Farallon Institute has issued the latest update for the Multivariate Ocean Climate Index (MOCI), and it is now up-to-date through December 2020. The MOCI synthesizes data about the physical conditions of the coastal ocean in California to give a single, generalized representation about its current state. Read more about and access the MOCI data here.
Cal Academy young scientists @ the Fall AGU virtual meeting!
One of the most rewarding activities we do as researchers is to work with smart, curious, and enthusiastic youth – new scientists in the making! During the past few months, FI scientists Chelle Gentemann and Marisol García-Reyes have worked with an amazing group of high school students participating in the Careers in Sciences (CiS) intern program, part of the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, CA. This program provides San Francisco youth from communities traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields with opportunities to immerse themselves in the sciences.
CiS students have been working on a project investigating how the Pacific mole crab population at Ocean Beach, San Francisco changes with ocean temperatures, particularly regarding marine heat waves. They matched satellite ocean temperature data to crab abundance data collected by previous CiS interns (LiMPETS project) and analyzed it using cloud computing. They will be presenting the results of their research on the Thursday poster session at the 2020 AGU Fall meeting, with the title: Holy Moley! Sea Surface Temperatures and Mole Crabs.
Read the full story @ IMPACT Unofficial blog piece written by CiS student Emma Chu.
Spring 2021 Newsletter
Farallon Institute’s Spring 2021 newsletter has just been released. If you’d like to join our newsletter mailing list, please subscribe here.
Farallon Institute on social media
New postdoctoral researcher joins FI
This month we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Caitlin Kroeger, our new Postdoctoral Research Associate, to the Farallon Institute team! Caitlin's most recent work has focused on understanding how seabirds adjust behaviorally and physiologically to environmental challenges at sea while searching for food. This work left her wondering how expected future changes in wind and sea patterns might ultimately impact seabird distributions and that's how she ended up at our doorstep. At the Farallon Institute, Caitlin will be working with our team to understand how variation in ocean currents and eddies of the North Pacific affect biological communities, from zooplankton to top predators such as seabirds. From here she will be modeling how forecasted environmental changes might affect the composition and distribution of these communities. As the co-founder of a science communication organization at UCSC, we are also really excited to see what kinds of ideas Caitlin might bring to FI for making our science more accessible to all of you! Read more about Caitlin's background here.
New FI scientists
We’re proud to announce the addition of two excellent scientists to the FI team. Dr. Chelle Gentemann (above left) has been a long-time collaborator with Farallon Institute and we are excited to have her join our team as a Senior Scientist. Chelle works on using satellites to measure sea surface temperature, salinity, and the exchange of heat between ocean and atmosphere...all important factors in weather prediction and accurate climate modeling. Her recent research focuses on interdisciplinary science using cloud computing, open source software development, and machine learning for applications. She has chaired numerous international science teams, working groups, and committees including serving as the current chair of the NOAA Science Advisory Board: Data Access and Archiving Requirements Working Group. At Farallon Institute, Chelle will work closely with biologists to integrate her knowledge of ocean conditions and explore how they influence marine ecosystems.
Dr. Daisy Hui Shi (above right) comes to FI after her Ph.D. study and postdoc research at University of Hawaii, Manoa. Originally from China, her background includes atmospheric sciences, climate change and adaptation, and environmental engineering. Daisy will join FI’s West Coast Climate Extreme project in a post-doctoral research position, bringing her experiences in general circulation models, statistical analysis and climate variability. She will focus on analyzing the climate model simulations, and together with the team developing proxies for extreme events like droughts, marine heat waves, hypoxia and harmful algal blooms over the coast of California. The goal is to explore if these marine and terrestrial climate extremes would occur more frequently, or if they are more likely to occur all at once under future climate change.
We extend a warm welcome to both Daisy and Chelle. Read more about them here.
New science panel appointment
Dr. Bill Sydeman has been selected to serve on the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB) Science Panel, effective 1 October 2019. The NPRB supports marine science and education focused on the North Pacific Ocean, Alaskan marine ecosystems, and fisheries/wildlife management and conservation. As a member of the NPRB Science Panel, Dr. Sydeman will participate in annual strategic planning for NPRB scientific programs, including integrated ecosystem research and monitoring programs, as well as work with NPRB scientific staff to rate and select proposals for funding. Dr. Sydeman has worked with the NPRB as a Principal Investigator since 2002 leading studies on seabirds as ecosystem sentinels and samplers of the environment, spatial and temporal variation in coastal and pelagic food webs, and assessing the impacts of climate change on marine life.
