Point Blue Conservation Science

Superstar mom Radish has weaned our first #elephantseal pup of the season! Affectionately nicknamed “Pozole” by our research crew, she was weaned after a month of nursing with her mother. From now on she'll spend her time molting on the colony’s edge & preparing for her first ocean adventure! 🌎🧪🦭💖🦑🍼

🦉🌎🧪 TY @sfgate.com for highlighting the latest #MigratoryShorebirdProject research! Though the results are troubling, the story behind them is full of hope and an example of the power of partnership. Learn more about MSP: www.migratoryshorebirdproject.org/ + read the article: shorturl.at/BFDAY

🦉🌎🧪 New #MigratoryShorebirdProject study confirms #shorebirds are in trouble across the entire Western Hemisphere. These findings fill a critical data gap, strengthen support for current programs, and help guide future conservation action. Learn more: shorturl.at/6slxg

🌊🌎📊💻🧪 Our Coast, Our Future flood hazard maps are now available statewide! This predictive monitoring tool (created by Point Blue in collaboration with #USGS) models future flooding levels due to storm surges and sea level rise across coastal #California. Check it out: shorturl.at/RbXLi

The first #elephantseal pup of the season has arrived! This pup was born to a e-seal mom named “Radish.” Radish first appeared on the #FarallonIslands in 2014, had her first pup in 2016, and has been returning each year. For the past four years, she’s been the first to pup on the island! 🌊🌎🧪🦑

🌊🦐🧪🌎 🦑 Join the Point Blue Marine Lab and @exploratorium.bsky.social on Friday, 1/23/26 to explore the world of #krill! They may be small, but these tiny #zooplankton are important prey, vital to the marine ecosystem, and help us understand #oceanhealth. shorturl.at/c4Dsm

🦉🌎🧪 @sfchronicle.com covers the new #SFStateOfTheBirds report. While the article highlights concerning data (Bay Area #shorebirds, have seen steep declines in recent decades), the story is more complex, and hopeful, than the headlines suggest. Learn more: shorturl.at/AFppy

Scientists detect alarming bird population decline in Bay Area: Here's what can be done To understand the state and health of birds across the Bay Area, scientists have been watching them closely. The latest report by the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture and Point Blue Conservation…

🦉🌎🧪New coverage on www.sfbaystateofthebirds.org/ from @abc7news.bsky.social. Some Bay Area #shorebirds are in decline, but it’s not all doom and gloom! Data show that where #habitatrestoration has been prioritized, #bird populations are holding steady or increasing. Read more: shorturl.at/06t68

🦉🌎🧪 ICYMI! #BirdReturns made an appearance on @cbssundaymorning.bsky.social as part of a segment highlighting good news from 2025! Watch the full story and learn why this program is a win-win for both farmers and migratory #birds! 👉 shorturl.at/iYvDs

Check out the westernmonarchcount.org project managed by @xercessociety.bsky.social. There is some great data available on their site + a fantastic interactive map of monarch overwintering sites with counts. 🦋🗺️💻
westernmonarchcount.org/map-of-overw...

Agreed! 🙌

Hi Mir! Thanks for your question! We mean prey NOT people! Farallones Great Whites feed primarily on pinnipeds such as Northern Elephant Seals, California Sea Lions, and Northern Fur Seals.

🐧🧪💻 ❄️🦉🌎 Join us for the last #LiveFromAntarctica events of the season! We'll be streaming LIVE from Cape Royds, #Antarctica to talk #penguin science, ecology, and conservation. Tune on 1/6 + 1/9 from 10–10:30 AM PST! 🔗 shorturl.at/gmCG0

🌊🦉🧪🌎 #KingTides are back January 2nd + 3rd! help Head to your local tidal marsh and help @kingtides.bsky.social document the California King Tides for #conservation! Learn more: www.coastal.ca.gov/kingtides/

🌊🦉🧪🌎 Head to your local tidal marsh & help @kingtides.bsky.social document the #KingTides 1/2 + 1/3! #KingTides offer rare birding opportunities (birds are much father upland than usual) & a peek into what future everyday water levels may look like as sea levels rise. shorturl.at/TAjxX

❄️🧪🌎 Happy #solstice from Antarctica! Because #Antarctica is in the Southern Hemisphere, today marks their #summersolstice. While we head into the longest night of the year up north, our Penguin Science Team is gearing up for their longest day of research at Cape Royds. Happy #wintersolstice!

