Project Information

Title: LTM Program: PWS Marine Bird Population Trends 17120114-M

Project Year and Number: 2017: 17120114-M

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2024: 24120114-M, 2023: 23120114-M, 2022: 22120114-M, 2021: 21120114-M, 2020: 20120114-M, 2019: 19120114-M, 2018: 18120114-M, 2016: 16120114-K, 2015: 15120114-K, 2014: 14120114-K, 2013: 13120114-K, 2012: 12120114-K

Principal Investigator (PI): Kathy Kuletz (USFWS), Robb Kaler (USFWS)

Managing Agency: USFWS

Assisting Personnel: None

Project Website: https://gulfwatchalaska.org/monitoring/pelagic-ecosystem/pws-marine-bird-population-trends/

Research Location: Prince William Sound

Restoration Category: Monitoring

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

Abstract:

We propose to conduct small boat-based surveys to monitor abundance of marine birds in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska, during July 2018 and July 2020. Historical data include fourteen surveys spanning 1989 to 2014 (a fifteenth survey will be conducted in July 2016) and have been used to monitor population trends for marine birds in PWS following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS). Continued long-term monitoring of marine birds in PWS and synthesis of the data are needed to determine recovery of marine bird populations injured by the spill, as well as evaluate the possible effects of climate variability and climate change on these populations. Data collected from 1989 to 2014 indicated that pigeon guillemots (Cepphus columba) and Brachyramphus murrelets had declined in the oiled areas of PWS. Furthermore, declines were observed of offshore-associated plantivorous and piscivorous genera of marine birds suggesting that changes have likely occurred in the pelagic food webs of PWS. Continuation of boat-based marine bird surveys in PWS will (i) build upon an important data set for long-term monitoring of population recovery of marine bird species following the EVOS, and (ii) provide managers and researchers with a tool to track impacts of climate variability and climate change on important groups of marine predators. Marine bird surveys compliment the benthic monitoring and forage fish monitoring aspects (including Middleton Island proposed project) of the Long-term Monitoring Project by providing a population trend index useful for interpreting marine ecosystem patterns observed in PWS.


Proposal: View (650 KB)

Reports:
Annual Report FY17: View (284 KB)
Final Report: See Project 21120114-M

Publications from this Project: None Available