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2007 Field Season

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RV Shearwater info.

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Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)
Surveys of the Channel Islands Marine Reserve Network
Cruise Dates: Sept. 24th - Oct. 5th, 2007
Application Deadline:Sept. 6th, 2007
The ROV work, headed by California Department of Fish and Game Senior Marine Biologist, Konstantine Karpov, is a survey method being used, in addition to submersibles, scuba divers, and mark and recapture studies, to assess whether marine protected areas (MPAs) are effective. Using the ROV, researchers can identify where fish and invertebrates live, survey those areas, and identify changes in the numbers of fish over time. Over time, this may provide evidence of whether bottom-dwelling species such as rockfish, lingcod, and abalone respond to the no-fishing zones by repopulating areas inside and outside of the MPAs. The videotape of the transects taken by the ROV serve as permanent records of the area, which can be reviewed multiple times to provide information on the habitat types, animals, and algal species at the site. To date, this project has surveyed the waters off Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa Islands in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, establishing transects inside and outside of MPAs that will be revisited regularly by the ROV team and its research partners. Future plans include establishing transects off all four of the northern Channel Islands. The R/V Shearwater is scheduled as the research platform for deployment of the ROV during Fall 2007. 

The Teacher At Sea participant will work with California Department of Fish and Game Biologists to conduct ROV surveys and will also assist with crew duties aboard the r/v Shearwater. Responsibilities include manning the ROV tether during operations, and assisting with routine housekeeping duties aboard the Shearwater.

Xantus's Murrlets Monitoring Program
Cruise Dates:
(stay tuned for the 2008 field season)
Xantus's Murrelets, a rare species of Alcidae (the bird family which includes puffins and murres) was recently listed as threatened by the state of California and is being considered for listing as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. The Xantus's Murrelet is a small black and white seabird whose global population numbers less than 10,000. It is roughly 8 inches in length and has a slender beak and short tail. Murrelets breed only on a few islands off the coast of Southern California and Baja California, where populations over the last century have been severely depleted by introduced species such as feral cats and black rats, leaving the fate of the species in a precarious position.

The Xantus's Murrelet monitoring program utilizes techniques such as nest monitoring, nocturnal spotlight surveys, and radar monitoring. Spotlight surveys are conducted to measure the numbers of individuals attending at-sea congregations near breeding colonies. Due to the inaccessibility of many breeding sites, spotlight surveys are the best method of direct counting in order to provide an index on the overall size of the population. Spotlights surveys entail going out in an inflatable boat and scanning the water along the shoreline to determine the number of murrelets within a given region.

Click here for Project Background