COVID’s Impact
Beginning in March 2020, the Institute implemented procedures designed to minimize risks to employee health, closing its doors to the public and limiting employee presence at all facilities to essential personnel (for example, fish life support). Research activities slowly resumed in accordance with changing guidance from public health officials. All field work was interrupted by […]
Fishing Gear Pingers
Marine mammals are vulnerable to entanglement in nets and lines, so we tested whether pingers attached to fishing gear would deter entanglements with various marine at SeaWorld San Diego. Marine mammal responses to pingers differed strikingly between animals, but all of the animals initially showed aversion to the sound. Harbor seals left the test pool […]
Astrovirus
Astroviruses are a type of virus that was first discovered in 1975 using electron microscopes following an outbreak of diarrhea in humans. In 2010, there were only one known astrovirus in humans and six officially recognized astrovirus species in other mammals. HSWRI researchers discovered the first astroviruses in marine mammals. We used consensus PCR techniques for initial identification of five astroviruses of marine […]
Red Tide
HSWRI researchers were part of the team that documented the first mass mortality of bottlenose dolphins and Florida manatees caused by a severe bloom of the toxic algal species Karenia brevis along the eastern coast of Florida, between October 2007 and January 2008. A potent neurotoxin produced by this marine alga was detected 92% of […]
Fish Pingers
Researchers routinely tag fish with acoustic pingers, which allow the tracking their movements to determine population movements and patterns. Marine mammals may be able to use those tags to locate and eat the fish. Researchers first measured the acoustical properties of these tags in fish in Mission Bay, San Diego, CA. We then tested these […]
Manatee Diets
HSWRI researchers performed the first isotope analysis of Florida manatees as a baseline to determine wild manatee diets. Manatees feed on a variety of plants in fresh, estuarine and marine habitats, but it’s difficult to determine their actual diets in the wild, since they usually eat in turbid water. Researchers analyzed skin samples from nine […]
Elephant Seals
HSWRI researchers discovered that adult northern elephant seals, who both breed and molt on California’s Channel Islands, go to sea twice each year during which they range widely in the northern Pacific Ocean. Using new tracking technology, we found that elephant seals returned to the same foraging areas during post-breeding and post-molt movements, documenting the […]
California Sea Lions
Prior to the 1983 El Niño, California sea lion populations in the Channel Islands were recovering from the low numbers that resulted from indiscriminate killing which had continued through the 1930s. HSWRI researchers compiled population studies from 1927 which showed steady population increases. Between 1971 and 1981, the sea lion population at San Miguel Islands […]
Beluga Whales
Belugas depend upon sound for many important biological functions such as foraging, navigation and communication. The territory of beluga whales overlaps the rich oil deposits in the arctic continental shelf. Oil exploration, production and transport generate significant underwater noise, which can cause discomfort, stress and even physical damage to animals. In the 1980s little data […]
Mono Lake Birds
Mono Lake is a key resting point for millions of migratory birds where they feed on brine shrimp. Owens River water was diverted to the Los Angeles aqueduct in 1941. By 1982 the lake was reduced to 70% of 1941 levels, and by 1990 it was reduced to 50%. HSWRI tracked the effect of the […]