On the Expedition
Help seven shark and ray species recover from the devastating hunts of the mid-20th century.
Teams will work both in and around Elkhorn Slough and in the open waters of Monterey Bay. For the work in the slough, you’ll head out in a wetsuit and set nets to capture, measure, and tag seven shark and ray species: leopard sharks, gray and brown smoothhound sharks, bat rays, thornback rays, shovelnose guitarfish, and round stingrays. Some team members will head out over Monterey Bay Marine Canyon aboard a powerboat, attracting sharks using fresh fish as bait, capturing them in nets, and helping tag and measure the sharks before releasing them back into the water.
In both locations, you'll record species, size, gender, and presence of an ID tag, and help take a tiny fin clipping for DNA analysis. Animals without ID tags will be tagged, or may be fitted with a radio-transmitter for tracking. All animals are released unharmed. In your recreational time, the Monterey Bay area offers a variety of diversions, from kayaking to fine dining.
Meals and Accommodations
You will stay in a four-bedroom, two-bathroom, two-storey house near the beach at the Pajaro Dunes Colony, between the town of Watsonville and Moss Landing Harbor. The house has a fireplace, washer and dryer, VCR/DVD player and high speed internet. Meals will be prepared by staff with the welcome help of volunteers, and will include typical American fare, such as cereals and yogurts for breakfast, and simple pastas and oven-baked dishes for dinners. Teams will take bag lunches of sandwiches, fruits, and drinks to eat in the field.
About the Research Area
The project is based in Monterey, California, in and around Elkhorn Slough and over the open waters of Monterey Bay.
Elkhorn Slough harbors the third largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California after San Francisco and Tomales Bays. It attracts visitors with its many miles of trails, an excellent interpretative center, channels for canoeing and float boats for bird and wildlife viewing excursions.
The Monterey Bay area offers both natural beauty and a host of cultural attractions. Monterey city features an array of fine restaurants, boutiques, galleries, inns and recreational opportunities, and hosts a wide variety of festivals and world-class events including the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Monterey Wine Festival. Also worth a visit are historic hotspot Cannery Row, the surf town of Santa Cruz with its boardwalk lined with amusement park games and rides, and the blossoming cities of Seaside, Sand City and Marina.