Volume 28 Number 1 Spring 2001

Dedicated to the Study and Conservation of Pacific Seabirds

and Their Environment

The Pacific Seabird Group (PSG) was formed in 1972 due to the need for better communication among Pacific seabird
researchers. The Group coordinates and stimulates the field activities of members involved in research, and it informs its
members and the general public of conservation issues relating to Pacific Ocean seabirds and the marine environment. Group
meetings are held annually, and the PSG publication. Pacific Seabirds (formerly the PSG Bulletin), is issued twice a year.
Current activities include involvement in seabird sanctuaries, seabird restoration after oil spills, seabird/fisheries interactions,
and endangered species. Policy statements are issued on conservation issues of critical importance. Although PSG's primary
area of interest is the West Coast of North America and adjacent areas of the Pacific Ocean, it is hoped that seabird enthusiasts
in other parts of the world will join and participate in PSG. PSG is a member of the U.S. Section of the International
Council for Bird Preservation, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (lUCN), and. the American Bird
Conservancy. Annual dues for membership are $25 (individual and family); $15 (student, undergraduate and graduate); and
$750 (Life Membership, payable in five $150 installments). Dues are payable to the Treasurer; see Membeiship/Order Form
next to inside back cover for details and application.

Pacific Seabirds

Pacific Seabirds (ISSN 1089-6317) is published twice a year, in the spring and fall, and contains news of interest to PSG
members, including regional seabird research, conservation news, and abstracts of papers presented at the annual meeting.
Pacific Seabirds publishes short research articles, reports on seabird conservation, and shorter items on conservation, r^arch
activities, and other topics related to the objectives of PSG. All materials should be submitted to the Editor, except that
conservation-related material should be submitted to the Associate Editor for Conservation, Information for contributors to
Pacific Seabirds is at the end of this issue. Deadlines are March 15 and September 15. Back issues of the Bulletin or Pacific
Seabirds may be ordered from the treasurer: please remit $2.50 each for Vols.l-8 (1974-1981) and $5.00 each for Vol. 9' and
later (see Membership/Order Form next to inside back cover for details).

World Wide Web Site

http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/PacBirds/

Permanent Address

Pacific Seabird Group
Box 179, 4505 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105

Editor

Vivian M. Mendenhall, 4600 Rabbit Creek Rd., Anchorage, AK 99516 USA. Telephone (907) 345-7124; Fax (907) 345-
0686; E-mail: fasgadair@att.net.

Associate Editor for Conservation

Craig S. Harrison, 4001 North 9th Street, Arlington, VA 22203 USA. Telephone: (202) 778-2240, Facsimile: (202) 778-2201,
E-mail: charrison@erols.com

Donations

The Pacific Seabird Group is a nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of California. Contributions to
the Pacific Seabird Group are tax deductible [IRS Section 501(c)(3)] to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Pacific Seabirds Submission Deadlines

All items intended for publication in Pacific Seabirds must be received by The Editor or Associate Editor for Conservation
prior to March 15 (Spring issue) and September 15 (Fall issue). Manuscripts may be submitted at any time.

PACIFIC SEABIRDS

A Publication of the Pacific Seabird Group

Dedicated to the Study and Conservation of Pacific Seabirds and Their Environment

Volume 28 2001 Number 1

Report

Midway Atoll: Problems in Paradise? By Vivian M. Mendenhall *

Special Achievement Award

Hiroshi Hasegawa. By Ken Morgan ^

Conservation News ;

PSG News

Elections to’Executive Council

Executive Council Candidates Needed

Awards at the 2001 PSG Annual Meeting

Would You Like to Honor Someone with an Award?......

PSG Increases Membership Dues

PSG 2002 Meeting To Be Held in Santa Barbara

Secretary’s Report •

Letters

Petrel Classics Updated. By John Warham 21

Abstracts of Papers and Posters Presented at the 28*** Annual Meeting 22

General Information

Information for Contributors to Pacific Seabirds

Published Symposia of PSG ^2

PSG Committees

Life Members and Recipients of Awards ^

Membership Application and Order Form

Executive Council 2001

Inside back cover

REPORT

MIDWAY ATOLL: PROBLEMS IN PARADISE?

Vivian M. Mendenhall

Midway Atoll is a major
subtropical seabird colony. It also has
endangered species, a coral lagoon,
monuments to a battle that changed the
course of history, a residential
subdivision, and an eco-tourism
industry. The PSG field trip to Midway
on 10-17 February 2001 provided
members with a superb week of
watching and photographing seabirds
in a very unusual setting.

Our first evening on Midway was
a good introduction to its surreal
aspects. Our 737 arrived at dusk and
circled several times while a fire truck
shooed albatrosses off the runway. A
tourist van drove us to the hotel.
Several of us decided to find dinner,
although the main dining facility was
closed for the evening. We walked
along a street past manicured lawns,
tropical flowering shrubs, and
suburban houses. Every foot of ground
was thronged with Laysan Albatrosses
{Phoebastria immutabilis), and the
warm night was filled with their
honking, clattering, and twittering.
Bonin Petrels (Pterodroma hypoleuca)
fluttered past like gray-and-white
ghosts. Presently we found a tiny back-
room cafe that served delicate Sri
Lankan crepes and lively curries. In
other venues Mai Tais and gourmet
French dinners were options. Back in
our rooms, we had our choice of
watching television or gazing at the
bobbing and sky-pointing albatrosses
directly below our windows.

Midway is a birder’s paradise, and
it offers the unique opportunity to
mingle with seabirds while enjoying all
the comforts of a modest resort. Our
thoughts occasionally turned to the
conditions in which biologists
normally visit colonies— tents in the
sand with the sun beating down.

counting every cup of fresh water,
beans and granola bars for supper.
Questions inevitably arose about the
strategy of mingling birds and tourism
on the same small islands. We learned
a great deal during our stay about
Midway Atoll National Wildlife
Refuge, its problems, and the issues
that must be resolved there in order to
protect seabirds in the long term.

PRESENT-DAY MIDWAY

Midway Atoll consists of three
low islands and a 10-km-wide circle of
barrier reef (Figure 1). Sand Island is
2,960 ha (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service [USFWS] 2000). There are two
paved runways, a network of roads,
several dozen buildings, and a small
harbor. Park-like lawns and shade trees
surround the buildingsj beyond the
settlement, most of the island is
forested with ironwoods {CasuQTina
equsetifolia). Eastern Island is 825 ha
and is largely covered with scrub.
Structures have been removed, but
there are still extensive areas of
abandoned concrete runway. Spit
Island is 15 ha of sand and low
vegetation.

Midway’s infrastructure derives
from the Navy. Buildings include a
dining hall, a medical clinic, houses, a
small theater, and former barracks, two
of which have been renovated as
simple hotels. There are also a number
of historic structures, from command
buildings to underground bunkers.
Paths lead to white sand beaches beside
the radiantly blue lagoon. Sand Island
could be a standard subtropical resort,
except for the seabirds nesting on every
lawn and the fact that visitor
movements are restricted to minimize
disturbance of wildlife.

Midway’s islands and waters are
under the jurisdiction of Midway Atoll
National Wildlife Refuge, whose
headquarters is on the island (which is
unusual for a remote refuge). The
refuge has a staff of six, including
manager Ron Anglin, biologist Nancy
Hoffman, and a recreation planner and
ranger to handle visitors. Three other
organizations also have offices on the
island. A for-profit corporation, the
Midway Phoenix Corporation (MPC),
maintains the buildings, utilities, and
airport, and provides support services
to residents under a cooperative
agreement with USFWS. In return,
MPC runs an eco-tourism business that
brings birdwatchers, devotees of
military history, sport fishers and
divers, and volunteers to the islands.
The Oceanic Society, a nonprofit
conservation group, runs field research
and monitoring, in participation with
USFWS, and leads eco-tours. Summer
recreation is provided by another
subcontractor, Midway Sport Fishing
and Diving. The total resident
population of Midway is about 160.
Nonresident cooperators include the
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS), which has principal
responsibility for the endangered
Hawaiian Monk Seal {Mortachus
schauinslandi) and shares jurisdiction
over marine turtles with USFWSj the
National Park Service, which helps
with historic resources; the US Navy,
which is removing contaminants; and
the Friends of Midway, a nonprofit
organization that assists with
volunteers and funding.

HISTORY

In common with most oceanic
islands, Midway Atoll underwent
drastic changes in the last century. The

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 2

REPORTS

contaminants, and prepared the island
for civilian management. In 1996,
USFWS formed a 20-year partnership
with MFC to manage the island’s
facilities and provide wildlife-oriented
recreation. The public began visiting
the island in August of that year.

Wildlife management has
coexisted with strategic uses of
Midway during parts of its history.
Theodore Roosevelt initiated Navy
control of the atoll in order to
discourage the slaughtering of birds by
feather hunters (Rauzon 2001). Bird
populations were severely reduced
during the Cold War by habitat
destruction, introduced predators, and
direct kill (Baldwin and Fisher 1946).
USFWS later assisted the Navy with
wildlife management, and the island
was accorded formal refuge status in
1988. When the Navy decommissioned
the base, it removed or reduced various
hazards to birds, such as antennas,
bright lights, and contaminated soils.
Black rats {Rattus rattus) were
exterminated using snap traps and
anticoagulant baits (Rauzon 2001; EB
Flint, pers. comm.).

FIGURE 1. Midway Atoll. Top; Hawaiian Islands, showing location of
Midway; middle: Midway Atoll; bottom: detail of Sand Island, with
runways, paved roads, buildings (solid rectangles), and tanks (solid circles).

natural habitat of Eastern Island was
grass and scrub; that of Sand Island
was sparsely-vegetated sand dunes
(Harrison 1990). The first known
inhabitants of Midway were survivors
of shipwrecks and poachers in the
commercial feather trade. The islands’
first permanent settlers were operators
of the first trans-Pacific telephone
cable just after 1900. Pacific Cable
Company employees built colonial-
style buildings (which are still
standing), and they began modifying
the desolate environment with
imported topsoil, grass, and trees. Pan
American Airways operated a hotel in
thel930s for passengers on its
transpacific route.

Midway was put under U.S. Navy
Jurisdiction in 1903. A full-scale naval
air base was constructed in 1940-43.
Buildings were put on Sand Island,
runways on Eastern and then Sand

Island (Rauzon 2001). Midway was
attacked on the same day as Pearl
Harbor, killing four Americans. In June
1942 the Japanese Navy approached
Midway with the intent of capturing all
the Hawaiian Islands. The U.S. fleet
won the Battle of Midway, thereby
permanently seizing the momentum of
the war in the Pacific. (When I was on
Midway, people from both nations
were touring historic buildings and
watching seabirds — a fitting evolution
in relations.) During the 1950’s and
1960’s the base was expanded. The
airport was enlarged, and a permanent
community of up to 3,500 people
enjoyed a movie theater, school,
church, and golf course.

The Navy closed down operations
on Midway in 1993 and
decommissioned the base in 1997. In
the interim it removed equipment and
some buildings, cleaned up major

FAUNA AND TRENDS

Breeding populations of Midway’s
seabirds are listed in Table 1. The most
numerous seabird on Midway is the
Laysan Albatross; two-thirds of its
world population nest on Midway.
Whole-island counts have been
conducted since 1996. Numbers of
Laysans estimated on Midway have
declined during the past decade
(429,300 ± 83,067 pairs in 1992,
387,854 in 1996, and 284,600 in 2000;
USFWS, unpubl. data). However,
trends of albatrosses on Midway are
not yet clear-cut; methods differed
between 1992 (quadrats extrapolated to
total area) and subsequent censuses
(total counts of islands). Past trends are
virtually unknown. Fisher and Baldwin
(1946) estimated only 110,000
individuals (55,000 pairs), which
suggests an increase since World War
II. Birds may have been recovering
from impacts of the war, feather
hunting 40 years earlier, or both.
Black- footed Albatrosses are less

Pacific Seabirds * Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 3

REPORTS

numerous (Table 1), but Midway’s
colony is second only to that on Laysan
island. Numbers of Black- foots have
fluctuated on Midway without apparent
overall trend (USFWS, unpubl. data).
Laysan Albatrosses nest prolifically on
open modified substrates on Midway,
such as lawns. They even breed in
woodland, although this habitat is less
favorable. Black-foots prefer sandy
substrates, and since at least the 1940’s
have largely been restricted to the
periphery of Midway’s islands (Fisher
and Baldwin 1946, USFWS 2001).
ironically, Harrison et al. (1984)
suggest that humans may inadvertently
have improved this habitat for Black-
foots by importing dune-stabilizing
vegetation.

Productivity of albatrosses is
monitored annually on 20 x 20m plots.
Estimates for nest success since 1987
for Black-footed Albatrosses on
Midway are 0.53-0.86 (USFWS,
unpubl. data). Data also have been
collected for Laysan Albatrosses but
have not yet been summarized.
Monitoring methods are being refined,
although some improvements would
require an increase in volunteers.

Midway’s most renowned
nonbreeding bird is the Short-tailed
Albatross {Phoebastria albatrus). One
or two individuals have been sighted in
the Laysan/Black-foot colony since the
1940’s; in recent years there have been
two, one each on Sand and Eastern
islands. Two additional birds were
sighted in January and March 2001 but
did not remain. In an effort to expand
the breeding range of this endangered
species, decoys of Short-tails and
recordings of their calls were placed on
Eastern Island in October 2000.

Several species have been
increasing since the eradication of rats.
Rats reduced Bonin Petrel
{Pterodroma hypoleuca) populations
on Sand Island and eliminated them
from Eastern Island (Rauzon 2001), but
they are now breeding successfully and
increasing on both islands (E. Flint,
pers. comm). Brown Boobies (Sula
leucogaster) also have returned since
rats were removed; one nested on
Eastern in 1999 (Ron Anglin, pers.

comm.). Bulwer’s Petrel {Bulweria
bulwerii) was extirpated on Midway by
rats (Harrison et al. 1984); this species
and Tristram’s Storm-Petrels
{Oceanodroma tristrami) have visited
again recently but have not yet bred (E.
Flint, pers. comm). Several other
species such as Wedge-tailed
Shearwaters (Puffinus pacijicus) and
Sooty Terns {Sterna fuscata) were
reduced by rats (Harrison et al. 1984).
They probably are increasing, but they
have not been censused since rats were
removed.