👀🦉🌎🧪🐦 Join the #PointBlue team! We're hiring 3-4 Conservation Science #BirdBanding Apprentices at the Palomarin Field Station in Point Reyes/Bolinas! Learn more: shorturl.at/Z6PtY and apply by DECEMBER 23RD, 2025! #Birds #ConservationJobs

🦈🧪🦑🌎 Part III: Mystery solved! #GreatWhiteSharks are still hunting, but they’re targeting different prey and leaving less visible evidence, resulting in fewer detected attacks.
#SharkAttack #FarallonIslands

🦉🌎🧪 TY @sfgate.com for covering the Farallones murrenados! During breeding season, hundreds of thousands of #CommonMurres swirl over the island before landing en masse. Once reduced to 6K, the Farallon population has rebounded to 500K thanks decades of monitoring and #conservation. shorturl.at/ZZJZQ

🦈🧪🦑🌎 #SharkAttack Part II is here! Something’s changed at the Farallon Islands. Can you guess what the #GreatWhiteSharks are hunting now?

🦈🧪🦑🌎 Farallones #sharkattack sightings are on the decline but California White Shark Project re-sighting data show that #GreatWhiteShark presence has increased. So why are we seeing fewer attacks? Drop your guesses in the comments and we’ll be back tomorrow with Part II!

🦋🧪🌎 Scientists from Point Blue & @xercessociety.bsky.social are using Bluetooth-enabled ultra-light radio tags to track butterflies! This new tech provides unprecedented data and helps scientists guide #conservation actions to support the iconic #MonarchButterfly migration. Watch: shorturl.at/UbwPI

🐧🧪❄️🌎 Calling all penguin-interested classrooms and the Antarctic-curious! Join #PointBlue and partner #penguin biologists LIVE from #Antarctica to learn about #penguinscience, ecology, and #conservation. Join us virtually on 12/15/25, 12/18/25, 1/6/26, or 1/9/26! Learn more: shorturl.at/8Udde

Last week’s #KingTides put on a show along the Petaluma River! 🌊📸 Here are a few snaps from Friday's record-high tide. Missed it? You’ll get another chance on January 2 + 3! Save the date!

Every winter, #CommonMurres flood back to the #FarallonIslands to breed. Strong NW winds are their cue, some mornings we see 350–400k murres (nearly the entire Farallon population) gather offshore, then take to the sky in giant looping formations called Murrenados before landing en masse. 🦉🌎🧪

🌊 Head to your local tidal marsh & help @kingtides.bsky.social document the highest tides of the year 12/4 + 12/5! #KingTides offer a peek into what future everyday water levels may look like as sea levels rise. As always, please remember to stay safe + respect wildlife! 🦉🌎🧪 shorturl.at/TAjxX

The new SF Bay State of the Birds website brings San Francisco Bay’s habitats to life with interactive maps and insights on bird population trends.Visit sfbaystateofthebirds.org to explore now. #SFBayStateoftheBirds 🦉🌎🧪

Early-career bird banders are part of a rigorous training program at Point Blue, where they learn to capture birds safely using mist nets and record data on each bird caught. This info allows us to better understand birds populations and gives us insight into the health of the systems we research.

🦉🌎🧪 The Palomarin Banding Summary for June/July 2025 is here! The summer season was filled to the brim with #fledglings and unusual captures, including a #RosebreastedGrosbeak, two #NorthernSawwhetOwls, and two #BeltedKingFishers! Check out the full summary to learn more: shorturl.at/ecqIo

Early-career bird banders are part of a rigorous training program at Point Blue, where they learn to capture birds safely using mist nets and record data on each bird caught. This info allows us to better understand birds populations and gives us insight into the health of the systems we research.