A new station within the climate solutions exhibit will launch at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center on September 17, 2024. In it, you will learn about iconic local species, the elephant seal, and how they are helping humans understand climate change.
Climate change and its impact on the ocean is challenging to study. Many areas of the ocean are too far or too deep for humans to measure easily with research vessels or ROVs.
During their migrations, northern elephant seals can swim more than 9,000 miles. Sometimes, they make it halfway to Japan. They can dive up to a mile deep. They go to areas of the ocean we have difficulty reaching.
Northern elephant seals are the only mammal known to make two migrations each year. After the breeding season – December through March – they migrate to feeding grounds in the northern Pacific Ocean. They return to warmer waters to molt – and then migrate back to feeding areas until the next breeding season
UCSC scientists put tracking tags on elephant seals to study areas of the ocean that are hard to reach. The tracking tags record measurements like temperature, pH, and salinity of the water.
Elephant seals help us understand climate change and protect our coastal communities. In turn, we can protect their habitat. You can see elephant seals come onto the beach at Año Nuevo State Park. Visit and support the park which works hard to protect elephant seal habitat.
At this exhibit station, you will have the chance to conduct your own water testing with pH and salinity strips donated by Bartovation, the most economical supplier in America of high quality and precise testing products.
This exhibit is sponsored by the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience and Bartovation.