Año Nuevo Research

Check out this new paper documenting transfer of PFAS (forever chemicals) from mothers to pups.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vUoqsLL_RVvgvzCNmtQaBysZeGKUSSfu/view?usp=drive_link

UC Nature
Año Nuevo State Park
UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz Science
Coastside State Parks Association

Check out this book chapter by Dan Costa and colleagues showing how disturbances (both natural and man-made) can impact the behavior and physiology of elephant seals.

Año Nuevo State Park
UC Nature
UC Santa Cruz Science
UC Santa Cruz

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19vyTfnzW0N3CImHETeTjgAZ74vJEXqr0/view?usp=sharing

DNA analysis can now reliably identify relatedness in the northern elephant seal! Check out the full paper by Hernandez et al

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zsflq9lULyrj59Bs-ojNHAH4dEvjb2Tf/view?usp=drive_link

Año Nuevo State Park
UC Santa Cruz
UC Nature
UC Santa Cruz Science

Plastic debris can be a hazard for curious marine mammals. This juvenile elephant seal had a plastic packing strap around his neck. As seals grow, the plastic can cut deeper into the skin and has the potential to kill them. Luckily, researchers at UC Santa Cruz were able to save this seal by sneaking up to him while he was sleeping and quickly cut the packing strap!

NMFS 28472


UC Nature
Año Nuevo State Park
UC Santa Cruz

Año Nuevo has two live we**ams!

The mainland we**am runs 24/7 with a focus on elephant seals. (check them out at night!)
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_Id=31947

The island we**am runs from 8am to 5pm with a focus on California sea lions and sea birds (the lens is a bit foggy at the moment)
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_Id=31197

Enjoy!

Año Nuevo State Park
UC Nature
UC Santa Cruz

Congratulations to Professor Roxanne Beltran for being selected as one of the Ecological Society of America's 2026 fellows!

Año Nuevo State Park
UC Nature
UC Santa Cruz

https://esa.org/blog/2026/04/15/ecological-society-of-america-announces-2026-fellows/

Año Nuevo State Park is re-opening their seal viewing areas after being closed due to the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak. We're entering the juvenile and female molt seasons - so, there is a lot to see out there!

Año Nuevo elephant seal viewing to resume after avian flu cases wane Año Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County will once again allow the public access to viewing elephant seals on Saturday.

Check out this new paper detailing elephant seal foraging behavior around the subarctic frontal zone - a major oceanographic feature in the northeast Pacific.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vJXHi-1_dEh0b66wn2f139oVhSCIDNGU/view?usp=drive_link

Año Nuevo State Park
UC Nature
UC Santa Cruz

Click the link for some updates about the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak at Año Nuevo Reserve.

https://news.ucsc.edu/2026/03/h5n1-avian-influenza-efforts/

Año Nuevo State Park
University of California Natural Reserve System
UC Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz’s deep expertise with elephant seals vital to avian influenza monitoring Well-trained students and scientists are the boots on the beach collecting the samples and observations needed to help a statewide collaboration of responders monitor the recent outbreak

Click below to register for a virtual conversation with Professor Beltran and Sylvia Earle about the future of our planet this Monday!

Año Nuevo State Park
University of California Natural Reserve System
UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz Science

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Dr. Roxanne Beltran joins Dive In with Liz and Sylvia . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. 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-de...