Salamanders on the Move On a hot June day, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Biologist Chad Mitcham met with ESF land stewards to release 50 lab-raised Santa Cruz long‑toed salamanders in a seasonal pond on Foundation‑protected lands — an important stepping stone between known populations of these highly endangered amphibians. This complements the late winter release of 1,200 larval salamanders at the Reserve (see page 2), and the results of both efforts will be jointly monitored by Reserve researchers, funded in part by a generous donation from an ESF donor. The team had originally planned to introduce the salamanders to the Foundation pond as larvae, but because of the heat, opted instead to continue raising them in controlled conditions, and release them as metamorphs, young salamanders in adult form. Dr. Barry Sinervo, famous herpetologist and leader in climate change studies, offered to raise the 6
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salamanders in his lab at UC Santa Cruz. Tragically, he died this spring, but his graduate student Regina Spranger was able to complete the work, and the new generation of salamanders will stand as one of Barry’s legacies. Regina also analyzed DNA samples that will be used to determine whether the salamanders return to the pond as breeding adults. On the evening of the release, most of the young salamanders will leave the pond, searching for moist hiding places and burrows in the nearby oak woodlands, where they will spend their adult lives. We hope to see these Santa Cruz long-toed salamanders again, in about three years, when they return to the pond to breed. Until then, our amphibian monitoring teams will be on the lookout. n For more about the life and scientific contributions of Dr. Barry Sinervo, visit https://news.ucsc.edu/2021/03/sinervo-in-memoriam.html
Photo by Inger-Marie Laursen
Marine Labs, who are working to restore habitat and implement water quality improvements. “We’ve had great success working with the farmers," says CCWG Director Ross Clark. “We see restoration as a powerful tool to solve several issues at once: improving water quality, creating wildlife habitat and protecting open space.” n
Photo by Ken Collins
This June, thanks to your contributions and a grant from the Ocean Protection Council, Elkhorn Slough Foundation acquired 34-acres of wetlands in the Moro Cojo watershed for permanent protection. Amid rolling farm fields of artichokes, the Moro Cojo Slough — a southern tributary of Elkhorn Slough — winds through Moss Landing and Castroville. Like Elkhorn Slough, the Moro Cojo supports a diverse array of birds and wildlife, including fish, such as the endangered tidewater goby. The extended Tottino family, who have an enduring legacy in establishing the now legendary artichoke industry in Castroville and the lower Salinas Valley, agreed to sell the property for wetland restoration. The project brings the conservation and farming communities together to enhance habitat and water quality. As part of the acquisition, Elkhorn Slough Foundation is partnering with Coastal Conservation and Research (CC&R) and the Central Coast Wetlands Group (CCWG) at Moss Landing
Photo courtesy of CCWG
Protecting the Moro Cojo
