Category: Science

Tracking phalaropes tagged at Mono Lake

On a string of August nights, a team of researchers from the science non-profit Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge* successfully captured, tagged, and released seven Red-necked Phalaropes and four Wilson’s Phalaropes at Mono Lake. Ten of the 11 birds have been detected…

Tracking the birds: New Motus arrays in the Mono Basin 

After more than six years of collaboration, permitting, and piecing together logistics, the Mono Lake Committee has successfully installed three new Motus arrays around Mono Lake. This marks a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to better understand the migratory movements…

Mono Lake, Mammoth, & Bishop Christmas Bird Counts

If you like the holidays, birds, and know how to count, then the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is for you! The 2024 CBC marks the 125th year that the National Audubon Society has organized this international community science event. Every…

Organism new to science found in Mono Lake’s water

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley discovered a new organism living in Mono Lake’s water—a species of choanoflagellate they named Barroeca monosierra. Choanoflagellates are single-celled, microscopic organisms that primarily feed on bacteria. Scientists have found that B. monosierra is…

Alkali fly research resumes at Mono Lake

Alkali fly (Ephydra hians) productivity at Mono Lake is a valuable indicator for understanding Mono Lake’s ecosystem health. With a life cycle that occurs almost entirely within Mono Lake’s saline waters and a diet of lake algae, alkali flies and…