Answered by MelindaConners

Question from Concerned Bird Friend:

I've heard that there's a lot of plastic trash that can effect albatross, do you see evidence of that out on Tern Island?

Answered by SamanthaSimmons

Question from Nervous Surfer:

I saw the video of the male elephant seal attacking a diver! Are they really that dangerous!?!?! Is it cool to surf near them?

Answered by MelindaConners

Question from A bird of a different feather:

How do you tag an albatross? Is it stressful for the bird?

Answered by WilliamGilly

Question from Noah Luecke:

Hello, I am a student at Cal State Monterey Bay under the major of marine biology. It looks like you will be tagging the Humboldt squid, and I was wondering how you were planning on going about this? Through the mantle, and squid have a life expectancy of under 18 months, do you maybe think that would be a short lived idea considering by the time they are old enough to tag they would not be living more than a few months?

Answered by SamanthaSimmons

Question from Avid fan:

Elephant seals as ocean sensors is a really great idea! I'm curious, what are some specific things that you have learned about the ocean environment with the help of the ellies?

Answered by SamanthaSimmons

Question from E-seal watcher:

Do elephant seals follow the same path each year? Or is it random? And Where to the weaners go when they leave the beach?

Answered by WilliamGilly

Question from Student:

What kinds of squid live in the mesopelagic layer of the ocean? What are they like? I've read that although some light penetrates this deep, so I wonder how that works with their sight and predators.  Do they ever come closer to the surface?

Answered by DanielCosta

Question from Curious student:

I heard Dr. Costa say that the three populations of sea lions (California, Benito (?) and Galapagos) show radically different foraging behavior. Are their body sizes similar? How deep they dive? What about conservation....are they all in the same status, or are there some species that are doing better than the others?

Answered by ChrisPerle

Question from A surfer and student:

When are white sharks at Año Nuevo? When they go offshore are they following the elephant seals? 

Answered by DanielCosta

Question from Seal friend:

What do elephant seals and sea lions tell us about climate change? Was there a specific event in the past that allowed you to monitor how it effected the animals?

Answered by DanielCosta

Question from E-seal observer:

Do Northern elephant seals do different things when compared to Southern elephant seals?  What is the difference between the two species as far as the distance they travel, how far they can dive, and what is their prey? 

Answered by WilliamGilly

Question from Squid watcher:

Does it matter the size of the squid when you are tagging it? How do the tags work?

Answered by DanielCosta

Question from Student:

Male and female northern elephant seals look like they're going different places in the tracks. Are southern elephant seal males and females showing different tracks as well? If so, how do they differ?

Answered by AndreBoustany

Question from mike copithorne:

Hi, I am a Science teacher here in Northern Califrornia. My students caught a fish that we could use help identifying. We caught it just north of The Golden Gate Bridge. It is a very thin needle like fish with characteristics indicative of perhaps Hippocampus? It looks like a needle fish with a shorter snout. The whole fish is 17 cm long with rough scalie skin. It has pectoral type fins extending laterally just behind its head and a tail but no other visible fins. Can you help us with common and or scientific name?

Answered by ScottShaffer

Question from Ron Elterman:

I have a survey question for all the TOPP researchers. How has each of you changed your diet as a result of what you have learned, or from meeting these creatures in person?