[CINC] San Nicholas Is. Lec. by J. Ugoretz: 8/21/10

[Paul Jr. Petrich]

Hello CINC Mates again, Some Good News: Following is a summary of Marine Biologist John Ugoretz's lecture Saturday afternoon " San Nicholas Island Natural Resources." John is employed by the Navy and works out of the Sustainability Office of the NAVAIR Ranges Dept. at Point Magu.   San Nick is 9Mi x 3 Mi in size, and 60 mi SW of Pt. Magu. Only 3 species of native terrestrial animals live o the island: the Island Night Lizard; the Deer Mouse; and the C I Fox. The latter is doing very well, numbering close to 500, and thriving as currently the most dense population of foxes on all the Channel Islands. Feral cats are gone. Eagles have not ventured to the island to prey on either. The Night Lizard numbers 15,000 or so, and only exists on two other islands: San Clemente and Santa Barbara.  Northern Elephant Seals now breed on the island in numbers approaching 25,000: making them account for 30% of the total California population! At the end of the 1800s only 50-100 lived on Guadeloupe Island off Baja CA. Two thirds off all the California Sea Lions in our state are also born on San Nicholas Is! Now there are 50,000 adults and about 25,000 pups. Harbor Seals also breed on the island. However, they are in lower numbers at around 800. The Navy has made the entire south coastline of the island, as well as Vizcaino Point in the west, closed areas all year for pinniped and sea bird breeding  protection.   Much has been publicized about the failed CA DFG Sea Otter relocation program to San NIck. But, according to John Ugoretz, in actuality, the only region in the state where the sea otter has been increasing in numbers over the past 5 years has been on San Nicholas. 43 now remain in island kelp forests.   Abalone stocks around San Nick plummetted as they did on all the CIs due to over harvesting and disease, however, according to studies by Dr. G. Van Blaricom of the U of Washington, Black Abalone stocks have been slowly increasing at all sites being studied on the island every year since 2001. As for the Spiny Lobster, it is in very healthy numbers numbers all around the island. It is not an endangered species, most scuba divers who look for these lobster in California waters seldom describe lobster numbers in such a manner any more.  As for birds: The California Brown Pelican does not breed on the island, but is commonly seen on the beaches and bluffs. Western Gulls breed in a large colony on the west end. The Brandt's Cormorant is a common year-round resident, nesting along the west end and south shores of the island. The endangered Snowy Plover nests on a few of the island's north shore beaches, and are seasonally protected there.   Paul Petrich    John's email is:< John.Ugoretz at navy.mil>.    		 	   		  
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