WERC Highlights -- June 2001

Giant Sequoias: Research ecologist Nate Stephenson of the USGS Western Ecological Research Center was interviewed for a story by the Natural Resources News Service on the effects of air pollution on giant sequoias, and by the Fresno Bee on development of the management plan for the new Giant Sequoia National Monument. Stephenson is a member of the Science Advisory Board for the monument. (Nate Stephenson, Three Rivers, CA, 559-565-3176)

California Sea Otter Survey and Research in the News: Media attention focused on the 2001 spring survey of the threatened population of California sea otters conducted by USGS, USFWS, California Department of Fish and Game, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and volunteers. The population has been holding roughly steady over the past several years, not growing as it should be. New research by USGS Western Ecological Research Center scientists and their colleagues is under way to find out why the threatened species is not recovering more quickly. Media stories include the Associated Press in the Sacramento Bee and Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Monterey County Herald, Santa Cruz Sentinel, Environmental News Service, Los Angeles Times, The Oregonian, The Cambria, KQED and KLIV radio, KTVU-2, KRON-4, KNTV-ll, and KCRA-3. (Gloria Maender, Tucson, AZ, 520-670-5596)

Is General Sherman "Genetically Superior?" USGS scientist Nate Stephenson was interviewed by the Visalia Times-Delta for an article on a proposal by a private group to clone the world's largest tree, a giant sequoia named General Sherman. The argument in favor of cloning the Sherman tree presumes that the tree's large size reflects inherent genetic superiority. Stephenson noted that the tremendous bulk of the tree is more likely due to local environmental conditions that favor rapid growth, not genetics. Giant sequoias much smaller than the Sherman tree have lived to be more than 1000 years older than the Sherman tree. (Nate Stephenson, Three Rivers, 559-565-3176)

California Sea Otters Fewer in Spring Survey: The 2001 spring survey of 2,161 California sea otters reflects an overall decrease of 6.7 percent since the 2000 spring survey of 2,317 individuals, according to scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey. Observers recorded 1,863 adults and subadults, or independents, down 9.25 percent from last year’s count of 2,053 independents. Pups, however, increased by 12.9 percent, to 298 individuals. Except for spring 2000, when the survey showed an overall increase of almost 11 percent, the threatened sea otter population has decreased from a high of 2,377 individuals recorded in spring 1995. The population appears to have been roughly stable in numbers over the last several years. The survey, conducted cooperatively by scientists of the U.S. Geological Survey, California Department of Fish and Game, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and with the help of experienced volunteers, covered about 375 miles of California coast, from Half Moon Bay south to Santa Barbara. The information gathered will be used by federal and state wildlife agencies in making decisions about the management of this sea mammal. (Jim Estes, Santa Cruz, CA, 831-459-2357)

Coastal Ecosystem Studies at the Western Ecological Research Center: The American Fisheries Society will run a news brief in June in its news magazine Fisheries on the recent spawning of white abalone. The Boston Globe gathered information about white abalone restoration and the use of parasites to monitor ecosystem health in salt marshes. The National Geographic channel will air a news piece mid-June on the spring survey of California sea otters. (Kevin Lafferty, Santa Barbara, CA, 805-893-8778; Jim Estes, Santa Cruz, CA, 831-459-2357)