Project Information

Title: LTM Program - Long-term monitoring of seabird abundance and habitat associations during late fall and winter in Prince William Sound. 14120114-C

Project Year and Number: 2014: 14120114-C

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2021: 21120114-E, 2020: 20120114-E, 2019: 19120114-E, 2018: 18120114-E, 2017: 17120114-E, 2016: 16120114-C, 2015: 15120114-C, 2013: 13120114-C, 2012: 12120114-C

Principal Investigator (PI): Mary Anne Bishop (Prince William Sound Science Center)

Managing Agency: NOAA

Assisting Personnel: Michele Buckhorn, Kathy Kuletz, Dick Thorne

Project Website: https://gulfwatchalaska.org/monitoring/pelagic-ecosystem/long-term-monitoring-of-seabird-abundance-and-habitat-associations-during-late-fall-and-winter-in-prince-william-sound/

Research Location: Prince William Sound

Restoration Category: Monitoring

Injured Resources Addressed: Common Murres, Kittlitz's Murrelets, Marbled Murrelets, Pigeon Guillemot

Abstract:

This project is a component of the integrated Gulfwatch Long-term Monitoring of Marine Conditions and Injured Resources and Services submitted by McCammon et.al. The vast majority of seabird monitoring in areas affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill has taken place around breeding colonies during the reproductive season, a time when food is generally at its most plentiful. However, late fall through winter are critical periods for survival as food tends to be relatively scarce or inaccessible, the climate more extreme, light levels reduced, day length shorter and water temperatures colder. Of the seabirds that overwinter in PWS, nine species were initially injured by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, including three species that have not yet recovered (marbled murrelet, Kittlitz’s murrelet and pigeon guillemot). Here we propose to continue to monitor from 2012 through 2016 seabird abundance, species composition, and habitat associations using multiple surveys (up to 5 surveys per season) during late fall and winter. The data will improve our predictive models of seabird species abundance and distribution in relation to biological and physical environmental factors. In addition, by monitoring the top-down forcing by seabirds, a major source of herring predation, this project will complement the suite of PWS HRM studies, including improved mortality estimates for herring population models. This project is part of the pelagic component within the integrated Gulf Watch LTM program submitted by McCammon et. al. Our project uses as observing platforms the vessels associated with the LTM Humpback Whale surveys and PWS HRM Juvenile Herring Abundance Index as well as the Extended Adult Herring Biomass Surveys and integrates the seabird observations with those studies.


Proposal: View (19,995 KB)

Reports:
Annual Report FY14: View (171 KB)
Final Report: See Project 16120114-C

Publications from this Project: None Available