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Candace Picco - MS in Marine Biology - Thesis: The Spotted Seal as an indicator of Climate Change in the Bering Sea. Investigating whether changes in the distribution and condition of spotted seals are due to spatial changes in the sea ice, and the associated spring phytoplankton bloom, as a consequence of climate forcing.

I will be using SAR and AVHRR to document the location of the Marginal Ice Zone. Using SeaWiFS and MODIS to determine the location, strength and timing of the spring phytoplankton bloom. I will be combining the location of the spotted seals, as determined using satellite tag data from 1991-1994, with satellite images of sea ice using GIS. Hope to correlate the distribution of the spotted seals with the location of the Ice Edge and the proximal phytoplankton blooms location and strength for use as a possible index for the effects of climate change on the Bering Sea ecosystem.