California Mediterranean Research Learning Center

Research Categories:
Biological Cultural Fire Ecology	Paleontology Physical Science	Restoration Ecology Social Science

Seal sleeping on San Miguel Island

Channel Islands National Park Facts:

• Over 2,000 species of plants and animals can be found in Channel Islands National Park (145 of which are found nowhere else in the world)

• Seventeen animals and fourteen plants that occur in the park are on the federal list of threatened and endangered species

• The park, totaling approximately 250,000 acres, is ½ land and ½ marine water

• Created in 1980 because of its outstanding natural and cultural resources

• Designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976

• Recognized for its genetic diversity and importance for research

• The largest and most diverse island is Santa Cruz Island, with an area of 96 square miles (approximately one-fifth the size of the City of Los Angeles)

• The park receives 30,000 visitors and an additional 60,000 people visit its waters every year

Please contact the Channel Islands National Park for more information at (805) 658-5730, or visit their website at www.nps.gov/chis.

Biological Resources

Each of the five islands that form Channel Islands National Park has national and international significance due to the extraordinary biological resources found there. The isolation of the islands has resulted in the distinctive evolution of numerous species, subspecies, and varieties of flora and fauna. The ecological and scientific value of the islands includes:

• Pristine tide pools

• Large colonies of pinnipeds, which breed and pup on the islands

• Primary nesting area of the California Brown pelican, Xantus's Murrelet, Cassin's Auklet, and other seabirds

• Vegetation communities and species unique to the Channel Islands

• Undisturbed paleontological record of extinct island endemics, such as the pygmy mammoth

• Marine communities that are among the least altered in southern California

Through the California Mediterranean Research Learning Center (CMRLC), scientists and researchers have outstanding opportunities to study these biological resources and provide critically needed information about diversity, ecological processes, ecosystem threats, and resource management opportunities for park managers and the public.

Current Research
Scientific studies at the park focus on connecting biological research regarding endangered and endemic species, ecosystem health and function, habitat fragmentation and disturbance, and the spread of non-native species. Current research topics include:

• The effect of non-native species on island habitats

• Identifying ecological factors that support the spread of non-native plants

• The effects of removal of non-native species

• Island fox, golden eagle, and feral pig interactions

• Ecological requirements of rare plants

• Taxonomy of endemic species

Research Opportunities
The National Park Service is especially interested in all types of biological research studies that help identify, understand, and protect the natural resources found in Channel Islands National Park. Particular interest may be paid to the following:

• Habitat fragmentation

• Invasive species spread and control

• Human influences on ecosystem processes and components

• Work with bird species, nonvascular plants, and invertebrates

• Baseline inventories and natural history studies of under-studied groups such as bats, insects, and other invertebrates

• Baseline inventories and natural history studies of rare and endangered species

• Broad scale studies that link landscape level changes to biodiversity patterns, including the use of remotely sensed data