USFWS and its cooperators
currently are monitoring breeding
populations of albatrosses. Red-footed
Booby, Great Frigatebird, and Gray-
backed Tern. Reproductive success is
monitored for the albatrosses and for
the Bonin Petrel, Christmas
Shearwater, Red-tailed and White-
tailed Tropicbird, Brown Noddy, and
White Tern.

Other birds on Midway include
wintering shorebirds, such as Pacific
Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva) and
Bristle-thighed Curlew (Numenius
tahitiensis), and a large variety of
occasional migrants. Two exotic
songbirds are resident, the Common
Myna {Acridotheres tristis) and Canary
{Serinus carius).

USFWS also manages Midway’s
lagoon and surrounding waters, which
contain one of the Pacific’s most
northerly coral reef communities. The
agency is studying two dominant
predators, the spinner dolphin {Stenella
longirostris) and giant trevally {Caranx
ignobilis), the former in cooperation
with the Oceanic Society. Most
beaches are now off-limits to human
activity for the benefit of the
endangered Hawaiian monk seal and
the threatened green sea turtle
{Chelonia mydas). Monk seal use of
Sand Island beaches has increased
greatly, and a few are breeding on
Eastern and Spit Islands. NMFS
monitors seal populations, and the two
agencies are cooperating on monitoring
and tagging studies of the turtle. Two
long-term projects are monitoring the
health and species composition of
corals in the lagoon, through joint

efforts of USFWS, U.S. Geological
Survey, NMFS, the University of
Hawaii, the Bishop Museum in
Honolulu, and others. Recreational
diving and catch-and-release sport
fishing take place in the warmer
months.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Care of historic structures is part
of USFWS’s mandate on Midway.
Many visitors come primarily for the
island’s history and approach it with
the reverence of pilgrims. Seventy-
eight structures and other objects are
considered eligible for the National
Register of Historic Places, and several
are formally included in a National
Historic Landmark, Midway Atoll was
designated a National Memorial to the
Battle of Midway by the Secretary of
the Interior in early 2000.

Almost all the relict buildings are
decaying; a few are slowly being
stabilized and restored with the help of
the Oceanic Society, Friends of
Midway, Midway Phoenix
Corporation, and volunteers. Among
the few non-military relics, buildings
of the Pacific Cable Company still
surround a pleasant plaza. Pan
American Airways’ hotel complex
deteriorated beyond the point of repair
and was removed in 1957.

THREATS

Although great improvements
have been made in management of
seabirds on Midway, problems remain
with exotic species, contaminants,
marine litter, bird-aircraft conflicts,
lights, structures, and human activity.

Exotic plants now occupy most of
Sand and Eastern Islands. Ironwood
trees, which are native to Australia,
grow rapidly to over 15 m. Their
woodlands and dense thickets reduce
the habitat available to albatrosses,
although some Laysans attempt to nest
in stands of trees. USFWS has killed
the ironwoods on Eastern Island with
herbicide and is removing the snags.
The extent to which ironwoods should
be removed from Sand Island is still
being debated. Many stands could be
thinned or eliminated. However, trees

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 * Spring 2001 • Page 4

REPORTS

now provide essential nesting habitat
for several seabirds, such as White
Terns, Black Noddies, and White-tailed
Tropicbirds, which have increased on
Midway since pre-settlement times
(Harrison et al. 1984). Also, visitors
and residents appreciate the shade from
trees in the residential area.

The most pernicious introduced
plant is a composite, the golden crown-
beard {Verbesina encelioides). This
weed is widespread on Sand and
Eastern Islands. Meter-high thickets
exclude albatrosses from nesting
habitat; the birds will nest in clearings,
but new growth entangles fledglings as
they try to reach the sea. Control
methods are being studied by USFWS.
Volunteer currently control the plant
in selected areas by repeated weeding.
Areas not now occupied by Verbesina,
including the present lawns, are likely
to be invaded without constant control
(R. Anglin and E.B. Flint, pers.
comm.). Verbesina, sunflower {Bidens
alba), and field mustard {Brassica
campestris) harbor introduced
mosquitoes that infect birds with avian
pox (Harrison 1990, Rauzon 2001).

Exotic animals formerly included
the black rat, which was introduced
from Navy ships during World War II
(Fisher and Baldwin 1946). This
predator eliminated most burrow-
nesting seabirds. Rats and habitat
destruction caused the worldwide
extinction of the Laysan Rail {Porzana
palmeri), which itself was introduced
to Midway in 1891 and survived only
on this atoll by 1940 (Fisher and
Baldwin 1946, Rauzon 2001). The
black rat is gone, but other exotic
species are still causing concern. A
thriving population of house mice {Mus
musculus) remains on Sand Island.
Mynas are predators of small eggs and
nestlings (Harrison et al. 1984). Exotic
beetles attack native and introduced
vegetation, and exotic ants attack the
faces and feet of young White Terns
(Harrison 1990). Methods to eradicate
introduced ants are currently being
tested on Midway.

Contaminants continue to linger
from the military period. Although the
Navy removed paint and soils that

contained lead, Myra Finkelstein from
the University of California has found
that albatross chicks in some locations
still carry potentially lethal lead
residues. Additional cleanup of walls
and nearby soils is needed (Finkelstein
et al. 2001). Other contaminants are
being investigated by USFWS and
Kater Bourdon of the University of
Hawaii. A Navy contractor will remove
three old shipwrecks from the lagoon
this year and will bury PCB-
contaminated soils. Several Navy
seawalls constructed of sheet piling are
rusting away. One of these walls
supports a dump that contains asbestos
and may soon contaminate the lagoon
if the wall is not reinforced (R. Anglin,
pers. comm.).

Marine debris is a chronic
problem everywhere, including on
Midway. In each of the last two years,
USFWS and its cooperators and
volunteers picked up over 1 1,000 kg of
discarded netting and other trash on
Midway. The Oceanic Society has
requested informally that volunteers
pick up plastic lighters from the ground
in colonies. They have filled bins at
their office with several thousand sun-
bleached lighters. This dramatizes the
problem very effectively, although
presumably it does not reduce the
number that are floating at sea.

Conflicts with aircraft have been
a hazard to birds and people since the
first landings on Midway.
Approximately 100 birds formerly
were struck each year (Harrison et al.
1984), although no human lives have
been lost. Over 50,000 albatrosses
were killed by the Navy from 1940 to
1970 in an effort to reduce numbers
near the airport. However, the most
effective measure was to remove sand
dunes near the runway over which the
birds were soaring (Rauzon 2001). As
required by MFC’s agreement with
USFWS, aircraft are now asked to
arrive and leave at night. This
limitation is adhered to by MFC’s
charter flights. However, MFC also
runs a refueling service for trans-
pacific flights. Private and military
aircraft (although not airliners) stop at
Midway one or more times each week.

and they arrive and depart at all times
of day. USFWS is studying bird flight
patterns in relation to wind speed ^d
direction, time of day, and other
variables in hopes of providing better
advice to pilots.

Outdoor lights can be
disorienting to nocturnal birds.
Outdoor lighting has been reduced by
USFWS, but some lights are necessary
at night on roads and at the airport.
Friends of Midway is planning to
support the design and installation of
light shades to reduce disorientation of
birds.

Structures erected by humans are
a potential hazard. Antennas that were
struck by albatrosses and Sooty Terns
(Harrison et al. 1984) were removed
before the Navy left* the tallest
structure at present is the water tower.
Electric power and light poles remain
along streets, and there is some
mortality among albatrosses and other
seabirds from collisions with poles.
USFWS has not permitted the
construction of new poles or permanent
antennas.

Human visitors can disturb birds
and damage habitat. Populations of
most birds on Midway were reduced
during World War II. A few species
were persecuted intentionally, but most
were harmed inadvertently by
construction or outdoor recreation
(Fisher and Baldwin 1946). The
resident human population now is far
lower than during the peak of Navy
activity. Visitors arrive on organized
tours and on their own, by air and
occasionally on cruise ships. However,
the refuge places limitations on visitor
activities to keep them compatible with
wildlife. Only 100 visitors may be on
Midway at one time. People may go to
any part of Sand Island, but they are
restricted to roads, paths, and a small
section of the beach (unless they are
participating in approved field work).
Eastern Island can be visited only on a
tour with a biologist or ranger. Visitors
have to move slowly on Sand
Island — they may travel by foot, or
they may rent golf carts or bicycles that
have only one gear. USFWS must
approve all activities on the island. The

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 5

REPORTS

refuge tries to permit only those
projects that are oriented towards
wildlife or historic remains and that do
not create a hazard for either.

USFWS has restricted outdoor
sports, which mostly are played by
residents. A softball field was
eliminated, a tennis court was moved
indoors, and cricket and golf are
permitted only when ground-nesting
birds are absent from the island, on
ground without the burrows of ground-
nesting birds. Volleyball is permitted
on the public north beach.

Maintenance of outdoor
amenities around buildings can entail
conflicts with wildlife. Lawns within
the settlement are mowed to keep up a
park-like appearance, and to control
seedlings of ironwood and Verbesina
that otherwise would spread. USFWS
has reduced the area mowed by half.
Grounds crews also remove unattended
eggs and dead birds in the interests of
aesthetics (these items are delivered to
USFWS). Even though mowing crews
are careful and nesting albatrosses
appear to tolerate passing mowers,
there are potential conflicts between
lawn-mowing and birds. Abandonment
or destruction of nests could occur, and
burrows of Bonin Petrels could be
crushed. There are no data on the
impacts of mowing on the productivity
of lawn-nesting birds.

FUTURE SEABIRD
MANAGEMENT NEEDS

Much progress has been made in
the conservation of Midway’s seabirds
since USFWS began cooperating with
the Navy, especially since full
management of the atoll was assumed
by the refuge. The refuge’s first
priority should be to continue programs
that are currently underway, with
expansion or modification of some.
Additional needs for seabird
management in the immediate future
were suggested to me by refuge
personnel, other informants, and my
own observations. I have listed the
ideas in approximate order of priority,
but the list is not exhaustive. Most of
the recommendations would require
additional funds and personnel.

Rehabilitate the seawall that
separates the dump from the
lagoon.

If there is concern about a
declining population of any
species, monitor it more frequently
(e.g., every 2 years), so that
statistically reliable trends can be
determined within a reasonable
time.

Expand monitoring of albatross
productivity, and monitor in early
morning or late evening when
chicks are most likely to be at
nests.

Monitor populations and
productivity of additional seabird
species, such as Wedge-tailed
Shearwaters and Sooty Terns.
Expand studies of methods to
eradicate exotic vegetation and
animals.

Monitor effects (whether positive
or negative) of eradication
programs on breeding bird species.
Restrict all aircraft operations to
night, except for emergencies, and
advertise this rule in Federal
Aviation Administration manuals
and commercial aviation
publications.

• Place all electric poles
underground, except for essential
light poles.

• Eradicate house mice.

• Study the impacts on ground-
nesting birds of mowing lawns.
(This problem is more restricted in
its impact than several others,
however.)

^ Remove remaining lead paint and

lead-contaminated soil. (This
problem is more restricted in its
impact than most others,
however.)

management CONUNDRUMS
USFWS is mandated to “preserve,
protect and restore the biological
diversity and historic resources of
Midway Atoll, while providing
opportunity for wildlife-dependent
recreation, education and scientific
research” (USFWS 2001). This
mission is similar to that for many
other wildlife refuges. Midway is

unique among remote islands in
possessing facilities that could be
converted to a resort. It therefore is the
only place under United States
jurisdiction where the public can visit a
Pacific atoll ecosystem and see a major
seabird colony.

Visitors entail complications,
some of which have not yet been
resolved. It has been suggested that
USFWS would do better to withdraw
all residents from the island, except
perhaps for two or three refuge staff,
and make seasonal visits to monitor
populations and restore habitats.
Midway then could revert to the
condition of other northwestern
Hawaiian islands, with exotic plants
and some relics of human occupation,
but with sounds and movement only
from birds, wind, and sea. In ways this
is an appealing option.

However, a withdrawal of
permanent residents from Midway
would have major drawbacks. One loss
would be the opportunity for the public
to see a major seabird colony at close
range and to learn about the atoll
ecosystem, conservation, and scientific
work. Midway offers a unique
opportunity for this kind of education,
and it thus can fill a vital niche in
seabird conservation efforts. Visitors to
Midway also are a direct asset to
management of the refuge. USFWS
makes use of volunteers nationwide,
and their assistance on Midway is
considerable. Ten to 14 volunteers
spend 2 to 3 months each year on the
islands; 3 to 8 are present at any one
time. Approximately 100 other
volunteers spend shorter times (a few
hours to a few weeks) assisting with
labor-intensive projects. Volunteers
supply most of the manpower for many
aspects of wildlife management on
Midway, including seabird population
counts and productivity monitoring,
restoration of seabird habitat through
removal of exotic plants, picking up
marine debris from beaches and
lagoon, renovation of historic
structures, computer and graphic arts,
and even maintenance. Long-term
volunteers are supported by USFWS.
Short-term volunteers arrive in groups
organized by the Oceanic Society,
Friends of Midway, and Elderhostel, or

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 * Spring 2001 • Page 6

REPORTS

come on their own; the ad hoc help of
interested tourists is recruited on many
days. All short-term volunteers pay
their own expenses.

Visitors and volunteers are
permitted on the island because refuge
staff are present to oversee their
activities. Additional residents are
needed to provide support services,
such as electricity, water supply, meals,
and a medical clinic (the latter is
needed because other medical care is at
least 7 hours away, counting the time
for a plane to reach the island and
return to Honolulu). The airfield makes
these support facilities possible; in
turn, it depends on personnel and
infrastructure for safe operation.
Without permanent residents, the
airfield would be shut down, as has
been done on Kure Atoll to the
northwest of Midway. Cooperators and
visitors then would be excluded from
the island.

