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UCSC Elephant Seal and other Pinniped Research
records
UA.132
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Contributing Institution:
University of California, Santa Cruz
Title: UCSC Elephant Seal and other Pinniped Research records
Creator:
University of California, Santa Cruz.
Institute of Marine Sciences
Creator:
Le Boeuf, Burney J.
Identifier/Call Number: UA.132
Physical Description:
10 Linear Feet
6 cartons, 1 box, 14 oversize folders
Date (inclusive): 1967-2011
Abstract: Hand written field data from northern
elephant seal research at UC's Ano Nuevo Reserve at Ano Nuevo State Park (San Mateo County,
CA). Primarily census records with some specific accounts. Many of these documents were
originally kept in 49 binders filed in rough chronological order. Notes have been re-housed
for ease of use and preservation purposes, the originial notations on each binder have been
transcribed onto the corresponding folders. Also includes charts detailing daily
observations from northern California elephant seal research, and elephant seal and marine
mammal films.
Language of Material:
English .
Collection is open for research. Audiovisual media is unavailable until reformatted.
Contact Special Collections in advance for information regarding access.
Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by Regents of the University of
California. Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that
allowed by fair use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility
of the user to determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions.
UCSC Special Collections and Archives can grant permission to publish materials to which it
holds the copyright. For more information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy
on Reproduction and Use.
UCSC Elephant Seal and other Pinniped Research records. UA 132.] Special Collections and
Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz.
The elephant seal tagging and censusing project was initiated and financed from federal
grants by B.J. Le Boeuf, at UCSC, from Fall 1967 to 2012. The project built on the previous
work of Thomas Poulter (Stanford Research Institute) and Robert Orr (California Academy of
Sciences) on Año Nuevo Island from 1961 to 1966.
There are 49 binders (re-housed into folders) holding original data sheets recording counts
of pinniped species at Año Nuevo. Four species are routinely included: the northern elephant
seal (Mirounga angustirostris), harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), California sea lion (Zalophus
californianus), and Steller's sea lion (Eumetopias jubata). Occasionally, counts of sea
otters (Enhydra lutris) in the water are listed, and during two years in the 1970s a
northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) was counted. A single sheet carries data from one
day, with a date and observer names near the top. Each row in the table is a specific
location at Año Nuevo, and each column is an age or sex category of the species. The number
in each cell is a head count of animals taken from the ground, often with the aid of
binoculars. There are also a few counts taken off aerial photographs. In general, a single
binder has all censuses from one year, but sometimes two or more years are grouped in a
binder.
The records on a single sheet usually include a complete count of either Año Nuevo Island
or the entire Año Nuevo mainland; the two portions were almost never counted at once by one
observer. In many cases, though, the mainland was counted in two separate sections, so a
single page includes either the southern portion of the mainland or the northern portion of
the mainland. This information is usually provided at the top of the form.
A single daily count, however, may not be complete. In most cases, a note to this effect
should be found. Moreover, all specific locations of both island and mainland are usually
listed, indicating a complete, or near-complete census. When only some locations are listed,
and others obviously missing, it must be assumed the count was not complete.
The specific locations are indicated with standard abbreviations. A table of abbreviations
is included here, with a full name and coordinates of each. Individual observers sometimes
used non-standard names or abbreviations, and most are linked to standard names in the
table. In some cases, it has not been possible to be certain what a designation means. A map
is also included.
The categories of individuals are also indicated with standard abbreviations, including
species, sex, and age category. A full table of those designations is likewise included.
Once again, there are some non-standard abbreviations, and on rare occasions it has not been
possible to identify their meaning.
Finally, a table of many of the observers whose name appear is included as well. This,
however, is not complete, and quite a few names and initials have not been identified. We
extend many thanks to all those hundreds of observers, named or not. We also acknowledge
consistent support from the University of California Marine Sciences program, many of its
staff who helped with logistics, and Año Nuevo State Park and its many personnel that have
helped. Funding was provided by UC Santa Cruz, the National Science Foundation, the Office
of Naval Research, plus smaller grants from numerous other organizations.
Processed by Teresa Mora in 2018.
Digital copies of this data dating from 1967-2017 have been deposited in the Dryad open
data repository. Condit, Richard; Morris, Patricia; Le Boeuf, Burney (2017). Pinniped
censuses at Año Nuevo, California, 1967-2017 [Dataset]. Dryad.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Año Nuevo State Reserve (Calif.)
Año Nuevo Island (Calif.)
Northern elephant seal -- Counting -- San
Mateo County (Calif.)