Project Information

Title: Effects of Oil from EVOS on Fork-Tailed Storm Petrels Breeding in the Barren Islands, Alaska B07

Project Year and Number: 1992: B07

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 1989: B07

Principal Investigator (PI): Vernon Byrd (DOI )

Managing Agency: USFWS

Assisting Personnel: Mike Nishimoto

Research Location: KEN

Restoration Category: Damage Assessment

Injured Resources Addressed: Not Specified

Abstract: Following the oil spill, fork-tailed storm petrel colonies in the Exxon Valdez oil spill zone were visited to determine reproductive success. The study objectives were to: determine if reproductive success was lower than in pre-spill years; assess the impact of crude oil exposure on reproduction; count the number of adults contaminated by oil; and determine persistence of crude oil in the marine environment by comparing hydrocarbon contamination of petrel stomach oils with pre-spill data on hydrocarbon contamination of petrel stomach oils collected at the same site. Preliminary results suggest that there was no measurable change in the storm petrel reproductive success following the spill. However, it is difficult to conclude that the storm petrels have not been impacted by the oil spill until the stomach oil samples have been analyzed. Previous studies established that petrels dosed with oil showed significant decreases in hatching success and chick survival. A preliminary report of results has been prepared for this study but comprehensive data synthesis and analysis have not been completed. The preparation of a final report will be essential for understanding the injuries the spill caused to fork tailed storm petrels. If this information is not clearly and completely available to those responsible for restoration, it will not be possible to adequately address the restoration needs of the resource.


Proposal: View (16 KB)

Reports:
Final Report: View (443 KB)

Publications from this Project: None Available

Datasets:
EVOSTC Data Archive: Counts, timing of nesting events, productivity, oil on eggs. Final Report. Availability: Upon Request.