If all staff and volunteers were
removed from Midway, USFWS
presumably could establish a small
field camp there. Temporary field
camps operate on several northwestern
Hawaiian islands, and a permanent one
is on French Frigate Shoals. However,
field camps could not support the
current scale of monitoring and habitat
restoration on Midway. The refuge
would be unable to maintain some
programs or to expand any of them.
Another consequence would be further
loss of albatross nesting habitat,
because without regular weed control,
aggressive plants like ironwood and
Verbesina would invade habitats that
are now free of them (R. Anglin, pers.
comm.). Without refuge staff to
enforce limits on human activity, there
also is the danger that unauthorized
visitors would disturb seabirds and
damage habitats. This is a potential
problem on many remote islands, but
the problem is worse at Midway
because access is easy there.

A problem that overshadows all
management strategies on Midway is
lack of funding. Small grants have
been obtained to help with field work
and historic restoration, and MFC also
contributes to these activities.
However, at present MFC is not
earning enough from its eco-tourism

business on Midway to cover expenses,
and the corporation is considering
whether to terminate its operation. If
this happened, USFWS would be likely
to seek a new partnership. The
alternative would be to end visitor
access and many other USFWS
programs.

CONCLUSIONS

Conservation of seabirds on
Midway has advanced greatly in the
last decade, thanks to a reduction in the
number of human residents, enhanced
protection from disturbance, and
habitat restoration. Much more needs
to be done, however. Some are
proposing that humans should depart
from Midway. However, others believe
this would be short-sighted. Midway’s
seabirds are benefiting from habitat
restoration, but an ongoing effort is
needed to control exotic plants and
animals and to clean up contaminants.
Monitoring of seabird populations also
is vital. It seems especially critical to
improve conditions at Midway for
Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses,
since the atoll supports a major part of
both species’ world populations, which
may be declining (USFWS, unpubl.
data).

Although the idea of “leaving it to
Nature” is attractive, this often is a bad
option where the ecosystem has been
severely damaged by man. Midway
will need our continued intervention
for some time to come. Eco-tourism
and education there also are of benefit
to seabird conservation worldwide.

Solutions to Midway’s funding
problems are not simple. Eco-tourism
can help support conservation on
Midway, but it probably is unrealistic
to think that private enterprise can do
the whole job. This is especially true
because some endeavors that can prove
profitable for island corporations, such
as agriculture or fishing port services,
probably could not be permitted on
Midway. More financial support for
conservation on Midway is being
sought from various sources. However,
secure funding needs to be
underpinned by the federal
government. Responsibility for
Midway’s resources rests with
USFWS, but this agency’s stake in the

atoll is shared by the National Park
Service, NMFS, and the Department of
Defense.

Midway Atoll is significant to the
entire nation. We need a national
commitment to ensure its future.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I received much helpful information
from several people, particularly Ron
Anglin, Nancy Hoffman, Beth Flint, and
Rob Shallenberger of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Wayne Sentman of the
Oceanic Society, and Ray Sweeny of the
Friends of Midway. (Opinions are my own,
however.)

LITERATURE CITED
Finkelstein, M., B. Keitt, D. Croll, B.
Tershy, and D. Smith. 2001. Lead
poisoning in Laysan Albatross
{Phoebastria immutabilis) chicks:
evaluation of contaminant sources on
Midway Atoll using stable lead isotopic
composition. Pacific Seabirds 28(1), in
press. (Abstract.)

Fisher, H.I., and P.H. Baldwin. 1946. War
and the birds of Midway Atoll. Condor
48:3-15.

Harrison, C.S. 1990. Seabirds of Hawaii:
natural history and conservation.
Comstock Press, Ithaca, NY. x + 249
PP-

Harrison, C.S., M.B. Naughton, and S.I.
Fefer. The status and conservation of
seabirds in the Hawaiian archipelago
and Johnston Atoll. Pp. 513-526 in J.P.
Croxall, P.G.H. Evans, and R.W.
Schreiber. Status and conservation of
the world’s seabirds. ICBP Technical
Publication number 2.

Rauzon, M.J. 2001. Isles of refuge: wildlife
and history of the northwestern
Hawaiian Islands. University of Hawai’i
Press, Honolulu, HI. 205 pp.

US Fish and Wildlife Service. 2000.
Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
[Brochure]. Midway Atoll National
Wildlife Refuge, Honolulu, HI.

US Fish and Wildlife Service. 2001.
Midway Atoll National Wildlife
Refuge: Internet website.

http://www.rl .fws.gov/midway.

Vivian M. Mendenhall, 4600 Rabbit
Creek Road, Anchorage, AK 995 1 6. E-
mail: fasgadair@att.net.

Pacific Seabirds * Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 7

REPORTS

table 1. Numbers of seabirds breeding on Midway Atoll (Sand, Eastern, and Spit Islands). Numbers are nesting pairs.

Species

Numbers

Year of census

Source

Black-footed Albatross {Phoebastria nigripes)

18,493

2000

USFWS unpubl.

Laysan Albatross {Phoebastria immutabilis)

264,600

2000

USFWS, unpubl.

Bonin Petrel {Pterodroma hypoleuca)

51,493

1998

USFWS unpubl.

Wedge-tailed Shearwater {Puffmus paciftcus)

1,000

1990

USFWS unpubl.

Christmas Shearwater {Puffinus nativitatis)

166

1998

USFWS unpubl.

Red-tailed Tropicbird {Phaethon rubricauda)

4,000-5,000

1978 to 1982

Harrison et al. 1984

White-tailed Tropicbird {Phaethon lepturus)

2

??

USFWS unpubl.

Brown Booby {Sula leucogaster)

1

1999

USFWS unpubl.

Masked Booby {Sula dactlylatra)

£5

??

USFWS unpubl.

Red-footed Booby {Sula sula)

444

1998

USFWS unpubl.

Great Frigatebird {Fregata minor)

95

1998

USFWS unpubl.

Sooty Tern {Sterna Juscata)

30,000-45,000

1978 to 1982

Harrison et al. 1984

Gray-backed Tern {Sterna iunata)

507

1998

USFWS unpubl.

Brown Noddy {Anous stolidus)

500-1,000

1978 to 1982

Harrison et al. 1984

Black Noddy {Anous tenuirostris)

2,000-6,000

1978 to 1982

Harrison et al.. 1984

White Tern {Gygis alba)

5,000-7,500

1978 to 1982

Harrison et al. 1984

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Pacific Seabird Group occasionally honors outstanding contributors to seabird science and
conservation with Lifetime Achievement or Special Achievement awards. PSG presented its Special
Achievement Award to Dr. Hiroshi Hasegawa at the 28*^ annual meeting on 10 February 2001.

HIROSHI HASEGAWA

K. Morgan

In 1999, when the PSG Chair
asked for suggestions for the Special
Achievement Award one name
instantly came to mind: that of a man I
consider a hero, Hiroshi Hasegawa. In
today’s world it may seem odd fcr
someone to use the term hero.
However, I feel that what this dedicated
man has done for seabird conservation
truly places him in that lofty league. I
nominated Dr. Hasegawa for the award,
and I am pleased to report that the
Pacific Seabird Group proudly honored
him last February for his quarter-
century of devotion to the conservation
of the Short-tailed Albatross
{Phoebastria albatrus).

Quoting fi'om information that
Hiroshi kindly provided to me, he was
. . bom in the countryside of central
Japan and . . . was fascinated with
birds from my boyhood. Of course,
insects, fieshwater\ fishes, plants,
minerals and rocks and so on interested
me . . One can immediately sense
that veiy early on, he developed a keen
interest in the natural world around
him. Between 1967 and 1971, Hiroshi
was enrolled in the Dept, cf
Agricultural Biology (Entomology) at
Kyoto University. Upon completing
his BA, he jumped into a MSc
program in the Dept, of Zoology
(Animal Ecology), again at Kyoto
University. A month after completion
of his MSc., Hiroshi set off again in
pursuit of higher education in April
1973. He completed his PhD in 1976,
then began a post-doctoral fellowship
with the Japan Society for the
Promotion of Sciences, From 1977

until today Hiroshi has taught at Toho
University in the Chiba district, first as
an Instructor in Marine Biology, then
as a Lecturer in the Biology
Department, and now as an Associate
Professor in Animal Ecology.

Over the years Hiroshi has
published on a variety of topics
including avian physiology, seabirds cf
Japan, and nitrogen isotopes in the
soils of seabird colonies. He has
written on Gray Wagtails {Motacilla
cinerea), Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus
columbianusX and Laysan Albatrosses
{Phoebastria immutobilis). But his
primary focus has been the Short-tailed
Albatross; I counted at least 20
publications on this species, of which
several were children’s books. Hiroshi
humbly stated that “I have published a
large number of popular articles, essays
... to popularize the conservation
issues of the Short-tailed Albatross,
and my scientific contributions were
not many.” It is clear that he feels that
the road to conservation must include
educating our children — a lesson that
many of us should follow.

Any summary of Hiroshi’s
accomplishments would not be
complete without an overview of
Torishima Island and the plight of the
Short-tailed Albatross. The Short-
tailed Albatross once bred in huge
numbers in the Izu Bonin chain and the
Ryuku Islands of Japan, in Taiwan,
and probably on islands off China.
Until the late 1880’s the volcanic
island of Torishima was seldom
visited, perhaps because it lies about
600 km south of Tokyo or perhaps
because it has limited protected
anchorage. The pre-exploitation
population of the Short-tailed Albatross
is not known; however, the total
number of birds harvested provides a

good estimate. In 1887, the first 12
harvesters settled on Torishima and the
slaughter for feaftiers (for mattresses,
pillows, bedspreads, quill pens and
adornments for women’s hats) began.
Between 1887 and 1903,
approximately 5 million Short-tails
were killed; that averages out to more
than 294,000 birds per year! In 1899
alone, 39.2 tons of featiiers w^
shipped from the colony.

In 1932, in response to rumors
that Torishima Island was going to be
designated as a sanctuary, the feather
harvesters killed the remaining 3,000
birds. In April 1949, the American
ornithologist O. Austin circled
Torishima; finding the island devoid cf
birds, he sadly concluded that the
species was extinct. However, in 1950
a meteorological station was
established on the island and on
January 6, 1951 the station director, S.
Yamamoto, “re-discovered” 10 birds.
All early efforts to save the species fell
on the shoulders of the meteorologists.
However, that ended in 1965 when
they evacuated the island. It would be
another 8 years before the colony was
revisited. In 1973, Dr. Lance Tickell
conducted a detailed survey of
Torishima to determine the species’
status.

Later that same year, a young
graduate student named Hiroshi
Hasegawa met Tickell. That chance
meeting dramatically influenced the
course of Hiroshi’s life. In March 1977,
Hiroshi visited Torishima for the first
time and was distressed to find only 15
chicks, down fiom 24 that had been
seen 4 years earlier. He quickly
concluded that the low reproductive
output was a result of declining habitat
conditions. With support from the
Japanese Environment Agency and the

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 9

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Forestry Service, Hiroshi began to
rehabilitate the colony. He embarked
on a program of transplanting grass
building wooden terraces to stabilize
the soil. The efforts immediately paid
oflf with the breeding success rising
from 44% to 67%. His next project was
to fabricate wire-mesh rock berms to
channel mudslides away from the
colony, and he constructed several
small rock dams on the cliff top to
reduce flooding of nests. Nest success
in the 2000-2001 season was 73%, the
highest in recent years.

Concern had been growing about
future volcanic eruptions, which could
destroy the entire colony. (Major
eruptions in 1902 and 1939 destroyed
the island’s village— now
abandoned— and killed people.)
Hiroshi decided in 1993 to try

establishing a second colony at the
opposite end of the island. Using 70
wooden decoys and playing tapes cf
their calls, he began to lure Short-tails
away from the original nesting site. In
1995 he was rewarded with finding the
first egg at the new colony, and in the
1997/1998 nesting season a chick
fledged. As a result of Hasegawa’s
efforts, the population of Short-tailed
Albatrosses has been increasing by
about 7% per year.

In 1971, a second suspected
colony of 12 birds was found on
Minami-kojima Island in the Senkaku
group. Hasegawa confirmed the
presence of chicks there for the first
time in 1988. During the 2000-2001
se^on he estimated 40 nesting pairs
with 24 chicks in the Senkaku group.
He estimates that the world population

of the Short-tailed Albatross in 2001,
including pre-breeding birds, may
number around 1300. Although Ae
Short-tail is still highly endangered, its
population has increased dramatically
since the 1970’s and continues to grow
at a healthy rate.

Hiroshi Hasegawa has visited the
Short-tailed Albatross colony on
Torishima 77 times so fer and has
devoted his caieer to saving this
magnificent species. In the words cf
Rick Steiner, author of Resurrection in
the Wind (International Wildlife,
September/October 1998), Hasegawa
“[has helped] to engineer one of the
most extraordinary resurrections in
avian history.” For his achievement,
we owe this humble hero a huge vote
of thanks.

Ed Melvin presents the Special Achievement Award
to Hiroshi Hasegawa at the 2001 annual banquet.

Hiroshi Hasegawa toasts albatrosses
the 2001 annual meeting.

at

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 10

CONSERVATION NEWS

Craig Harrison

new executive order

ISSUED ON MIGRATORY
BIRDS

On January 11, President Clinton
issued an Executive Order that directs
federal agencies’ actions affecting
migratory birds. The conservation
community had advocated such an order
since 1997, when the Clinton
Administration adopted the position
that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act dki
not apply to federal agencies or to their
actions in taking birds (Pacific Seabirds
24:49-50, 1997). A few weeks before
promulgation of the order, PSG Vice
Chair for Conservation Craig S.
Harrison and other conservationists met
with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) Director Jamie Clark. They
sought a much broader order that would
have required federal agencies to adhere
to Partners in Flight conservation plans
and better practices for bird
conservation, especially regarding
habitat management on federal lands.
Unfortunately, inter-agency review
requirements precluded any changes in
the proposal that ultimately became the
order— it was a “take it or leave it”
situation.

In addition, as a result of the
meeting with PSG and others, the
USFWS Director issued a directive in
December 2000 that the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act applies to all federal
agencies. The directive reiterated that
agencies are prohibited form taking
migratory birds without a permit. It
implemented the court decision in
Humane Society of the United States v.
GHckman^ 217 F.3d 882 (D.C. Cir.
2000) (Pacific Seabirds 27:24, 1997).

