Notes from the Field

sea lions in the water with raised flippers — Brown pelicans (*Pelecanus occidentalis*) frequent sanctuary shorelines to feed on abundant anchovies. Photo: Sam Bailey/*Get Into Your Sanctuary* Photo Contest

Join us behind the scenes for a look at research, resource protection, and education programs taking place in the sanctuary. Learn facts about scientific instruments and techniques, get updates on long-term monitoring projects, and discover education programs. Meet some of our staff, partners, and volunteers who make it all happen!

Surveying above Davidson Seamount

April 30 - May 10, 2024

scientist collecting water samples from instruments — Researchers collect water samples from a Niskin bottle above Davidson Seamount. Photo: Chad King/NOAA

Sanctuary staff and partners completed a 10-day research expedition aboard the fisheries survey vessel Bell M. Shimada above the Davidson Seamount Management Zone. Over 300 nautical miles of survey effort for marine mammals and seabirds were completed and over 600 linear nautical miles of echosounder data were collected. Hundreds of seabirds were observed, but rough ocean conditions made observing marine mammals difficult. Over 70 conductivity/temperature/depth casts were made, and 49 environmental DNA samples from depths up to 2,000 meters were collected and preserved. This expedition was part of an ongoing project to link predator and prey populations through observations, direct and indirect sampling, and environmental DNA.