Seabirds and Marine Mammals of the Southern California Bight, Pocs Reference Paper No. 1

Publication Title: Seabirds and Marine Mammals of the Southern California Bight, Pocs Reference Paper No. 1

Subject: Marine Biodiversity
Birds; Marine Mammals
Southern California; Southern California Bight; Biology; Marine Mammals; Pinnipeds; ; Cetaceans; Dolphin; Delphinus; Tursiops; Seals; Phoca; Sea Lion; Zalophus; Distribution; Seasonality; Endangered Species; Threatened Species; Migration; Photographs; Aerial Observations; Shipboard Observations; Population; Abundance; Survey; Radiotelemetry; Parasites; Santa Barbara Channel; Santa Cruz Basin; Channel Islands; Santa Rosa-Cortes Ridge; Pacific Region; Seabirds; Distribution; Alcid; Scoter; Gull; Brown Pelican; Shearwater; Fulmar; Kittiwake; Tern; Auklet; Murrelet; Guillemot; Cormorant; Breeding; Nesting

CSE Reference: Freel MR, Aceituno ME. 1978. Seabirds and marine mammals of the southern California Bight, POCS Reference Paper No. 1. US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 109 p. Obligation No.: CT5-28. URL: https://espis.boem.gov/Final%20Reports/644.pdf

Abstract: The ocean environment has an enormous capacity for recovery from changes brought about by man's activities. This resilience is due to the action and interaction of dynamic elements in marine ecosystems. However, this ability for recovery can be overtaxed. Therefore, it is imperative to determine how, and to what extent, a given activity will influence its environmental context. These studies addressed the population status, distribution, seasonality, and ecology of the marine mammals and seabirds present within the Southern California Bight, a region encompassing nearly 55,000 km2 (of open ocean and offshore islands) extending along the mainland shore from Point Conception to the U.S.-Mexico border and offshore to the 1,500-m depth contour. The result of the studies were intended to provide an information base for use by resource managers in their efforts to predict and minimize the potential impact to result from accelerated oil and gas activities on the OCS.