Under the new Executive Order,
each federal agency whose actions have,
or are likely to have, a measurable
negative impact on migratory bird
populations must develop and

implement a memorandum tf
understanding with USFWS for the
conservation of migratory birds. In
addition to avoiding or minimizing
impacts on migratory bird populations,
federal agencies must take reasonable
steps to restore and enhance habitat,
prevent or abate pollution affecting
birds, and incorporate migratory bird
conservation into agency planning
processes whenever possible.

The order also directs that the
agencies’ environmental analyses fcr
proposed federal actions, which are
required under the National
Environmental Policy Act, must
evaluate the effects of those actions on
migratory birds. Within the scope cf
agencies’ regular activities, they are
required to control the spread and
establishment in the wild of exotic
animals and plants that may harm
migratory birds and their habitats.
Finally, the order requires agencies to
provide advance notice of any action
that may result in the take of migratory
birds or to report annually to USFWS
on the numbers of each species taken
during the conduct of any agency
action.

USFWS HALTS NEW
ENDANGERED LISTINGS

In November 2000, USFWS
director Jamie Rappaport Clark issued
a memorandum halting all further
listing action under the Endangered
Species Act until October 2001. Clark
said that USFWS funds have ^en
depleted fighting lawsuits, especially
for critical habitat designations. She
noted that the Clinton administration
also tried to expand its listings
discretion, but “the litigation
explosion has been so bad, we couldn’t
even list species that were going over
the edge. We asked the courts to let us
set our own priorities, but they
wouldn’t budge.”

In the past, critical habitat
designation was not generally deemed
essential by USFWS becaiKe they
thought that it duplicated other
protections under the Endangered
Species Act. Since the designation was
seen to provide no additional
protection for endangered species, and
since it is very time-consuming ^d
costly (requiring in-depth habitat
surveys), it was given low priority.
USFWS elected to “triage” its listing
actions, pursuing the most essential
cases first. However, this resulted in
very few critical habitat designations.
In 1997 the Ninth Circuit Court (f
Appeals in San Francisco decided, in a
suit filed by the Natural Resources
Defense Council, that USFWS must
designate critical habitat for the
California gnatcatcher. The court
explained that the Endangered Species
Act requires the agency to designate
critical habitat concurrently with listing
the species as foreatened or endangered,
“to the maximum extent prudent and
determinable” (Pacific Seabirds 24:74-
75, 1997). This precedent sparked a
flc^ of similar suits, and in some
decisions the courts ordered that very
short deadlines must be met. Critical
habitats then took precedence over all
other listing activity and ate up
USFWS’s entire $6.3 million budget
for listing of endangered species.

The new Bush administration has
proposed extending this moratorirm. It
also would relax some of the strictest
mandates and deadlines in the
Endangered Species Act for a year.
This would give fed^ officials more
discretion to decide which vanishing
species to protect and how best to
protect them. The proposal was
included in USFWS’s budget request.
It would limit the ability of
environmental groups to obtain court
orders, which dictate almost all of the
agency’s eflfwts to preserve additional
species and their natural habitats.
Instead, the proposal would allow
USFWS to set its own priorities and

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 1 1

CONSERVATION NEWS

timetables for adding species to the
threatened and endangered lists,
although it would still be required to
comply with existing court orders.

Acting Fish and Wildlife Director
Marshall Jones said the measure would
help create a “rational system” that
could get his agency off the litigation
treadmill that had led to the
moratorium. “Right now, it s just a
race-to-the-courthouse situation,” Jones
said. “WeVe in an impossible
position, and this could provide a way
out.”

Some moderate environmental
groups have expressed sympathy for
USFWS’s dilemma. However, others
say the agency has proved that it will
never act to protect species imless
required to do so by a judge, no matter
who is president. In California, for
example, the armual listing rate has
more than quadrupled since
environmentalists began filing lawsuits
a decade ago. Since then, 92% of the
state’s listings have been initiated by
the citizen petitions and lawsuits that
would be limited by the measure. The
Center for Biological Diversity, for
example, has filed 72 cases against
USFWS, most of which were designed
to force the agency to designate swaths
of “critical habitat” for already-listed
species. It has only lost one of those
cases. The agency faces an additional
76 lawsuits over about 400 species, 39
of which are critical habitat lawsuits
that covering 360 species. There are
also another 95 notices of intent to sue
covering 600 species.

These issues highlight the debate
within the conservation community as
to whether resources for recovery cf
endangered creatures — resources which
are inherently limited— are best spent
in the courtroom or on the ground.

EXTINCTION FOR
GUADALUPE STORM-
PETREL

In June 2000, the San Diego
Natural History Museum, launched an
expedition to Isla Guadalupe, in
partnership with Bill Everett of the

Endangered Species Recovery Council
and the Mexican Government. The
island is located 150 miles off the west
coast of Baja California. With funding
from the National Science Foundation,
they conducted the first comprehensive
zoological survey of the island since
1908.

Guadalupe is notorious for the feet
that no area of equal size

(approximately 260 km^) in North or
South America has experienced niore
extinctions of endemic plants and birds
during the last 200 years. European
explorers, whalere, and sealers arrived
in the early 1800s and released goats,
rats, and cats onto the island. By the
time the- first scientists visited

Guadalupe in the 1870s, much of the
unique flora and feuna had already b^
driven nearly to extinction by habitat
destruction or predation. Many species
now are barely surviving, such as huge,
ancient trees that caimot reproduce
because goats eat the young sprouts,
and birds that depend on the dying
forests of palm, cypress, and pine for
habitat.

Although the 2000 expedition
sought to determine the status of all the
island’s plant and animals, special
attention was paid to searching for the
Guadalupe Storm-Petrel {Oceanodroma
macrodactyld) in hopes that it had
somehow survived the many decades cf
predation and habitat destruction. The
breeding colonies are located atop the
rugged l,280m-high island, among the
roots of the towering pine and cypress
trees. The 2000 expedition arrived at
Guadalupe at precisely the time when
storm-petrels should have been
attending their nesting burrows.
Researchers scoured the small
abandoned nesting colonies for three
days and nights. Not only were no
birds detected, but the massive habitat
destruction caused by goats had
completely eliminated all suitable
burrowing habitat for the species. It
therefore is unlikely that any survive.

On a more positive note, several
Guadalupe Juncos {Jmeo [hyemalis]
insiilaris) were found, and the
population of this critically endanger^
species is now estimated to be in
excess of 1,000. Plans are now
underway to remove the goats and

protect the remnants of the island’s
ecosystems. The expedition also

discovered two small new colonies cf
nesting Laysan Albatross {Phoebastria
immutabilis) (about 50 pairs total) on

small islets off the south end cf

Guadalupe. The results of the

expedition will soon be published,
with full details on the search for the
storm-petrel and the other species that
still exist on this remote desert island.

— ^Bill Everett

PSG COMMENTS ON THE
LATEST ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT ON
CASPIAN TERNS

In March 2001, the Pacific Seabird
Group filed comments on the
Environmental Assessment by the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers on its
Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)
relocation project in the Columbia
River estuary. PSG emphasized its
support for creating alternative nesting
habitat for Caspim Terns. We also
reiterated our support for the immediate
creation and implementation of a
regional plan that would guide
restoration efiforfe for Caspian Terns in
Washington, Oregon and California.
PSG first requested that USFWS
prepare such a report in April 1999.
PSG noted that restoring former
colonies or establishing new coloriies
would mitigate for the ongoing
destruction of the colony at Rice
Island, and the apparent failure of foe
Corps and the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) to provide
sufficient suitable alternative habitat.

With respect to environmental
assessment, PSG again objected to foe
Corps’ refusal to prepare a full
environmental impact statement (EIS)
under the National Environmental
Policy Act. The Corps lost several
legal battles on this issue during 2000
(National Audubon Society v. Butler):
Last fall, even the Caspian Tern
Working Group, an inter-agency poup
of scientists working on this issue,
urged the Corps to prepare an EIS.
USFWS has twice urged the Corps to

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 12

CONSERVATION NEWS

prepare an EIS. Instead the Corps has
again refused to do so, and it has failed
to evaluate all of the reasonable and
feasible alternatives to the proposed
action. We understand that the Corps
believes that preparing an EIS is time-
consuming. Had they prepared an EIS
in 1998 as PSG then suggested, this
issue would now be moot.

PSG objected to activities that
interfere with Caspian Terns nesting at
Rice Island until the federal agencies
have created sufficient suitable habitat
elsewhere. This year Caspian Terns
will lose their nesting habitat at the
ASARCo site in southern Puget
Sound, so that another 1,500 to 2,000
terns will be seeking additional nesting
habitat near the Columbia River
estuary. PSG successfully persuaded
the Corps to slightly increase the 1.6
ha of nesting habitat on East Sand
Island that they are preparing for the
2001 nesting season.

In addition, the Corps has based
its decisions on seriously flawed
science, in particular their assumption
that there is a simple, positive
relationship between numbers of smolt
and adult salmon. The salmon runs in
2000 were the best in about 40 yeai^,
belying the assumption that Caspian
Terns are harming salmon runs in the
Columbia River. This indicates that a
potential 1999 ‘‘regime shift” in the
Pacific Ocean may be much more
important to salmon returns than
Caspian Tern predation.

USFWS FAILS TO MAKE
INITIAL DETERMINATION
CONCERNING REFUGE
STATUS FOR EAST SAND
ISLAND

As reported in Pacific Seabirds
27:65 (2000), PSG asked USFWS in
late September 2000 to take steps to
acquire East Sand Island in the
Columbia River estuary as a national
wildlife refuge. The island is owned by
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It
has important seabird resources,
including the largest Caspian Tern
colony on earth and the largest Double-

crested Cormorant {Phalacrocorax

auritus) colony on the west coast cf
North America. It also has the largest
roost site of Brown Pelicans {Pelecanus
occidentalis) in the Pacific Northwest
(3,400 birds in 2000) and a major
colony of Westem/Glaucous-winged
Gulls {{Lams occidentalis/L.

glaucenscens) (7,000 nesting pairs).
Although acquiring East Sand Island
seems to be well within the objectives
of the National Wildlife Refuge System
and of USFWS’s seabird policy fcr
Region 1, the agency has failed to
make an initial determination during
the past six months.

CONSERVATION OF

NEWELL’S

SHEARWATERS

PSG asked Kauai Electric in
March 2001 to reconsider its proposed
installation of utility wires 85-110 feet
high when it builds the Hanamaula
electric generating facility. This line
placement is veiy likely to increase
mortality of the federally threatened
Newell’s Shearwater {Puffinus
newelli), which appears to be
declining. In particular, PSG expressed
concern with the failure of Kauai
Electric to adopt the management
recommendations of the Scientific
Advisory Panel published in 1996 by
the Electric Power Research Institute
regarding the placement of the elevated
utility wires. Kauai Electric has not
addressed these guidelines in the
Environmental Impact Statement
prepared for this project.

PSG asked Kauai Electric to take
the following actions:

• Proceed with a Section 10
Consultation under the Endangered
Species Act with the USFWS in
order to obtain an incidental take
permit;

• Place lines underground hear the
Hanamaula generation facility,
since it is the site of a major fli^t
corridor for shearwaters and also is
near a ballpark which is brightly
illuminated during night games;
and

• Relocate, lower and redesign

power lines so that they present a

smaller target to fljdng

shearwaters.

INTERIOR DETERMINES
THAT MIGRATORY BIRD
TREATY ACT EXTENDS
BEYOND THREE MILES

In a “midnight” determination on
the eve of the change in
administrations, the U.S. Department
of the Interior’s OflBce of Solicitor
released a legal opinion concerning the
application of ihe Migratory Bird
Treaty Act in waters beyond the three-
nautical mile territorial sea of the
United States. On January 19, 2000,
the Solicitor concluded that the Act can
be enforced extratenritorially in the
following circumstances: (1) against
US citizens for acts taken in US waters
beyond three nautical miles from die
coastline and in international waters;
and (2) against citizens of any country
for acts taken on US-fla^ed vessels in
US waters beyond thr^ nautical miles
from the coastline and in international
waters. PSG has been active in
supporting this interpretation of the law
for well over a decade. In 1996,
USFWS enforcement officials were
unable to prosecute wanton and
intentional destruction of seabirds in
Alaska because the activities occurr^
too oflfehore (Pacific Seabirds
23(2):14 [1996]).

The opinion cannot be
implemented for six months. This
allows NMFS until mid- July to ^peal
the opinion to the Office of Legal
Counsel of the U.S. Department cf
Justice. In April 1996, PSG wrote to
the Department of Justice and r^uested
that it render such an opinion. At that
time, the department responded that
because Interior was reviewing this
issue, “any formal Department cf
Justice involvement in the issue would
be premature.” The resolution of this
issue apparently takes a great deal cf
patience (see “With Friends Like
These, Who Needs Enemies?” Pacific
Seabirds 24:49-50 [1997]).

Pacific Seabirds * Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 13

CONSERVATION NEWS

SHORT-TAILED
ALBATROSS EXPANDS
range TO OGASAWARA
ISLANDS

The endangered Short-tailed
Albatross {Phoebastria albatrus) was
discovered breeding on Yomejima
island of the Ogasawara Islands this
fall, according to the Japanese
newsfiaper Yomiuri Shimbun. Ote
known breeding islands are Torishima
in the Izu Islands and Minamikojima
in the Senkaku Island group. The
population on Torishima island is now
about 1,000 birds, and an
undetermined but much smaller
number breed on Minamikojima.

Yomejima is a deserted island
located southernmost among the
Mukojima Islands and is part of the
Ogasawara Island chain. A researcher
spotted two birds that appeared to be
albatrosses on the island in November.
Based on this information, a search was
carried out, leading to the discover d
one albatross incubating an egg in a
nest on December 14, 2000.

The local metropolitan
government has indicated that it wants
the island to become a new habitat for
the albatrosses. Researchers will
monitor the breeding activity of the
pair to determine whether they
successfully fledge a chick.

performed courtship displays in March
1994 with another Short-tail that has
not been seen since (S.A. Richardson
1994, Elepaio 54[6]:35-36). Last ye^,
decoys and recordings of Short-tails
were installed on Eastern Island in
hopes of attracting additional birds. In
January 2001 a new Short-tailed
Albatross, an 8-year-old in subadult
plumage, was observed briefly on Sand
Island. It was discovered by a 9-year-
old boy from Maui, Dolan Stanton,
and confirmed by the (initially
skeptical) refuge staff. Another new
Short-tail was observed in March (R.
Shallenberger, pers. comm.). Neither
bird stayed for long.

