Cool on-line science resource

[JennW in SoCal]

My ds and I just returned from a few days in the Monterey Bay area where we got to see elephant seals and otters up close and personal. Several naturalists recommended the TOPP site, the official web site of the "Tagging of Pacific Predators" program. You can follow individual birds, elephant seals or sharks, look at graphs of ocean data merged with the satellite tag locations, and read blogs by the scientists involved in the program. It is interesting, but also an excellent source of data for a research project, and a look at real scientists involved in real work. There are also widgets for your blogs, and some of the elephant seals even have facebook pages.

Check it out! Tagging of Pacific Predators (http://www.topp.org/)

[Jane in NC]

Wow! I have seen otters in the wild, but elephant seals are almost mythic creatures to me. Just how close is "up close and personal"?

[JennW in SoCal]

We got within 20 feet of them while on a guided walk. We were at Ano Nuevo beach where they come ashore to give birth and mate from late November through early March, and you can only go on the beach during this time with a guide in case you stumble upon a moody bull. Most of the adults had left, but there were still bulls and moms and lots of pups -- called "weaners"!

I should get some photos up onto my blog later today. It was an amazing drive up and back -- California is as green as Ireland at the moment, thanks to the El Nino rains we've been having.

[Jane in NC]

I look forward to checking your blog, Jenn.

Hey, I picked up the steam punk novel, Leviathan, from the library yesterday. It was finally back on the shelf. Anyway, my son is enjoying it as I suspected he would. He is totally enamoured with the art in the book. Thank you for recommending it!

Jane

[Jyniffrec]

Thanks for posting this! We just spent over half an hour exploring the site.