FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE			December 13, 1995

Contact:	Scott Kathey  (831) 647-4251

Monterey Bay Sanctuary Funds Study to 
Unlock Mysteries of Whale and Dolphin 
Behavior


	The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) is 
funding a $75,000 study of critical habitats for marine mammals 
within the Monterey Bay and Gulf of the Farallones National 
Marine Sanctuaries.  The project is a collaborative effort between 
researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz and Moss 
Landing Marine Laboratories.
	"One of the hottest topics in marine mammal research today is 
delineating areas in the ocean that species of marine mammals seem 
to be drawn to, and trying to determine what factor is attracting 
them to those spots," said Dr. Daniel Costa of the University of 
California at Santa Cruz, one of the principal investigators on the 
project.  "Again and again we find species of marine mammals 
congregating in certain locations within our Sanctuary, and yet we 
have no idea of what they're doing there.  Are they there to mate, to 
feed, to escape predators?  We just don't know."
	The study, selected over several competing proposals from top 
marine mammal researchers throughout the country, will focus on 
the behavior of blue whales, humpback whales, Pacific white-sided 
dolphins and harbor porpoises.  After using traditional methods of 
boat surveys to locate the animals, scientists will compare the 
distribution and abundance of each studied species with bottom 
topology, water temperature, and distribution and abundance of 
prey to determine if specific correlations can be identified.
	"Land ecologists are finding that it is much more important 
and effective to protect habitats, rather than individual organisms," 
said Terry Jackson, Manager of the Monterey Bay National Marine 
Sanctuary.  "People often view the ocean as a single mass; one bit of 
water being not much different than another.  However, to the 
animals in the ocean, a distance of just a few yards can be like the 
difference between a rain forest and a desert to us.  To better protect 
the Sanctuary's resources, we need to determine how important 
these critical habitats are and how they influence the plants and 
animals that depend on them."