New paper published shows northward shifts of southern species during the 2014-2016 marine heat wave
Researchers from UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, and Farallon Institute have published a paper that explains northward shifts in the occurrence of marine species normally found in more southern latitudes that took place during the 2014-2016 marine heat wave. Coastal California experienced much higher than normal sea surface temperatures in 2014-2016 first due to onset of warmer-than-normal water produced offshore by “The Blob”, and then from the incursion of warmer water from the south during the El Nino event. Under normal conditions, the coastal current offshore of California primarily flows south. This new paper in Scientific Reports shows that during those years, there was unusual northward flow along the coast. This northward flow contributed to the warm water conditions measured in Northern California and then also to the ability of southern species to be found outside of the northern bounds of their range. The authors explain that this flow brought planktonic larvae of southern species from the south and with the persistent warm water during those years, those species were able to settle and grow much farther north than normal. In the Bodega Bay area, they documented range expansions for 37 species and occurrences of 21 other species that are considered rare in Northern California.
Photo bottom left by Roger Harshaw, bottom second left and far right by Eric Sanford, and all others by Jacqueline Sones.
Alcatraz Island seabirds in the press
FI scientist Heather Robinson was recently interviewed for an article in Audubon Magazine about the seabirds of Alcatraz Island. The article details the colony and its history, explaining how the seabirds returned to breed on the island following the closure of the famous prison. Through tours, people can have a unique birding experience on Alcatraz. Heather Robinson closely monitors the bird populations on the island and disturbances to them, and that work is detailed here. This year there were healthy populations of western gulls and record high numbers of breeding Brandt's cormorants.
Brandt's cormorant
New scientists join Farallon Institute
FI recently hired two new post-doctoral research associates, so please welcome Drs. Brian Hoover and Simon Dedman to the team.
Simon hails from the U.K. with a recently-minted Ph.D. from Galway University where he studied fisheries and marine protected areas, with a focus on skates and rays. Simon brings a wealth of expertise in quantitative science to FI that will enhance our programs in ecosystem-based fisheries management for small coastal pelagic fish species (e.g., sardine, herring, and anchovy). Simon will design and implement a population model for the California-based anchovy population, relative to its role as a key prey species in the ecosystem and the target of local fisheries.
Brian grew up in Colorado and is a recent Ph.D. graduate of U.C. Davis. With an interdisciplinary background in behavior, genetics, sensory biology, oceanography and seabird ecology, Brian’s expertise will enhance our programs of marine spatial ecology in the Northeast Pacific. Brian plies his trade at sea and in the office; he will serve as a shipboard seabird observer (a.k.a., “birder”) on CalCOFI and NMFS oceanographic surveys, and work as a lead analyst for our studies of krill using “hydro-acoustics” and net sampling. Brain will focus on developing and modeling abundance estimates and community structure of zooplankton (krill and copepods), seabirds, and salmon relative to currents in the eastern North Pacific.
New research grant awarded to Farallon Institute
Farallon Institute is excited to announce a new grant awarded by California Sea Grant for research in 2018-2020 as part of $2.87 million in federal funding that was recently designated by Congress. Our project is titled "Estimating regional krill biomass and availability: significance to California salmonids during a period of extreme environmental variability". Project efforts will include the processing of acoustically-collected data about krill abundance and distribution, and a new post-doctoral researcher will be hired. You can read more about the 12 projects funded by California Sea Grant this year here.
Photo by KoiQuestion, downloaded from flickr.com; creative commons license
FI launches quarterly newsletters
We are launching quarterly newsletters. These one-pagers will give brief bits of information about news at FI and the state of the physical ocean and biological components of the California Current Ecosystem. You can find the newsletter here or sign up to receive them via email on our support us page.
FI 2017 Annual Report now online
The annual report highlighting our work and accomplishments from 2017 can be found here.
New paper models fishing and climate effects on krill and their predators in the Antarctic
Overfishing and climate change are co-occurring threats to marine ecosystems and the ways in which they benefit society. Farallon Institute’s Dr. Emily Klein, in collaboration with the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division (Jefferson Hinke and George Watters) and British Antarctic Survey (Tony Phillips and Simeon Hill) used a mathematical model to test outcomes of climate change to managing a large (~200,000 metric ton) international krill fishery. In their study area of the Antarctic Peninsula, this fishery targets Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), which are also critical forage for an array of charismatic predators important for ecotourism and of conservation concern, including penguins, seals, and whales. The scientists found warming waters associated with climate change could reduce individual krill weight by 40%, significantly reducing the amount of krill available for predators and the fishery, with concurrent reductions in predator abundances by the end of the 21st century. Fishing at currently permitted levels exacerbated these risks, with projected declines in penguin abundance of over 30% by century’s end. Fishing moratoriums were found to alleviate collective risks, in some cases by 20-30% for certain penguin populations. Importantly, these results depend on location and predator group, suggesting the importance of protective measures for specific populations of wildlife. In particular, the authors argue management may be able to reduce risks by implementing marine protected areas and management strategies that use monitoring to update when and how fishing occurs in response to changes in predator populations.