— Vivian Mendenhall

FAO PLAN TO HALT
PERATE FISHING RIDDLED
WITH LOOPHOLES

NEW SHORT-TAILED
ALBATROSSES SEEN ON
MIDWAY

One to three adult Short-tailed
Albatrosses have been observed on
Midway Atoll, in the northwest
Hawaiian Islands, during many
breeding seasons in the past half-
century. In recent years there have been
two “regulars”, both banded by
Hiroshi Hasegawa as fledgling on
Torishima. One is a 19-year old that
consistently visits Sand Island; the
other is either 12 or 15 years old md
frequents Eastern Island. There has
been little evidence of breeding,
although the Sand Island bird laid m
egg in November 1993, and she

At a meeting of the Committee on
Fisheries of the United Nations Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO) m
Rome in March 2001, BirdLife
International condemned the failure cf
the world’s nations to take tougher
actions against pirate fishing. More
than 90 FAO member countries met to
finalize an international Plan of Action,
which aims to “prevent, deter and
eliminate illegal, unreported and
unregulated (lUU) fishing.” Pimte
fishing in the Southern Ocean has
killed 100,000 - 250,000 seabirds
during the last four years, including
nearly 70,000 globally threatened
albatrosses.

While the International Plan d
Action tightens the net in some
respects, the end product is a
compromise that still leaves many
loopholes for pirate fishing. It “will
hardly leave pirate fishers quaking in
their boots. For many it will be
business as usual for plundering the
world’s dwindling fish stocks and
driving albatrosses towards extinction,”
said Euan Dunn, Royal Society for the
Preservation of Birds Fisheries Officer.
Pirate fishing is the biggest single
threat to global fish stocks and kills
tens of thousands of seabirds as by-

catch every year. Pirate fishing has
doubled in the last 10 years and now
accounts for one quarter of the world s
fish catch. Tanzania referred to “lUUU”
fishing - the extra ‘U* for ‘Unfair’
because of the disproportionately
serious impact that pirate fishing has
on developing countries.

With the UN conceding that
international efforts have so fer
powerless to curb the runaway piracy cf
fish stocks on the high seas, the
challenge was to draw up a Plan cf
Action which would clamp down hard
on lUU fishing. However, an initially
promising plan was weakened in
successive drafts, mainly by Mexi<^
which blocked recommendations fcr
stronger measures. Canada also resisted
toughening one key part of the pl^,
and other parties including the
European Union failed to resist
Mexico’s proposals to weaken the

plan* . i.- i. •

The Plan of Action, which is

voluntary, leaves much to the
discretion of nations. Yet in several key
areas it calls for weaker me^ures than
those already agreed upon in regional
fishery management organizations. For
example, it fails to require severe
sanctions against tradere in pirated fish.
Another major loophole is the plan s
failure to consistently extend measures
that would combat the activities cf
support vessels for pirate fishing,
including supply and transfer vessels.
“Unless the trade in lUU fish is
declared illegal, the plan is deeply
flawed. Those who benefit
commercially from the sale or purcha^
of pirated fish must be punished,” said
Dunn.

BirdLife International noted that
the plan encourages nations to
cooperate in identifying companies and
individuals engaged in pirate fishing.
Strong measures also were agreed for
port nations, including the requirement
of vessels to give advance notice cf
arrival at port and allowing the port
nation to assess whether vessels have
been involved in lUU fishing. As a
whole, Dunn said, “The plan certainly
oflfes fishing nations some valuable
new tools to help curb pirate fishing,
but in the end the parties have not
buried their differences to mount a

Paciftc Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 - Spring 2001 • Page 14

CONSERVATION NEWS

powerful enough attack on the pirate
fishing problem.”

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT ON ALASKAN
GROUNDFISH FISHERIES
INCLUDES EVALUATION
OF IMPACTS ON
SEABIRDS

The National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) issued a new Draft
Programmatic Supplementary

Environmental Impact Statement
(PSEIS) on the impacts of ofl&hore
groundfish fisheries in January 2001.
Alaska has by fer the largest
commercial fisheries in North America.
Groundfish include walleye pollock,
sablefish, Pacific cod, Atka mackerel,
and rockfish. The North Pacific Fishery
Management Council sets yearly
allowable catches, bycatch limits,
fishing methods, locations, and other
management parameters, after listening
to recommendations by NMFS
biologists, the fishing industry, and the
public. The first environmental impact
statement for the management of this
fishery was written in 1978 to 1981,
and by the late 1990’s it was badly
outdated.

Fisheries managers have
historically tried to conserve fish
stocks, but recently their attention has
also been drawn to the effects cf
fisheries on the environment.
Groundfish fisheries affect seabirds both
indirectly, through alteration of prey
food chains, and directly, through

bycatch of birds on longlines and in
trawls. NMFS has addressed bycatch
problems by issuing regulations that
require measures by fishermen to deter
birds from getting caught on longlines,
the agency has supported r^mch on
the effectivmess of deterrents (see
abstract by Melvin et al. in this issue).
PSG has supported seabird
conservation in the fishery by writing
letters, testifying, and commenting on
proposed regulations.

In 1998 NMFS issued an updated
EIS on the impacts fishery catch limits
in the Alaskan groundfish fishery. The
document considered seabirds and
marine mammals as well as fish stocks
(seabird: sections were contributed by
USFWS, at the invitation of NMFS).
However, the courts found that a
broader range of management issues
needed to be addressed, including
fishing methods, locations, and
cumulative impacts. NMFS “went
back to the drawing board” and
produced the current draft EIS. The
document retains and expands the
seabird sections that were published in
1998.

The PSEIS reviews the biology of
affected species, fixim target fish to
benthic mammal and seabirds, and
describes the complex management cf
fisheries. It then proposes six
alternative management schemes: (1)
Continue the current management
system. (2) Emphasize protection for
marine mammals and seabirds.
Possible measures include expansion cf
nofishing zones and periocfo, more
r^earch on bycatch deterrents,
establishment of incidental catch limits
for all seabird species (such limits exist

already for marine mammals, but
among birds only for the Short-tailed
Albatross), and reduction of the bycatch
limit for the Short-tailed Albatross. (3)
Emphasize protection fix' target fish
species. (4) Emphasize protection for
non-target and fors^e fish species- (5)
Emphasize protection for marine
habitats. (6) Emphasize socioeconomic
benefits to fishermen and communities.
Potential impacts of all these
alternatives are evaluated, including
those on seabirds firim food chain
effects and bycatch. The final document
is likely to combine elements firxn
several proposed alternatives.

The draft PSEIS is an immense
document (3,300 pages), owing to the
complexity of the fisheries management
program. NMFS has made a sincere
effort to consider the full range of
problems foced by the Alaskan marine
ecosystem, both firom fisheries and fix)m
other influences such as climate change.
It is to be hoped that seabirds will
benefit fi*om improved fishery
management. However, problems
remain to be solved before fisheries can
be reconciled with conservation cf
seabirds. The biggest of these
problems, as the PSEIS points out, is
that we still have little information on
the diets or distribution of Alaskan
seabirds in fall, winter, and spring. The
impacts of fisheries on the prey cf
seabirds therefore remain largely
unknown. PSG has reviewed the draft
PSEIS and will submit comments to
NMFS, Comments are due by 25 July
2001.

— Vivian Mendenhall

Pacific Seabirds * Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 15

PSG NEWS

ELECTIONS TO EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL

Executive Council for 2001

The following officers were elected
in fall 2000 and have joined (or con-
tinue) on the Executive Council:

• Chair-elect: Lisa Ballance

• Vice-chair for Conservation: Craig
Harrison

• Treasurer: Breck Tyler

• Southern California: Pat Mock

• Canada: Ken Morgan

• Oregon/Washington: Jan Hodder

• Non-Pacific US: Malcolm Coulter

Ballance, Hodder, and Coulter are
newly elected, and PSG welcomes
them to the Exco. All except the Chair-
elect will serve for two years; the
Chair-elect will become Chair next year
and Past Chair the year after.

Continuing members of the Exco
include chair Bill Sydeman, past chair
Julia Parrish, secretary Lora Leschner,
student representative Louise Blight,
Alaska and Russia representative Rob
Suryan, Northern California representa-
tive Kyra Mills, Pacific Rim represen-
tative Beth Flint, and Old Word repre-
sentative Mark Tasker.

ANOTHER ODDBALL ELECTION

Forty ballots were returned. Al-
though turnout was better than last year
(24 votes), the Executive Council
would very much like to see more
members voting. (The officers are sup-
posed to be representing your concerns
for PSG and seabirds. Maybe the
members trust everyone who runs!)

One Northern Californian voter
wrote “Northern California” in the
blank for the “OregonAVashington”
representative, then voted for that can-
didate. Was the person advocating a
new state of NoCaOrWa?

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
CANDIDATES NEEDED

The following positions will be up
for election in fal 1 200 1 :

• Chair-elect '

• Secretary

• Alaska and Russia representative

• Northern California representative

• Pacific Rim representative

• Old World representative

• Student representative

PSG needs more candidates fcr
these positions. Pat Baird, the Elec-
tions Chair, always finds at least one
candidate for each position — but usu-
ally only one. Some officers get tired
after a few years and need a change;
others are happy to serve for years, but
it would be good to give PSG mem-
bers a choice of candidates. Exco mem-
bers help determine PSG policy and
activities, and they provide a great
service to PSG and seabirds. Being a
member of the Executive Council is
extremely interesting. You keep up to
date on all the current conservation
issues surrounding seabirds, not to
mention PSG politics (yes, we occa-
sionally have those).

Students are invited to become
candidates for any position on the Ex-
ecutive Council. Only one position is
restricted by academic or professional
standing: that of Student Representa-
tive, to which only a student can be
elected.

Please contact Pat Baird if you or
anyone else you know would like to
run for PSG office. She can be reached
at (562) 985-1780 orpatbaird@
sculb.edu.

AWARDS AT THE 2001 PSG
ANNUAL MEETING

At its 28th Annual Meeting in Li-
hue Kauai, 7-11 February 2001 PSG
presented its Special Achievement
Award for 2001 to Dr. Hiroshi Hase-
gawa. The award honored his unfl^-
ging efforts to protect the endangered
Short-tailed Albatross {Phoebastria
albatrus) (see article elsewhere in this
issue).

A special fund for student travel
awards was established for the 2001
meeting because of the high cost of
travelling to Hawaii. The PSG Awards
Committee received 22 applications fcr
Student Travel Awards and made 12
awards totaling $5000. Awardee were.
Ben Becker, Russ Bradley, Carina
Gjerdum, David Hyrenbach, Deborah
Lacroix, Kyung Gyu Lee (Korea),
Suzann Speckman, Ignatio Vilchis, :
Kerry Woo, Peggy Yen, Stephani j
Zador, and Carlos Zavalaga (Peru).

Twenty-two students made oral j
presentations at the meeting, and 6 |
presented posters. Deborah Lise j
Lacroix received the Best Student Pa- |
per Award for her talk “Dine and Dash: I
The Foraging Patterns of Wintering i
Surf Scoters {Melanitta perspicillata) ,
Feeding on Bay Mussels {Mytilus tros~ |
sulus) in Coastal British Columbia.”
Benjamin H. Becker received the Best
Student Poster Award for his poster
“Oceanography and Foraging Ecology
of the Marbled Murrelet in Central
California during Variable Upwelling
and Prey Availability.”

Papific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 16

PSG NEWS

WOULD YOU LIKE TO
HONOR SOMEONE WITH
an AWARD?

In 1993, PSG instituted two
awards to recognize individuals who
have made significant contributions to
seabirds. PSG’s Awards Committee is
now soliciting nominations for Life-
time and Special Achievement Awards.

The Lifetime Achievement Award
recognizes a seabird researcher, educa-
tor, or conservationist who has made
significant, long-term contributions to
seabird science, conservation and edu-
cation in the Pacific Ocean or in the
world. Past recipients of the Lifetime
Achievement Award include James C.
Bartonek, W.R.P. Bourne, Richard
G.B. Brown, Charles Guiguet, Tho-
mas R. Howell, Karl W. Kenyon,
James G. King, Miklos D.F. Udvardy,
and John Warham. The most r^ent
Lifetime Achievement Award went to
Dick Brown for his contributions to
research on pelagic seabirds of the
North Atlantic (see Pacific Seabirds
27[l]:18-20, 2000).

The Special Achievement Award
recognizes an individual who has per-
formed outstanding, long-term service
for the Pacific Seabird Group, or who
has made outstanding contributions to
the betterment of seabird research, edu-
cation, or conservation. The Special
Achievement Award was awarded in
Februaiy 2001 to Hiroshi Hasegawa.
Past recipients include George Divoky,
Craig Harrison, Art Sowls, Steve
Speich, and Malcolm Coulter for their
years of exemplaiy service to PSG.

The procedure for nominating
a candidate for a PSG award is as fol-
lows:

• Contact the Awards Committee to
make sure your nomination is in
the appropriate category

• Contact the candidate and receive
permission to proceed with the
nomination process

• Submit a 1-2 page nomination
statement to PSG to the Awards
Committee giving the candidate’s

accomplishments and contri-
butions to seabird research, educa-
tion, or conservation, or service.

The Awards Committee gives their
recommendations to the full Executive
Council, which makes the final selec-
tion. There is no official deadline fcr
nominations, but they should reach the
Awards Committee several months
before the next annua! meeting.

The Awards Committee consists
of the Past Chair (chair of the Awards
Committee), current Chair, and Chair-
elect. Committee members for 2001 are
Julia Parrish, Bill Sydeman, and Lisa
Balance. Julia’s address is: Zoology
Department, University of Washington,
Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98194,
USA; telephone (206) 616-2958; E-
mail: jparrish@u.washington.edu. Each
year the committee may decide to give
one or both awards, to honor several
people in one category, or not to give
any award.

Awards are presented at the aimual
PSG banquet. A short (15-20 minute)
speech is made, usually by the person
who submitted the nomination, to
honor the recipient of the award and
explain his or her accomplishments.
An engraved plaque is presented.

The final duty of the person who
made the nomination is to write a 1-2
page article for Pacific Seabirds. Arti-
cles are similar to nomination state-
ments but may contain more detail.
Recent examples can be found in Pa-
cific Seabirds 23(1):9-10 (1996),

24(2):51-53 (1997), 25(2):7I-72

(1998), 26(1):13-14 (1999), 27(1);18-
20 (2000), 27(2):60-61 (2000), and this
issue.

PSG INCREASES MEMBER-
SHIP DUES

The Executive Council voted at
the 2001 annual meeting to increase
membership dues, to take effect at the
start of 2002. Dues will be $25 fcr
regular members, $15 for students, and
$750 for a life membership. The in-

crease is necessary becat^e PSG’s costs
have been increasing. The most expen-
sive activity supported by dues is pub-
lication of Pacific Seabirds, and w
also have undertaken joint publication
(on a three-year trial basis) of Marine
Ornithology. Other costs include insur-
ance, tax preparation, and other publi-
cations.

PSG 2002 MEETING TO BE
HELD IN SANTA BARBARA

The Pacific Seabird Group’s 29th
Annual Meeting will be held on 20-24
February 2002, at the Santa Barbara
Museum of Natural History in Santa
Barbara, California. There will be a full
scientific program on 21-23 February,
featuring symposia on “Oil and Cali-
fornia's Seabirds” and “Status and con-
servation of the White Pelican.” Com-
mittees will meet on 20 February.
Field trips to the Channel Islands will
be offerwi before the meeting (19-20
February) and after it (24 February).

For general information, contact
Harry Carter, U.S. Geological Survey,
6924 Tremont Road, Dixon, CA
95620, (707) 678-0682, extension 625,
e-mail Harry__Carter@usgs.gov; or
Sarah Fangman, Channel Islands Na-
tional Marine Sanctuary, 113 Harbor
Way, Santa Barbara, CA 93109, (805)
884-1473, e-mail sarah.fangman@
cinms.nos.noaa.gov. For information
about the scientific program, contact
Lisa Ballance, NMFS, Southwest
Fisheries Science Center, 8604 La Jolla
Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037,
(858) 546-7173, e-mail

lisa.baIlance@noaa.gov. Announce-
ments and the call fcff papers will be
mailed in fall 2001. Also check the
PSG web page for updates on the mat-
ing.

Pacific Seabirds * Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 17

SECRETARY’S REPORT

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED MINUTES OF THE 2001 PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING
Kauai Beach Resort, Lihue, Kauai, Hawai’i, 7 and 8 February 2001

[The full text of the proposed minutes
is available form the Secretary, Lora
Leschner (leschll!@dfw.wa.gov). The
minutes will be come official when
they are approved at the 2002
Executive Council meeting.]

7 February 2001

Present were Julia Parrish, Vivian
Mendenhall, Bill Sydeman, Louise
Blight, Ken Morgan, Rob Suiyan, Roy
Lowe, George Divoky for Craig
Harrison, Ed Murphy, Breck Tyler,
Lora Leschner, Patrick Mock and Beth
Flint. Bill Sydeman had the proxy for
Kyra Mills, Roy Lowe for Jim
Lowom.

Minutes

Minutes from the 2000 meeting
were approved.

Report from the Chair

There was no Chair report

Treasurer’s report

Breck Tyler reviewed the
Treasurer’s report (see preliminary
report in Pacific Seabirds 27[2]:90-91).
A discussion followed on some of the
issues. The increased cost of business
and possibility of a dues increase was
discussed. Life membership cost has
not increased for a long time and the
student dues are very low. The bylaws
state that life membership should be 30
times the regular dues. It was proposed
that the rate be increased to $25 for
regular members, $15 for students, and
$750 for life members. The fixed cost
on . insurance can be spread if
membership goes up. Further
discussion on dues was delayed until

after all the expenses and projects were
discussed.

Problems with the different
calendar for PSG’s fiscal year (October
through September) and membership
(January through December) were
discussed. Breck advises to have
membership and fiscal years on the
same calendar. The current system was
begun because the Executive Council
needs a full year’s financial statements
at each annual meeting. However, the
result is that 2 reports must be
produced. The question of change in
fiscal versus calendar year will be
delegated to Treasurer and past
Treasurer and discussed in a
conference call.

The contract on seabird
monitoring database was discussed.
The Treasurer will prepare a report on
expenses and Scott Hatch will prepare
a report on products. The Executive
Council and membership needs a
report from the monitoring committee.

Two of the major costs for PSG
are the annual meeting and publication
of Pacific Seabirds. Vivian
Mendenhall reported on costs of
Pacific Seabirds. 386 copies of spring
issue were mailed, plus requests for
others mailed later. The fall issue ran to
519 copies. Pacific Seabirds
production and mailing cost about
$7500. for an accountant familiar with
non-profit tax law. Breck Tyler
presented information on the expenses
and income of the 2000 PSG meeting
and the preliminary financial report for
the Hawai’i meeting. Members
discussed annua! meeting expenses and
ways to help the Chair-Elect and the
local committee get funding for special
speakers or symposia.

Breck presented the Treasurer’s
perspective on the costs and mechanics
of the pilot electronic journal. Marine
Ornithology. A membership dues
increase would help subsidize Marine
Ornithology and help PSG with
Ornithological Society dues increases.
PSG is committed to 3 years’
involvement in Marine Ornithology^
the Council will then evaluate our
position and decide whether PSG
should continue. The Treasurer was
concerned about management of two
memberships, but the Chair explained
that the intention was to keep the
Marine Ornithology membership
separate. The Chair referred the
discussion on Marine Ornithology to
the Publications Committee.

Ken Morgan has opened a
Canadian bank account so that
Canadian members can pay in
Canadian funds. Breck said that the
reason for this was that foreign checks
cost too much to process. Breck
changed banks, which also helped. 12
individuals paid dues via the Canadian
bank.

Old Business
Conservation Committee

Craig Harrison was not present, so
Mark Rauzon gave the report.

A letter has been sent to Kauai
Power requesting that they put a power
line underground. A letter was sent to
the UN Food and Agriculture
Orgnaization (FAO) supporting an
ecosystem management plan for
fisheries.

PSG needs to send a letter to the
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) asking for observers on
California squid boat fisheries. NMFS
may already plan to put observers on

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 1 8

SECRETARY’S REPORT

boats; PSG should send a letter to
request that bird data be collected in
addition to the marine mammal
information.

Mark will draft a letter and give it
to Craig Harrison for action.

American bird conservancy

There was no report.

Elections Committee

Pat Baird was not present, so
Parrish gave the elections report.

Lisa Ballance is the incoming
Chair. Malcolm Coulter is the new
representative for the non-Pacific US.
Jan Hodder replaces Roy Lowe as
Washington/Oregon representative.
Rob Suryan is leaving Alaska; he will
continue to represent Alaska and
Russia and will help find a replacement
for next election.

Sending the election ballot along
with the meeting announcement was
not successful. Many downloaded the
meeting announcement from the web
site; these members did not open their
mailed meeting announcement and thus
did not get the ballot. The Council
discussed methods to increase
participation. It was suggested that
PSG could distribute ballots via e-mail,
but this may not be an option under the
law for non-profit organizations in
California, where PSG is incorporated.
Bill Sydeman will look into voting
online or by e-mail. The Council
discussed having 2 or more candidates
for positions on the ballot, which
provides the membership with real
choice, versus our usual single-
candidate ballot, which makes it look
as if new officers are selected by the
Council. The Secretary, Lora Leschner,
will discuss elections with Pat Baird,
the Elections Committee chair, and
report back to the Council. The
Secretary will work with the Editor to
get an announcement about
nominations in Pacific Seabirds.

Publications Committee

Vivian Mendenhall gave the report
on Pacific Seabirds. Members are
submitting articles for Pacific
Seabirds. The goal is to have peer-

reviewed short articles and an outlet for
conservation or taxonomic notes. PSG
would like to continue to use Pacific
Seabirds for conservation topics.
However, if Pacific Seabirds and
Marine Ornithology are both weighty,
then costs increase, will be an
electronic journal, but the original
members receive a printed version. The
African Seabird Group has been
printing Marine Ornithology, the
printed version needs to continue for
both members and libraries. There are
currently 250 subscribers to Marine
Ornithology. PSG will have to charge
its members extra to receive a hard
copy of Marine Ornithology. The
Council discussed the distinction
between Pacific Seabirds md Marine
Ornithology. Pacific Seabirds is a good
outlet for minor articles. PSG will
provide Marine Ornithology journal
free on web, mainly because the
mechanics of collecting money on the
web are difficult. Concerns were
expressed that the publication cost of
Marine Ornithology could be high due
to higher labor and mailing costs in the
US and Canada versus South Africa.
The Council referred the issue to the
publications committee for further
development.

Vivian Mendenhall shared an idea
for a color guide to dead seabirds that
could be printed in Russian and
English. Julia Parrish explained that
she had just produced a beached bird
guide in color and perhaps it could be
used instead of the Russian version.

Breck Tyler brought up the
exchange of journals with other groups.
This exchange agreement needs to be
reviewed. PSG exchanges with some
groups. What is the benefit? Journals
are currently housed at the Western
Foundation. The PSG journal exchange
compensates that organization because
their staff does the work of distributing
past PSG journals for free. Western
Foundation is doing a good job of
housing journals. The membership
needs to know about the journal
exchange. Julia referred discussion to
the publications committee.

Awards Committee

No proposals have been received
for the 2002 awards. The Council
needs to decide whether SG is willing
to pay a recipient to come to a meeting
to receive an award. If so, then the
potential cost of getting people to
meetings should be built into the cost
of the meeting, rather than being
supported by the general PSG
membership.

The Awards committee needs to
get names and information to local
committee at least 9 months before the
meeting. The awards committee needs
advanced preparation.

Bill Sydeman said that awards are
for different things. Lifetime
Achievement Awards should be few
and not every year. The guiding
principal of the Special Achievement
Award is to recognize local
achievement.

Student travel awards for the
Hawaii meeting totaled $5000. PSG
selected several foreign students for
awards in order to encourage seabird
research in other countries. The
Council was pleased at the result of the
student travel award. However, the
Committee was clear that the award
was only made because of the higher
cost of travel to Hawaii. The student
representative, Louise Blight, urged the
Council to make a commitment to
^sist student travel. Council members
responded that PSG already subsidizes
students on membership, awards, and
reduced fees. This was intended as a
one-time travel award. However, the
Council is dedicated to student
involvement in the group.

Marbled Murrelet Technical
Committee

The Committee chair was not
present, but Julia Parrish provided a
brief report. The PSG Executive
Council must approve the Marbled
Murrelet survey protocol before it is
released. Last year, the Technical
Committee asked the chair to write a
letter approving the changes. The Chair
approved one final year of changes in
2000, but the committee must bring
future changes to the entire Council.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 19

SECRETARY’S REPORT

The Committee is waiting for some
statistical analysis before any
additional protocol changes are made.

Xantus Murrelet committee

The committee prepared a petition
for listing the Xantus Murrelet as an
Endangered Species. There was a long
discussion of the pros and cons of
listing the species and the data
available. The committee members
explained that they had tried the
previous steps of writing to the
National Park Service and the Navy,
but received unsatisfactory responses.
There are threats that jeopardize the
existence of the Xantus Murrelet. It
was the consensus of committee to
submit the petition. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service may not accept
additional petitions, but it is important
to submit information on species with
such a small population.

The Executive Council voted to
submit the Xantus Murrelet petition to
the federal and state governments, after
revisions.

New BUSINESS
Dues increase

The Executive Council voted to
increase membership dues, considering
the anticipated expenses of PSG,
especially the increased costs of
insurance, tax preparation, and
publications. The new dues will be $25
for regular members and $15 for
students.

Future meetings

The 2002 will be in Santa Barbara,
California. Harry Carter is the local
committee chair. Dates were not
established, but the local committee
plans to have the meeting in late
February. The proposed conference site
is the Santa Barbara Museum of
Natural History. Accommodations are
available 1 mile away, but there may
be a shuttle. The local committee will
get the meeting announcement out in

September. ^

Two symposia are proposed, both
on local topics. The Chair-Elect will
research symposium ideas. Plenary
speakers are a big asset to a meeting.

The local committee should plan on
inviting plenary speakers and budget at

least $500 for them.

The meeting in 2003 will be in
British Columbia, Canada. No local
chair has volunteered yet. Dr. Fred
Cooke is retiring from Simon Fraser,
but he thinks that Ron Ydenberg, the
incoming chair at Simon Fraser, may
host the meeting in Vancouver. If not,
then Alan Burger, Doug Bertram, and
Ken Morgan could host the meeting in
Victoria. The desired location for 2004
is Mexico. No specific location or local
chair have been identified yet. Lisa
Bal lance and Lora Leschner will look
for a possible Mexican location. The
out-going chair, Julia Parrish, has the
task of identifying meeting sites for the
next 5 years.

8 FEBRUARY 2001

Present were Ed Murphy, George
Divoky, Breck Tyler, Louise Blight,
Ken Morgan, Rob Suryan, Vivian
Mendenhall, Pat Mock, Roy Lowe, Bill
Sydeman, Julia Parrish, Beth Flint, and
Lora Leschner.

New business
Dues increase

The dues increase that was
approved yesterday should mean a
change in Life Membership dues, since
under the Bylaws, these are 30 times
regular membership dues. The
Executive Council approved an
increase in life membership dues to
$750.

Disposition of Life Membership dues
Now that the Endowment Fund
has reached its goal of $100,000,
should the by-laws be changed so that
future life membership money could go
to other activities? The Council
discussed a proposed by-laws change
to redirect the life membership fund. A
by-laws change requires a vote of the
membership. Julia will explain to
members at the Business Meeting why
the Executive Council wants a change
in the bylaws so the funds can be used
with more flexibility. The Council

could still add to the endowment or i
could use the funds in other ways.

Additional Regional
Representatives?

Ken Morgan and Louise Blight
discussed a proposal for an additional
Canadian Representative. They feel
that Canada is the second largest block
in PSG. The west coast is well
represented by the current Canadian
representative, but the East Coast
interests are less well covered. Louise
suggested that the by-laws be amended
to include an eastern and western
Canadian representative. Beth Flint
said that if the by-laws are changed,
then PSG should consider an Asian
representative, also.

It was suggested that the
biogeography of PSG members be
studied so that representation can be
examined objectively. The Secretary
and Treasurer will prepare a report for
the next council meeting.

New members

Recruitment of new members was
discussed. Regional representatives are
charged with recruiting new members.
Pat Mock agreed to draft a new
brochure on recruitment.

Student awards and mentoring

Students provided feedback that
they liked both the awards and
mentoring. The Handbook says that the
Past chair is in charge of awards. It was
suggested that name tags identify
Executive Council members at
meetings and that they serve as
mentors. Julia will contact Jim
Lovvorn and will see if he will
continue to facilitate mentoring. One
way to provide support to students is to
make sure that job information is
posted.

Restoration Committee

There was a proposal to restart th^
restoration committee. Craig Harrison
needs to be part of the discussion, sinc^
the duties of the Conservatioij
Committee and the restored
Restoration Committee would overlai^
Bill Sydeman will get a proposal fronj

Pacific Seabirds

Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 20

SECRETARY’S REPORT

the group that wants to revive the
committee. The Council will discuss
the proposal via e-mail and phone and
may reach a decision.

PSG website

PSG needs to find a new person to
manage the website. In the short term,
PSG may need to pay a web
development firm. It was suggested

that recruitment for webmaster be
included in the Pacific Seabirds.
Perhaps there should be an
advertisement box on the
cover, “Webmaster needed.” Bill
Sydeman agreed to see if the
webmaster for PRBO would help in the
short term.

LETTERS

PETREL CLASSICS UPDATED

Errata and corrigenda for The Petrels: publications listed therein as in press or

their Ecology and Breeding systems now published, are available from my
{\99Q) md The Behaviour, Population home page at http://www.zool.
Biology, and Physiology of the Petrels canterbury. ac/jw..htm. Or, printed for

(1996), together with details of “tipping in,” from me at: Dr. John

Santa Barbara meeting

The Executive Council needs to
approve potential symposia. The by-
laws do not require this approval, but
the handbook does. The Chair-Elect
needs to work with the local committee
and others and develop proposed
symposia, if any. Bill Sydeman will
discuss this by e-mail or conference
call.

Warham, Zoology Depaartment,
University of Caterbury, P.B. 4800,
Christchurch, New Zealand.

—John Warham

Pacific Seabirds * Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 21

ABSTRACTS

abstracts of papers and posters presented at the 28“ ANNUAL PSG MEET-

ING

Radisson Kauai Beach Resort, Lihue, Hawaii, 7-11 February 2001

Abstracts are arranged alphabetically by name of first author. An asterisk indicates person who presented the paper, if
not Ihe first author. AffiliLons are given for all authors, full addresses for first authors and all private individuals.

At-sea distribution of radio-marked
Cassin’s Auklets {Ptychoramphus
aleuticus) breeding in the northern
Channel Islands

Josh AdamJ’^"^ John
TakekawaJ and Harry R. Carter J
‘U.S. Geological Survey, Western
Ecological Research Center, San Fran-
cisco Bay Estuary Field Station, P.O.
Box 2012, Vallejo, California 94592,
USA; cerorhinca@hotmail.
com. ^Department of Wildlife, Hum-
boldt State University, Areata, CA,
USA; ^Moss Landing Marine Labora-
tories, Moss Landing, CA, USA.

We examined the distribution of
radio-marked Cassin's Auklets in 1999
and 2000 to study their foraging ecol-
ogy and at-sea threats in the northern
Channel Islands. Auklets were radio-
marked at nest sites on Prince Island
and Scorpion Rock in the northern
Channel Islands and monitored by air-
craft from March through July. We
documented 71 of 78 (91%) of the ra-
dio-marked auklets attending their
colonies. The auklets foraged within
32-36 km of their breeding colonies
with little overlap between individuals
from different colonies. The minimum
convex polygon foraging areas were
similar in both 1999 (478 km^) and
2000 (632 km^) for birds at Prince Is-
land. La Nina conditions occurred
during both years, and abundant and
persistent prey was available near the
colonies. Breeding was early, pro-
tracted, and highly successful in both
years, and some birds attempted second
clutches. In 2000, auklets from both
colonies dispersed up to 200 km north

of Point Conception, coincident with
changing oceanographic conditions
after breeding.

What do seabirds eat?

Beverly AglerJ Gabrielle Nevitt,^
Lisa Holsinger^ and Kate Clark.
‘Alaska Department of Fish and Game,
Juneau, AK 99801, USA;
skuas@yahoo.com. ^Department of
Neurophysiology and Behavior, Uni-
versity of California at Davis, CA,
USA.

What do seabirds eat, or more pre-
cisely, what do the seabirds around
South Georgia eat, was a question
posed when Nevitt began her work on
olfaction in Antarctic seabirds. To ex-
amine the role of olfaction in these
birds, one must know what they eat to
be able to hypothesize what odors
those prey items might excrete. To
examine this question, a thorough lit-
erature search was conducted and
compiled in a large table. This proved
difficult to use. Consequently, we de-
veloped an interactive relational data-
base using MicrosoftAccess97. The
database includes information on 30
species of Antarctic seabirds and their
prey items gleaned from over 138 ref-
erences. Because this is a relational
database, it can be expanded to include
other seabird species. The data includes
forms we developed to enter data.
Structured queries created by us allow
the user access to the data in a simpli-
fied manner. We are in the process of
developing additional queries to allow
expanded access to the data. We will
make this database available to other

researchers, so we would appreciate on
system improvements and types ques-
tions other researchers may ask such a
database.

Geographic structure of colonies and!
respective foraging areas of Black-
legged Kittiwakes in Prince William
Sound, Alaska

David G. AinleyJ R. Glenn Ford,^
Evelyn D. Brown,^ Robert M Suryan/
and David B. Irom\ *H. T. Harvey &
Associates, 3150 Almaden Express-
way, Suite 145, San Jose, CA 95118,
USA; dainley@harveyecology.
com. ^R.G. Ford Consulting Portland
OR, USA; ^Institute of Marine Sci-
ence, University of Alaska, Fairbanks,
AK, USA; ^Migratory Bird Manage-
ment, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Anchorage, AK, USA.

We investigated the size and de-
gree of overlap among colony-specific
foraging areas of Black-legged Kitti-
wakes {Rissa tridactyla) in Prince
William Sound, Alaska, relative to the
size and distribution of colonies.
1995-1999. Large colonies occurred as
far apart as physically possible and not
within foraging range (ca. 40 km) ol
one another; only small colonies oc-
curred within respective ranges o:
large colonies. The at-sea distributioi
of kittiwakes was related significantly
to where prey schools were likely t<
occur. Foraging grounds tended t<
abut one another rather than overlap
Foraging range was directly and sig
nificantly related to colony size. Are
of foraging grounds was significant!;
related to colony size in a curvilinea

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 22

ABSTRACTS

fashion, indicating random sizes of
foraging ground among colonies of
<2000 pairs but increasingly larger
foraging grounds with increase in col-
ony size thereafter. Prey school den-
sity (herring {Clupea pallasi] and sand
lance [Ammodytes hexapterus]) did
not alter the relationship to size of for-
aging grounds. We conclude that the
density of foraging kittiwakes within
Prince William Sound has reached an
asymptote: additional birds would
compromise access to prey, perhaps
by foraging interference. This may
explain in part why some colonies of
kittiwakes have increased in size and
others have decreased or disappeared
during the past few decades, while
overall numbers breeding in the Sound
have not changed.

Parental provisioning patterns in
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters {Puffinus
pacificus) and their comparison to
foraging Strategies of other Procel-
larliform seabirds

Cheryl L, Baduini. Department of
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of California, Irvine, CA,
USA; present address: Joint Science
Department, The Claremont Colleges,
Claremont, CA 91711, USA. cbadu-
ini@jsd.claremont.edu.

Procellariiform seabirds exhibit
exceptional life-history traits with ex-
tended periods of parental care (often
100 days). In many cases, provisioning
for chicks is constrained by long for-
aging trips (2-17 days) to distant and
unpredictable feeding areas. The ob-
jectives of this study were to determine
the provisioning patterns of a northern
^ hemisphere subtropical Procellarii-
I form, the Wedge-tailed Shearwater,
! and to determine how parents partition
? food resources between themselves and
offspring. Foraging trip length, meal
size, and change in adult and chick
> body mass between foraging trips were
I measured during 1996 and 1997.
Wedge-tailed shearwaters had a uni-
modal foraging strategy with 1.5 to 2
1 , day foraging trips. The rate of food
delivery (g of food per day spent for-
r ■_ aging) decreased with increasing trip

duration. Chicks in superior body con-
dition were fed smaller meals than
chicks in poor body condition in both
years. Parents returning to the colony
in better body condition fed their
young larger meals. Trip length was
generally greater for adults returning
with squid and fish combined than for
adults returning with squid only.
Adults also returned with relatively
larger prey items after longer foraging
trips. Although foraging strategies may
differ, rates of food delivery to chicks
(40-60 g/day) were similar to those of
other subpolar and temperate shearwa-
ter species that feed in highly produc-
tive areas and undergo bimodal length
foraging trips. Distribution and abun-
dance of prey resources in the foraging
environment may influence foraging
strategies and decisions made by par-
ents about the timing and amount to
feed offspring and the duration of pa-
rental care.

Oceanography and foraging ecology
of the Marbled Murrelet in central
California during variable upwelling
and prey availability

Benjamin H. Becker and Steven R.
Beissinger. Division of Ecosystem Sci-
ences, University of California,.151
Hilgard Hall no. 3110, Berkeley, CA
94720-3110, USA.; bbecker@nature.
berkeley.edu.

Recent studies have suggested that
Marbled Murrelets {Brachyramphus
marmoratus) in upwelling environ-
ments select marine habitat that is
anomalously cool, near breeding habi-
tat, and in areas of high prey density.
We performed at-sea surveys for mur-
relets in central California while also
measuring oceanographic variables and
prey availability to test the hypotheses
that murrelets (1) select habitat near
potential breeding area, (2) select high
productivity habitat, (3) select habitat
where potential prey is likely to be
found, and (4) find and select prey
patches directly. Each of these hy-
potheses was investigated nested
within replicates of high and low up-
welling and variable prey availability
interactions and at small (400 m) and

medium (2000 m) scales. Classification
trees and logistic regression indicated
that murrelet habitat selection varied
with oceanographic conditions (up-
welling intensity) and prey availability.
Selection generally consisted of com-
plex and nested interactions between
distance to nesting habitat, upwelled
waters, fronts, well-mixed waters, and
prey patches. Results give insight into
murrelet foraging ecology in response
to oceanographic variability and may
help predict the potential impact of oil
spills.

Variation in Marbled Murrelet diet:
role of breeding status, SST, up-
welling, ENSO, and PDO on trophic
level

Benjamin H. Becker and Steven R.
Beissinger. Division of Ecosystem Sci-
ences, University of California, 151
Hilgard Hall no. 3110, Berkeley, CA
94720-3110, USA; bbecker@nature.
berkeley.edu

Variability in oceanography and
subsequent prey availability affects the
reproductive success of many seabirds
in eastern boundary (upwelling) marine
ecosystems. We used stable isotope
analysis of modern and historical
(1895-2000) Marbled Murrelet
{Brachyramphus marmoratus) feathers
and potential prey from central Cali-
fornia to infer trophic level in relation
to breeding indicators (brood patches
and flying inland) and oceanographic
variability during the pre-breeding sea-
son. Murrelets’ pre-breeding diets were
at a lower trophic level in 1999 and
2000, than in 1998, which was an
ENSO year that showed low reproduc-
tive success. Murrelets that had lower
trophic level diets were more likely to
possess brood patches when captured
in 1999 and 2000, and to fly inland in
2000. Likewise, murrelets shovved
higher reproductive success during
years when diets were at a lower tro-
phic level. The pre-breeding diets of
historical murrelets were correlated
with oceanographic variability, show-
ing an increase in trophic level with
positive SST anomalies, PDO events,
and ENSO. Likewise, trophic level also

Pacific Seabirds * Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 * Page 23

ABSTRACTS

increased with decreased spring up-
welling. Long-term climate change
may interact with these natural
oceanographic oscillations to nega-
tively aifect reproductive success.

Integrating inland and radar surveys
to estimate Marbled Mnrrelet abun-
dance

David Bigger J Sal Chinnici/ and
Steve Courtney^. 'Sustainable Ecosys-
tems Institute, 0605 SW Taylors Ferry
Rd., Portland, OR 97219. USA,
bigger@sei.org. ^Scotia Pacific Com-
pany LLC, Scotia, CA, USA.

A key management objective of
The Pacific Lumber Company Habitat
Conservation Plan is to protect the best
quality Marbled Murrelet
{Brachyramphus marmoratus)
occupied habitat in reserves, and to
minimize the effects of management on
populations within the reserves. To
monitor the progress of this objective,
assessments of habitat occupancy and
local population trends are necessary.
Unfortunately, traditional methods for
assessing Marbled Murrelet population
trends and habitat may be difficult.
Currently, the utility of audio-visual
surveys for monitoring murrelet popu-
lation trends remains difficult. Further,
the at-sea estimates of Marbled Mur-
relet populations are difficult to relate
to inland breeding population size and
distribution. However, recent techno-
logical advances in the use of radar for
identifying and tracking Marbled Mur-
relets flying over land makes it possi-
ble to produce reliable estimates of
inland murrelet population sizes by
linking data from audio-visual surveys
and radar surveys. Results from an
exploratory field study suggest that
audio-visual detections were positively
correlated with radar counts of Mar-
bled Murrelets traveling to and around
forest stands. Based on the results from
last season’s fieldwork, we developed a
systematic approach that will estimate
the probability that a audio-visual ob-
server can detect murrelets. Further, we
discuss how habitat features and
weather conditions may be used to
estimate the detectability of murrelets

at different survey stations. We also
discuss how detectability may be used
to predict current murrelet abundance
and distribution, as well as from recent
years using past audio-visual surveys,
in an expanded study of the region.

