Vocal communication has evolved in many animal species to fulfill specific functions that other sensory signals do not communicate. In the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), a highly social species, these vocalizations often serve a social function. Previous studies of elephant seal vocalizations typically exclude females. This study will test the hypothesis that adult female northern elephant seal vocalizations are context-dependent. To do this, we will examine both the context in which females vocalize and the type of calls they make (threat calls and pup attraction calls) across contexts. Data will be collected at the Piedras Blancas northern elephant seal rookery (San Simeon, CA). Pregnant seals will be dye-marked in early December, before they give birth. In January, we will take opportunistic audio recordings of marked seals during the remainder of the breeding season, noting associated behaviors. We will analyze call variants and associated behaviors for correlation. We expect there to be variants of both threat calls and attraction calls, and we expect these call variants to be context-dependent. Investigating the context dependency of vocal communication in adult females is important for a comprehensive understanding of the behavior of a complex social species like the northern elephant seal.

Mai Griffith is a current master’s student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo studying behavior of the Northern Elephant Seal. She received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA in Environmental Science with a minor in conservation biology. She has worked for various marine conservation nonprofits since graduating from UCLA doing work such as surveying MPA’s, restoring native sand dune habitat, and her most recent role as a scientific diver working on kelp and abalone ecosystem restoration in the Santa Monica Bay. She hopes to use her master’s degree to further her work in conservation from a specialized and animal behavior-based perspective.