Notes from the Field

Join us behind the scenes for a look at research, resource protection, and education programs taking place in the sanctuary. Learn facts about scientific instruments and techniques, get updates on long-term monitoring projects, and discover education programs. Meet some of our staff, partners, and volunteers who make it all happen! Check out some field notes from other sites across the National Marine Sanctuary System.

Surveying Life Above Davidson Seamount in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

July 25, 2025

Sanctuary staff are aboard the NOAA Ship Rueben Lasker conducting visual surveys of marine mammals, and using cutting-edge technology to collect environmental DNA (eDNA) samples from the water column. These efforts aim to better understand how the seamount influences biodiversity in the waters above and around it.

man preparing supplies in a laboratory for filtering water samples — Research ecologist Chad King prepares the extraction equipment to filter eDNA from water samples collected at depth. Photo: Amity Wood/NOAA

water sample pump with extraction tubes — eDNA samples are collected by pumping water samples with a controlled flow rate through cellulose filter. Photo: Amity Wood/NOAA

Surveying above Davidson Seamount

April 30 - May 10, 2024

scientist collecting water samples from instruments — Researchers collect water samples from a Niskin bottle above Davidson Seamount. Photo: Chad King/NOAA

Sanctuary staff and partners completed a 10-day research expedition aboard the fisheries survey vessel Bell M. Shimada above the Davidson Seamount Management Zone. Over 300 nautical miles of survey effort for marine mammals and seabirds were completed and over 600 linear nautical miles of echosounder data were collected. Hundreds of seabirds were observed, but rough ocean conditions made observing marine mammals difficult. Over 70 conductivity/temperature/depth casts were made, and 49 environmental DNA samples from depths up to 2,000 meters were collected and preserved. This expedition was part of an ongoing project to link predator and prey populations through observations, direct and indirect sampling, and environmental DNA.