Project Information

Title: Can Stress Hormones be Used as an Indication of Food Availability and Reproductive Performance? An Experimental Approach 01555

Project Year and Number: 2001: 01555

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: None

Principal Investigator (PI): Richard Lanctot (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Managing Agency: USGS

Assisting Personnel: Marcel Eens, Verena Gill, Scott Hatch

Research Location: Middleton Island

Restoration Category: Research

Injured Resources Addressed: Not Specified

Abstract: This project will complement and enhance Project /479, which is investigating how stress hormone levels (i.e., corticosterone) in adult seabirds relate to local food conditions and indicate the future reproductive health of a colony. This project will (a) test for differences in corticosterone levels between supplementally fed and unfed black-legged kittiwakes that are nesting at one colony, thereby removing any inherent environmental differences present when birds from two colonies are compared, (b) measure changes in corticosterone levels in adults throughout the breeding season, (c) explore the effects of adult gender on corticosterone levels, and (d) evaluate how corticosterone levels relate to an individual's reproductive success and survival, as well as overall productivity of the colony. Funding will support analysis of plasma samples collected in 2000 and preparation of manuscripts.


Proposal: View (232 KB)

Reports:
Final Report: View (2,116 KB)

Publications from this Project: None Available