pinnipeds – The Costa Lab

Studying leopard seals in Antarctica

Our research team, with the self-appointed nickname of Seal Team 5, is on our way back from a five week trip to Antarctica where we were studying the feeding ecology and physiology of one of the top predators in the Southern Ocean: the leopard seal. Our team consisted of five researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz, Colorado State University, Baylor University, and the U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources program and included experts on…

Leopard Seal Foraging Ecology and Physiology

We are in the process of preparing for a potential field effort in Antarctica investigating the foraging ecology and physiology of leopard seals! We will update this blog as we move forward, so stay tuned for more details. A bit more detail about our project… The climate of the Antarctic Peninsula is warming, resulting in less sea ice. These environmental changes may be pushing many Antarctic organisms beyond their normal physiological and behavior capabilities. The leopard…