Environmental Endocrinology
Laboratory

Welcome to the EEL Website

EEL is research group that employs the tools of endocrinology, toxicology and biochemistry
to understand the nature and extent of human impacts in California wildlife, particularly
relating to effects of environmental pollution in the coastal regions.   EEL also works to
develop more powerful tools for environmental studies and assessment (e.g, biomarkers of
specific contaminant effects).  Overall, the efforts are directed toward providing new
scientific data and approaches that are essential in defining best strategies and policies in
the protection and management of California's special environments.  
Biologists from EEL
and from the Ocean
Monitoring Division at
Orange County
Sanitation District
(OCSD) assessing
marine animal
populations off coast of
Huntington Beach, CA
Mountains and wetlands meet the marine environment in
Orange County, CA.  

Impacts of cities, millions of residents, and development interfere with natural ecosystems.   
The Southern California Bight is an "embayment" delineated by Point Conception near Santa Barbara and Baja California
Mexico.  This special marine environment is significantly impacted by the very large municipalities in southern California,
including Los Angeles County, Orange County and San Diego County.  More than 25 million residents live within 100 km of the
ocean, and the watersheds begin at the mountains and run through the mass humanity and their activities.

Studies to identify how these populations impact the adjacent marine environment are essential management of this important
ecosystem and the natural health of the region and its economy.
The oceanic currents in the
Southern California Bight are
complex.  The "California Current"
accounts for a general southward
current along the Pacific Coast
(the cold surfing waters of
California are due to Alaska
origins of the water!).  However,
there is a predominating northward
current operating along the
inshore regions (see small blue
arrow), caused by the complex
topography and offshore islands.  
This is the reason that southern
California seawater is a bit warmer
than that offshore of northern
California.
===============================================================================