Last October, Reed Elsevier (RE) partnered with Earthwatch, the world’s largest environmental volunteer non-profit organization, to foster environmental awareness and reduce environmental impact. Thanks to Reed Elsevier’s generous funding, five employees had an opportunity to participate in the Earthwatch Marine Mammals of Monterey project in Monterey Bay, California from October 21 – 30, 2008. The RE volunteer fellows included Rob Raskin (LexisNexis – Albany, NY), Darlene Como (Elsevier – Rockville, MD), Nicole Davis (Reed Elsevier – Scottsdale, AZ), Tina LaPorte (LexisNexis - Dayton, OH), and Shelly Proch (LexisNexis – Colorado Springs, CO).
“Getting a chance to actually work side by side with experts studying marine mammals will be a once in a lifetime experience,” said Rob Raskin. The RE Earthwatch fellows joined leading scientist Dr. Daniela Maldini in studying bottlenose dolphins and southern sea otters in Monterey Bay, California. Dr. Maldini gathered data on both of these species to monitor their populations and environment and to contribute to sound management strategies for the rich coastal ecosystem of Monterey Bay. Sea otters and bottlenose dolphins are two species that can provide a great deal of information about the health of the marine environment.
Southern Sea Otters
Southern sea otters once ranged from Oregon to Baja, California in Mexico. During the fur trade of the 18th and 19th centuries, they were hunted to near extinction. They were prized for their luxurious pelts, and sea otter fur was a popular fashion statement. Although they have not been hunted in the last hundred years, the sea otter population has never recovered to pre-hunt levels. The population off California’s central coast is small and is vulnerable to pollution, especially oil spills, as well as inadvertent capture in fishing nets. As an Endangered Species, sea otters are now protected by state and federal laws.
Bottlenose Dolphins
For much of the 20th century, bottlenose dolphins did not inhabit the waters off the coast of Central California, but today, a population of 200 - 450 is estimated to live there. Because bottlenose dolphins live very close to shore, they are likely to be significantly affected by human activities, such as commercial fishing, depletion of their food sources, recreational boating, pollution, and loss or degradation of habitat resulting from coastal development. Extremely high concentrations of PCBs have been found in bottlenose dolphin tissue. These chemicals could have devastating effects on reproduction and the immune systems of dolphins.
Information about Earthwatch can be found on the Earthwatch website: www.earthwatch.org. You can also read about the participants’ adventures and see photographs by going to the following blog: http://otterodyssey.blogspot.com/ Additional information and photos can be found by viewing the documents below: