Project Information

Title: Marbled Murrelet Foraging Patterns in PWS 94102

Project Year and Number: 1994: 94102

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 1995: 95102

Principal Investigator (PI): Kathy Kuletz (DOI )

Managing Agency: USFWS

Assisting Personnel: Rick Burns, Debbie Flint, Dennis Marks, Lynn Prestash

Research Location: Prince William Sound

Restoration Category: Research

Injured Resources Addressed: Common Murres, Marbled Murrelets

Abstract: Marbled murrelets are the most abundant seabird in Prince William Sound (PWS). Murrelet population declined significantly since the early 1970’s, but suffered high mortality after the EVOS. The concurrent decline of other species using similar prey (Pacific sand lance, capelin, pollock, herring) is being studied. This is a multi-year study plan to determine if food availability is limiting the recovery of the PWS murrelet population by comparing inter-annual differences in murrelet foraging and reproductive parameters to relative prey abundance in PWS. This year the foraging ecology of murrelets in an area with potentially abundant prey and in an area with potentially scarce prey will be described. Prey species will be identified, foraging areas located, and the relationship between foraging areas and nesting areas will be determined. The data will be transferred to a Geographic Information System in Anchorage. The factors that best explain the presence of murrelets will be described. Information will be integrated with forage fish surveys and other general seabird surveys.


Proposal: Not Available

Reports:
Final Report: View (5,101 KB)

Publications from this Project: None Available

Datasets:
EVOSTC Data Archive: Data point file with aerial resighting locations of radio tagged marbled murrelets. Locations of capture sites where dead murrelets were found. Atlas GIS Availability: Upon request.