Project Information

Title: Prince William Sound Marine Bird Surveys, Synthesis and Restoration 10100751

Project Year and Number: 2010: 10100751

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2008: 080751, 2007: 070751, 2005: 050751, 2004: 040159, 2002: 02159, 2001: 01159, 2000: 00159, 1999: 99159, 1998: 98159, 1997: 97159-CLO, 1996: 96159, 1994: 94159, 1993: 93045

Principal Investigator (PI): David Irons (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Managing Agency: USFWS

Assisting Personnel: Kathy Kuletz

Research Location: Prince William Sound

Restoration Category: Monitoring

Injured Resources Addressed: Black Oystercatchers, Common Loons, Common Murres, Cormorants, Harlequin Ducks, Kittlitz's Murrelets, Marbled Murrelets, Pigeon Guillemot

Abstract: We propose to conduct small boat surveys to monitor abundance of marine birds in Prince William Sound, Alaska, during March and July 2010. Ten previous surveys have monitored population trends for marine birds and mammals in Prince William Sound after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. We will use data collected in 2010 to examine trends from summer and from winter to determine whether populations in the oiled zone are increasing, decreasing, or stable. We will also examine overall population trends for the Sound. Continued monitoring of marine birds and synthesis of the data are needed to determine whether populations injured by the spill are recovering. Data collected from 1989 to 2007 in the oiled area indicated that common loons (Gavia immer), and cormorants (Phalacrocorax spp) are increasing. Numbers of all other injured species are either not changing or are declining in the oiled area. Populations of harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus), black oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani), Kittlitz's Murrelets (Brachyramphus brevirostris), and common murres (Uria aalgae) are showing no trend in the oiled area; pigeon guillemots (Cepphus columba) and marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus)) are declining in the oiled areas of Prince William Sound. We have found high inter-annual variation in numbers of some bird species and therefore recommend continuing to conduct surveys every two years. These surveys are the only ongoing means to evaluate the recovery of most of these injured marine bird species. A survey in 2010 would also benefit the ongoing Pigeon Guillemot Restoration Research Project by providing a Sound-wide pigeon guillemot population trend estimate through 2010, facilitating a comparison to the population trend on Naked Island.


Proposal: View (174 KB)

Reports:
Annual Report FY10: View (28 KB)
Annual Report FY11: View (27 KB)
Final Report: View (24,847 KB)

Publications from this Project: None Available