Read more about this study published in this weeks issue of PLoS One here.
FI hosted a well-attended State of the Ocean presentation in Petaluma
Farallon Institute recently hosted a successful evening event featuring a State of the Ocean presentation on the latest scientific understanding of the ocean and that highlighted our 10 years of work in ocean research for conservation. Over 130 people from the community attended the event, held at Hotel Petaluma. The evening began with appetizers and beverages while guests and FI staff visited. President Bill Sydeman introduced the Farallon Institute and the State of the Ocean presentation series, and then Executive Director Jeff Dorman gave the presentation, titled "From Climate to Creatures: the State of the Ocean off Northern California". Topics spanned global issues like ocean acidification to regional changes impacting California fisheries. Following the presentation was a Q&A session with Farallon Institute scientists. An article about the event ran in that day's Petaluma Argus Courier. We were very pleased with the turnout and success of this event. Thank you to everyone who participated and showed their support.
Photo by Ron LeValley
Article featuring work by Farallon Institute describes an ecosystem that is not as healthy as it appears
Over the past couple of years, charismatic marine mammals have been easily seen near California's shores as they fed on dense schools of anchovy. In the summers of 2016 and 2017, particularly, the Golden Gate Bridge was an excellent vantage from which to watch humpback whales below as they fed. Despite the appearance of a vibrant nearshore marine ecosystem, anchovy populations have actually had extremely low numbers. When the abundance of these fish reaches such low numbers, their behavioral tendency is to cluster near the shoreline rather than spread out in the greater general vicinity. Having the anchovy and their predators near the shore makes them more visible to people, but gives a misleading picture about the health of their populations. This situation and Farallon Institute's recent work on assessing anchovy abundance fluctuations in California was highlighted in an article by News Deeply: Oceans Deeply. Read more here.
Photo by Ron LeValley
New paper in Science magazine addresses failed diversity initiatives in STEM fields
In a new Policy Forum published in the journal Science, FI scientist Emily Klein and co-authors spotlight the importance of inclusion and the experiences of minorities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM fields). Research clearly demonstrates the importance of diversity among scientists for more rigorous, creative, and productive science, and many institutions and organizations are actively working to promote diversity in their ranks. Yet representation of minority groups (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, sexual identity, and persons with disabilities) in science continues to lag behind demographics in society at large. This paper aims to address the critical, and often under-acknowledged, disconnect between diversity initiatives, and the students and scientists they aim to reach.
FI scientists publish new paper about seabird indicators in the Bering Sea
A new paper by FI scientists Bill Sydeman, Sarah Ann Thompson, and Marisol Garcia-Reyes, along with collaborators from USGS, NOAA, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, describes regional seabird indicators in the Bering Sea. The paper was published in the journal Ecological Indicators, and shows how kittiwakes and murres each relate to climate data when data from different seabird colony sites are combined into an index. We used data for breeding success and the timing of breeding for black-legged kittiwakes, red-legged kittiwakes, common murres, and thick-billed murres. We made an index for: murre breeding success, kittiwake breeding success, murre timing of breeding, and kittiwake timing of breeding. Environmental data included sea surface temperature, sea ice cover, sea level pressure, and two measures of wind speed. These data were also combined into an environmental indices.
Results showed that the seabird indices related to different environmental indices, suggesting that seabirds across the region area are similarly affected by large-scale environmental variability.
Common murre; photo by Ron LeValley
FI presents at the Pacific Seabird Group annual meeting
FI scientists Bill Sydeman and Heather Robinson presented at the Pacific Seabird Group annual meeting in Tacoma, WA, on February 23-25. Bill's talk was "The California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigation (CalCOFI): 30 years of at-sea seabird observations and counting", and Heather presented on "Diet of Brandt's cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) during breeding season: A novel approach". Bill was also a co-convener of the symposium "The values of long-term studies: Insight and synthesis".
Follow FI research through social media
Farallon Institute can now be found on the social media platforms Instagram (faralloninstitute), Twitter (@Farallon_Inst), and Facebook (@FarallonInstitute)!
Photo by Heather Robinson