Point Blue

👀🦭 Could #Chonkers be exploring the Farallon Islands? Our team spotted this sub-adult Steller sea lion near the Farallones this week, and while we can’t confirm it’s San Francisco’s latest social media sensation, the timing has us wondering. #Chonkers has been missing from @pier39 since May 1st, and male Steller sea lions are known to travel long distances in search of food and haul-out sites. Located about 30 miles off San Francisco, the Farallones sit near the southern limit of the Steller’s range and serve as an important haul-out and breeding site for these pinnipeds. Whether it’s Chonkers or not, it’s always special to spot these massive marine mammals! Do you think we found Chonkers? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Are you attending SERCAL 2026 next week?! @sercal_restoration Stewardship Ecologist, Alissa Fogg, will be resenting on Tuesday May 19 during the 2:30 Breakout Session titled "Listening to the Birds and Bees." Alissa will be presenting on how Point Blue has been using bee monitoring in pollinator restoration projects to guide implementation and planting palette decisions for land stewards across California. We hope to see you there! #pollinators #restoration #sercal #nativeplants #beemonitoring

🎨🌿 Ready to blend art and science to create real-world #conservation impact? Apply to be Point Blue’s 2026 Science Illustration Apprentice! This year's science illustration apprenticeship focus will be bringing peer-reviewed scientific publications to life. Our overarching goal for this learning opportunity is to merge art and science towards increasing engagement in conservation concepts and actions. We aim to provide an early career scientific illustrator with meaningful knowledge, skills, and hands-on experiences in conservation science that can make a real difference in their career journey. Click the "Careers" link in our bio for more info and apply for this popular, career-launching opportunity by May 29th, 2026! #ConservationJobs #ScienceIllustration #NatureArt Illustrations by Maria Amorette Klos

🔬🦐📸 Scenes from Micro Fest 2026 with the Point Blue Marine Lab! Last month, over 2,000 people gathered at the @exploratorium to engage with the magical micro world. Visitors to our table had the chance to look through a microscope and see zooplankton up close and personal! They may be tiny, but these animals comprise the base of the marine food web. Small changes in their species, abundance, and distribution have big impacts on the ocean. Thank you to everyone who joined us to learn about zooplankton and their importance to a healthy marine ecosystem! © Exploratorium, photo by Ida Tietgen Høyrup

Did you spot the purple waves along Point Reyes last week? At first, scientists thought the phenomenon might be linked to juvenile salps or Velella velella (the “by-the-wind sailors” that have recently washed up across Bay Area beaches). But researchers now believe the purple coloration was likely caused by massive concentrations of doliolids, small gelatinous planktonic tunicates that can rapidly bloom under the right ocean conditions. Point Blue scientists Dr. Jaime Jahncke and Meredith Elliott provided field and lab insights for this recent @baynature story. Researchers aboard the current @access_oceans cruise, a long-term collaboration between @PointBlue_ConservationScience and @farallonescordellnms , are observing unusually high abundances of apparent doliolids in surface waters across the California Current. In some survey areas, the concentrations have been so large that the team has collected more samples than can realistically be processed and returned to the lab. These kinds of blooms offer a reminder of how dynamic and rapidly changing ocean ecosystems can be, and why sustained monitoring matters. Tap the link in our bio to learn more about doliolids and the science behind this phenomenon. Did you see the purple waves last week? Let us know in the comments 👇 📸 : photo 1 purple waves credit Jacqueline Quale, photo 2 NOAA/Point Blue/ ACCESS, L. Krigsman, photo 3 (hoop net) + 4 (sieve) NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS, R. Pound

🌎🦅 Happy World Migratory Bird Day! This year’s theme highlights the power of #citizenscience in conservation. At Point Blue, we support migratory birds through projects like the Migratory Shorebird Project, the Pacific Flyway Shorebird Survey, the Intermountain West Shorebird Survey, @Soundscapes2Landscapes , and BioSoundSCape. But you don’t need to be a scientist to contribute to conservation! All of these projects rely on community-powered data! Click the link in our bio to learn how you can count birds for science with Point Blue or get started by downloading @team_ebird or @inaturalist . Observations from people like you help scientists (including our team at Point Blue!) track changes in bird populations and inform conservation action. #WorldMigratoryBirdDay #MigratoryBirds #EveryBirdCounts #YourObservationsMatter

🌲🦉🗞️ Proud to have contributed to a recent @national_parks_traveler article on the plight of the Northern Spotted Owl. “Dark brown with white splotches, the #northernspottedowl is among the nation’s most studied creatures. Within a range that historically stretched from British Columbia into Marin County, north of San Francisco, it’s become synonymous with the fate of old-growth forests, starring in decades of political, legal, and environmental conflicts over logging and conservation on federal lands. It is considered an indicator species for the health and biodiversity of the forests.” Point Blue biologists have been monitoring #SpottedOwls in Marin County (one of this species’ last strongholds) since 1997. Click the "News" link in our bio to read the full article and learn more about this threatened species, the challenges it’s facing, and the work underway to protect it. 📸: Juvenile Spotted Owl (they are covered in grayish white down which they shed as their feathers grow in), credit @national_parks_traveler /Carlos Porrata

