 459-3800. Whale-Watching Trip View migrating gray whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, and orcas |
SANTA
CRUZ , CA --The Friends of Long Marine Lab will hold its 20th annual "Whale
of an Auction," the group's popular annual fundraiser, on
Friday, June 17. The event will take place in the Porter College
Dining Hall on the UC Santa Cruz campus, starting at 6 p.m. 
SANTA
CRUZ , CA -From a toothy shark to a preening pelican, the artistic
talent of dozens of students in grades K-12 will be on display
at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center from March 12 through the
spring. 
SANTA CRUZ, CA--A dramatic new sculpture of northern elephant seals enlivens the entrance to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center in Santa Cruz and has already become a favorite "photo opportunity" for visitors to the center, located at UC Santa Cruz's Long Marine Laboratory. The exhibit honors the many volunteers who have helped over the years to interpret Long Marine Lab's scientific research for the public and highlights the long history of elephant seal research at the lab. 
SANTA
CRUZ, CA--Three young peregrine falcons drew
crowds of admirers as they took their first
flights last month at Long Marine Laboratory.
The falcons were raised in captivity and released
to the wild by the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird
Research Group (SCPBRG), which is affiliated
with UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences and
based at Long Marine Lab.