Environmental variation across temporal and spatial scales shapes individual differences in traits and causes resource acquisition and allocation to fluctuate dramatically. Spotlighting northern elephant seals as a model system, Roxanne and research technician Conner Hale will discuss how the Beltran Lab combines mark-recapture methods and animal-borne sensors to investigate how individual variation contributes to population persistence. They will highlight how the lab group's research advances the understanding of individual-environment interactions and how it can be used to test and refine ecological theory. Please join us for some cutting edge science and an even greater appreciation for elephant seals – they have a lot to tell us!
This free event is open to the public. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. A suggested donation of $10 per participant is encouraged and greatly appreciated. Donations help cover webinar costs and support our education and cetacean research grant programs. To donate, please visit our website https://www.acs-sfbay.org/donate. We are grateful for your support!
About Dr. Roxanne Beltran: Dr. Roxanne Beltran is an assistant professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She studies species interactions and global change in the open ocean, through the lens of marine mammal movement, behavior, and demography. Her research leverages the six-decade mark-recapture program of northern elephant seals at Año Nuevo in California along with environmental and biologging data to understand the role of among-individual variation in ecological patterns and evolutionary processes.
About Conner Hale: Conner Hale is the Beltran Lab's research technician. She joined the lab in 2021 as an undergraduate student volunteer and has contributed to multiple research projects since. Conner is the lead author on a recent article describing how adult female northern elephant seals avoid predators during the coastal portions of their twice-yearly foraging trips.
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Photo Credits: Sandrine Cornille, Rev. Lisa J. Winston, & Jacek