🎉🌿🎧 Congrats to Point Blue’s Dr. Leo Salas, Rose Snyder, and volunteer David Leland! Part of the international #BioSCape team, they’ve been honored with a 2025 @NASA Honor Group Achievement Award for excellence in biodiversity #science. What began locally with @soundscapest2landscapes –a collaborative project that uses citizen science, audio recorders, satellite technology, and AI to assess bird diversity right here in Sonoma County–has scaled to a global effort focused on leveraging cutting-edge remote sensing technologies for biodiversity assessments in South Africa's Greater Cape Floristic Region, a global #biodiversity hotspot. Click the "News" link in our bio to read the press release. 📸: Rose Snyder in South Africa for BioSoundSCape/BioSCape

🌊🐧 We’re back with #FarallonWildlifeWatch, our new series spotlighting the incredible wildlife of the Farallon Islands. This week: the Rhinoceros Auklet! This medium-sized #seabird can be recognized by its bright orange bill, white facial plumes, and the characteristic horn adults sport during the breeding season. Our Farallon crew is quite familiar with these distinctive seabirds because the #FarallonIslands are an important breeding colony! Rhinoceros Auklets usually begin laying eggs in April–this year, the first eggs of the season were spotted on April 21st. Swipe to learn more about Rhinoceros Auklets and Point Blue’s seabird science work! And don’t forget to drop your questions in the comments! 💬🔬🪺 #WildlifeWednesday #RhinocerosAuklet

✨WHO WORE IT BETTER ✨ We’re pairing our favorite #MetGala looks with their local flora & fauna counterparts—starting with the stars of Heated Rivalry and their secretive marsh bird doubles. Rivals by day… secret lovers by night? Just like @connorstorrieofficial and @hudsonwilliamsofficial these elusive marsh birds have mastered the art of staying hidden. Let us know who wore it better in the comments! 👀🌾🐦 Inspired by our very creative friends at @open_space_authority 💙

🏛️🏔️ Scenes from Sierra Day at the Capitol! Last week, we were thrilled to join more than 40 regional leaders, local elected officials, and state policymakers in Sacramento for an annual advocacy event hosted by @sierranevadaalliance and @sierra_business_council . This event brings Sierra voices and perspectives to California lawmakers. We met with 6 legislators (there were over 25 legislators and staff in attendance!) to highlight how investments in the Sierra—and policies that support restoration, conservation, and resilience—are essential not only for our region, but for the future of California. It was an incredible day of impactful Sierra stories and #science! Thank you to our incredible event organizers, conservation partners, and legislators. 📸: Cody Reed with Corey Pargee, Executive Director of @featherriverlandtrust + Point Blue meeting with Senator Jerry McNerny (SD5) to discuss the impact of Sierra Nevada conservation on Bay-Delta communities and ecosystems.

El primer Intercambio de Experiencias Comunitarias del Programa MSP+ reunió a líderes comunitarios —incluyendo a liderazgos de Bahía de Kino y de la Nación Comcaac—, educadores, monitores ambientales y representantes de proyectos apoyados por el programa MSP+ de Point Blue. Durante varios días, el Centro Prescott se convirtió en un punto de encuentro entre territorios, saberes y experiencias, convocando a personas de Sonora y Baja California (México), del norte y sur de Colombia, y de California (EE. UU.). Entre desiertos, islas y mar, se tejieron vínculos, se compartieron historias y se fortalecieron alianzas que cruzan fronteras, guiadas por el conocimiento y liderazgo de las comunidades anfitrionas. Más que buscar una sola forma de hacer las cosas, este intercambio celebró la diversidad de caminos que las comunidades han construido para cuidar sus territorios. Nos llevamos aprendizajes, nuevas preguntas y la certeza de que el futuro se construye en colectivo. / Producción: @explorationxsustainability ———- The first MSP+ Exchange brought together community leaders —including leadership from Bahía de Kino and the Comcaac Nation— along with educators, environmental monitors, and representatives from projects supported by Point Blue’s MSP+ program. Over several days, the Kino Bay Center became a meeting ground for territories, knowledge, and lived experiences, welcoming participants from Sonora and Baja California (Mexico), northern and southern Colombia, and California (USA). Between desert, islands, and sea, connections were formed, stories were shared, and cross-border alliances took shape—guided by the knowledge and leadership of the host communities. Rather than seeking a single way of doing things, the exchange celebrated the many paths communities have built to care for their territories. We leave with new insights, new questions, and a shared understanding that the future is built collectively. / 🎥: Ulises Rancaño #birdconservation #birds #wildlifeconservation #migratorybirds communitybasedconservation