NOPP Photo of the Month – Tagged N. Elephant Seal

(Click to enlarge) NOPP Photo of the Month - Northern Elephant Seal with CTD tag

The Northern elephant seal pictured has a CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) tag attached to it by a team of University of California, Santa Cruz researchers. This FY 05 NOPP project was led by Dr. Dan Costa of the University of California, Santa Cruz to understand apex predator and pelagic fish movements in the California Current System (CCS). The data from the tagged animals indicated the CCS is one of the most significant hotspots within the entire northeast Pacific Ocean.

Photo by Dan Costa / University of California, Santa Cruz