A Review of the final Restoration
Plan and Environmental Assessment
for seabirds injured in the American
Trader oil spill

Jennifer Boyce J Paul Kelly/
Carol Gorbics/ Michael Devany/
Gregg Howald/ and Kate Faulkner/
'National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration,
Restoration Center, 501 W. Ocean
Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90803, USA;
Jennifer.Boyce@noaa.gov. ^California
Dept, of Fish and Game, Office of Spill
Prevention and Response, Sacramento,
CA, USA; ^U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Carlsbad, CA, USA; "'National
Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest
Region, Santa Rosa, CA, USA
^Channel Islands National Park,
Ventura, CA, USA

On February 7, 1990, the tanker
American Trader spilled approximately
400,000 gallons of oil into the Pacific
Ocean offshore of Huntington Beach,
CA. The Trustees estimated that a
minimum of 3,400 birds died and as
many as 9,500 chicks were not bom as
a result of the spill. Species in the area
at the time of the spill include the
Brown Pelican {Pelecanus occiden-
talis), Xantus’s Murrelet (Synthlibo-
ramphus hypoleucus). Ashy Storm-
Petrel {Oceanodroma homochroa), and
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occi-
dentalis). The United States and the
State of California reached a settlement
with three of the defendants (BP
America, Inc., BP Oil Supply Com-
pany and BP Oil Shipping Company,
USA) in 1994. The Restoration Plan
and Environmental Assessment for
seabirds injured by this oil spill was
prepared jointly by the US Fish and
Wildlife Service., National Oceano-
graphic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, and the California Department of
Fish and Game. The draft Restoration
Plan was subject to a 45-day public

review period during which additional
restoration projects could be submitted.
This paper presents an overview of the
restoration projects contained in the
final plan which fall within five general
categories: Brown Pelican roost im-
provement; seabird nesting habitat
restoration on Anacapa Island; public
education and awareness; Western and
Clark’s (A, clarkii) Grebe restoration;
and international efforts. Project im-
plementation will begin in 2001. The
intent of these restoration projects is to
compensate the public for injuries in-
curred during the spill and for any in-
terim losses during the period of recov-
ery through restoring the injured natu-
ral resources to their baseline condi-
tion.

Sex differences in provisioning rate
in chick rearing Marbled Murrelets

Russell Bradley, Laura McFarlane
Tranquilla, Brett Vanderkist, and Fred
Cooke, Centre for Wildlife Ecology,
Department of Biological Sciences,
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC,
V5A 1S6, Canada; rbradley@sfu.ca

We report a significant male bias
in dawn and dusk nest visitations of
breeding radio marked Marbled Mur-
relets {Brachyramphus marmo-
ratus) during the chick rearing period
in Desolation Sound, BC, from 1998-
2000. Overall nest visitation rates of
male chick-rearing birds were 1.28 X
greater than those of females. Dusk
rates of nest visits by males with active
nests were 1 .69 x greater than those of
females. Male visitation rates in early
chick rearing were not significantly
different from early rearing rates of
females or late rearing rates of males.
However, female visitation rates during
late chick rearing were significantly
lower than female rates early in chick
rearing and male rates late in chick
rearing. These results suggest that
chicks are provisioned more by males
than females in our study population,
especially during the last half of chick
rearing. These findings offer a potential
behavioral explanation for tlfe annual
male bias of non-egg producing birds
. flying inland during the chick rearing

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 24

I

I

ABSTRACTS

period at Theodosia Inlet in Desolation
Sound from 1994-1999. While male
biased provisioning has not been
widely reported in other Alcids, it has
been documented in Larids and Pro-
cellarids.

Aspects of second inner primary
molt in Caspian Terns

onset of primary molt was later in
breeders than apparent non-breeders.
Thus, extent of SIPM appears to be
influenced by sex and breeding.

Habitat assessment of Marbled
Murrelets in Clayoquot Sound,
British Columbia, using radar
counts and CIS

ties but moved away from heavily
logged valleys to nest elsewhere. Radar
is thus a powerful tool to census this
threatened species and study its macro-
habitat associations.

Power analysis: an important tool
for designing and evaluating seabird
monitoring programs

Eli Bridge^ and Chris Thompson^.
’Department of Ecology, Evolution,
and Behavior, University of Minne-
sota, 100 Ecology Building, 1987 Up-
per Buford Circle, St Paul, MN 55108,
USA; brid0030@tc.umn.
edu. ^Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife, Mill Creek, WA, USA.

Like most terns, Caspian Terns
{Sterna caspid) replace all of their pri-
maries once, and a variable number of
inner primaries a second time each
year. Second inner primary molt
(SIPM) may have evolved to contend
with the consequences of worn inner
primaries, which may be 6-8 months
older than the outer primaries. Alterna-
tively, SIPM may have been favored
by sexual selection in that the number
of inner primaries replaced may be an
honest signal of body condition.
Analyses of nearly 400 Caspian Terns
collected along the Columbia River in
Washington and Oregon in 1999 and
2000 indicate a significant positive
correlation between the number of in-
ner primaries molted twice and the
length of the tenth primary, an index of
body condition. This correlation sug-
gests that the extent of SIPM may be
an indication body condition during the
roughly 9-month-long molting period
and, therefore, may act as an honest
status signal during mate selection. In
turn, we suggest that the mean extent
of SIPM may be used to monitor the
(1) mean “health” (body condition) of
individual tern colonies and, poten-
tially, (2) the habitat quality of their
‘ immediate breeding and or wintering
I; grounds. In addition, data from car-
f casses and field observations of
p breeding and non-breeding Caspian
'f Terns indicate that the number of inner
f primaries molted twice was greater in
p males than in females, and that the

Alan E. Burger. Department of Bi-
ology, University of Victoria, Victoria,
BC, V8W 3N5, Canada;
aburger@uvic.ca

High-frequency radar was used to
count Marbled Murrelets
{Brachyramphus marmoratus) in
Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island, in
1996-1998. Diurnal and seasonal
variations were minimized by consid-
ering only pre-dawn counts of inland-
bound murrelets made between mid-
May and mid-July. Counts were often
higher during cloudy weather, but
weather did not affect three-year aver-
ages. Since murrelets sometimes
crossed ridges into adjacent water-
sheds, adjustments were made to the
inland catchment area for each radar
station, based on topography and flight
paths. Mean counts at 18 watersheds,
totaling 4,282 birds, were compared
with macro-habitat features derived
from CIS databases. Counts per water-
shed were positively correlated to areas
of mature forest, and certain bio-
geographic forest types, but negatively
correlated with areas of logged and
immature forest (multiple r^ = 0.91).
The area of mature forest below 600 m
was the strongest predictor (r^ = 0.70)
and provided a simple measure of
habitat quality readily estimated from
CIS, aerial photographs or timber in-
ventories. Counts were not affected by
distances to known foraging areas
(range 1 -28 km). Impacts of logging
were evident: when murrelet counts
were plotted against areas of original
forest, three of five heavily logged
valleys had murrelet densities lower
than expected, but when plotted against
areas of remaining low elevation forest,
these differences disappeared. These
data suggest that murrelets did not pack
into declining habitat in greater denSi-

Vernon Byrd/ John Piatt/ Mike
Litzow/ and Michael Schultz^. ^Alaska
Maritime National Wildlife Refuge,
2355 Kachemak Bay Dr., Suite 101*
Homer, AK 99603, USA;
Vemon_Byrd@fws.gov; ^Alaska Bio-
logical Science Center, U.S. Geologi-
cal Survey, Anchorage, AK, USA.

As part of the planning process for
the Gulf (of Alaska) Ecosystem Moni-
toring Program (GEM) proposed by the
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
(EVOSTC), we used power analysis to
estimate the number of samples needed
to detect specified differences between
years in 15 different seabird breeding
parameters (e.g., measures of breeding
success, behavior, and physiology).
Data collected during EVOSTC-
sponsored studies of Black-legged Kit-
tiwakes {Rissa tridactyla) and Com-
mon Murres {Uria aalge) at three
breeding colonies in Lower Cook Inlet,
Alaska, 1995-1999, were used to esti-
mate expected values for means and
standard deviations. The computer ap-
plication “PASS-2000” (Jerry Hintze,
NCSS Statistical Software, Kaysville,
UT) was used for calculations. The
results provide a basis for evaluating
the costs of detecting various effect
sizes, and the process is an important
tool for designing seabird components
of the proposed GEM program and for
other similar seabird monitoring pro-
grams.

Breeding status and conservation of
the Japanese Murrelet in the Izu
Islands, Japan

Harry R. Carter, ^ Koji Ono^‘ John
N. Fries, ^ Hiroshi Hasegawa,^ Mutsu-
yuki Ueta,^ Hiroyoshi Higuchi,^ Jack T.
Moyer, ^ Leigh K. Ochikubo-Chan,^
Leah N. deForest,^ Masami Hase~

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 25

ABSTRACTS

gawo/ and Gustaaf B. van VlietJ°^XJ.

S. Geological Survey, 6924 Tremont
Rd., Dixon, CA 95620, USA and
Humboldt State University, Dept, of
Wildlife, Areata, CA, USA;
Harry_Carter@usgs.gov. ^Hokkaido
Seabird Center, Tomamae, Japan;
^University of California, Grad. Group
Ecol., Davis, CA, USA;'*Toho Univer-
sity, Laboratory of Marine Biology,
Faculty of Science, Chiba, Japan;
^Wild Bird Society of Japan, Research
Center, Tokyo. Japan; ®Tokyo Univer-
sity, Laboratory of Biodiversity Sci-
ence, School of Agriculture and Life
Science, Tokyo, Japan; ’Miyakejima
Nature Center (Akakokko-kan), Tokyo,
Japan; *East Bay Municipal Utility
District, Lodi, CA, USA; Varks Can-
ada, Hull, PQ, Canada; *®P.O. Box
210442, Auke Bay, AK, USA.

We collated evidence of breeding
and conservation problems for the
Japanese Murrelet {Synthliboramphus
wumizusume) in the Izu Islands, Japan.
After species description (1835), it was
first collected in the Izu Islands in
1877, with breeding first noted in
1901. During the 20th century, mur-
relets were found breeding at 1 1 Izu
islands (Udonejima, Niijima, Shikine-
jima, Hanshima, Kozushima, Onbase-
jima, Tadanaejima, Sanbondake, Mo-
tone, Kojine, and Torishima) and were
not thought to breed at 7 Izu islands
(Oshima, Toshima, Jinaijima, Miyake-
jima, Mikurajima, Hachijojima and
Hachijokojima). Surveys have never
been conducted at 7 other Izu islands
(Zenisu, Inanbajima, Aogashima, Su-
misujima, Beyoneizu-Retsugan, Myo-
jinsho and Sofugan). A large decline
apparently occurred in the mid-to-late
20th century: a) breeding no longer
occurs at Shikinejima and Kozushima,
b) breeding habitat has been lost at
Sanbondake; and c) large numbers of
nests were reported by egg harvesters
at Udonejima, Hanshima, Kozushima,
and Sanbondake in early century. Cur-
rent breeding population size appears
to range between 350-750 breeding
pairs (-10-40% of the global popula-
tion). Major colonies occur at Tadan-
aejima (100-300 nests), Onbasejima

(75-150 nests), and Sanbondake (75-
100 nests); another 100-200 nests may
exist at other islands without recent
estimates (Udonejima, Niijima, Han-
shima, Torishima). Conservation issues
include: human settlement, egg con-
sumption and disturbance; rat preda-
tion; habitat loss (bombing of Sanbon-
dake); habitat destruction; high preda-
tion levels by crows, snakes and fal-
cons; and mortality in gill nets. Addi-
tional surveys, monitoring, and as-
sessment of conservation issues are
urgently needed for this rarest member
of the Alcidae.

Survival and fecundity estimates of
the Desolation Sound Marbled Mur-
relet {Brachyramphus marmoratus)
population

Fred Cooke, Russell Bradley, Lynn
Lougheed, and Emmanuelle Cam.
Centre of Wildlife Ecology, Simon
Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A
1S6, Canada; fcooke@sfu.ca.

A marked population of Marbled
Murreiets has been studied intensively
at Desolation Sound, British Columbia
since 1994, with some banding prior to
that date. Recent new techniques using
radio telemetry have allowed us to lo-
cate nest sites, assess nest success and
the proportion of non-breeders. The
banding sample allows us to estimate
survival rates using CMR approaches,
and the nesting sample allows us to
estimate fecundity rates of this popula-
tion.

85 active nests were monitored
over a three year period with an aver-
age nesting success of 46%. This is
higher than previously published esti-
mates. Moreover, our estimate of
hatching success was considerably
higher than earlier estimates (82%),
suggesting the egg predation may be
less of a problem for the birds than
earlier studies have suggested. Non-
breeding is relatively high in this and
other radio-telemetry studies; possible
reasons for this are discussed, Fecun-.
dity estimates are difficult to estimate
accurately because of the uncertainty
of how to interpret the non-breeding
data, but we suggest that from 0.135 to

0.22 fledging females are produced
annually per breeding-age female.

Our best estimate of annual adult
survival was 0.83 (estimated SE =
0.05), but this value was obtained by
combining data collected by two cap-
ture techniques. Several indirect ap-
proaches suggest that this is legitimate
but rigorous statistical justification for
merging the data has yet to be devel-
oped.

Investigating methods to reduce the
incidental catch of Albatrosses in the
Hawaii longline fishery

K. Cousins,^ B. McNamara,^ L.
Torre,^P. Kleibetf and G. Grabowsky
Kaaialii.^* ‘Pacific Islands Area Of-
fice, National Marine Fisheries Serv-
ice, 1110-1601 Kapiolani Blvd.,
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814, USA;
Kathy.Cousins@noaa.gov. ^Garcia and
Associates, Honolulu, HI, USA;
^National Marine Fisheries Service,
Honolulu Laboratory, Honolulu, HI,
USA.

We measured the various methods
of reducing albatross mortality and
recorded the behaviors that lead to al-
batross mortality on commercial
longline fishing vessels. Methods
tested while the longline was being set
were: using blue-dyed bait; towing a
bird-scaring line (i.e., tori line) or
buoy; and, strategically discarding of-
fal. Methods tested while the longline
was being hauled back were the same
with the exception that “no offal dis-
cards” replaced strategic offal discards.
In addition, the effect of darkness at
mitigating against mortality was also
tested. Seabird behaviors were parti-
tioned into two categories: “attempts,”
which included seabird dives, landings
and chases; and “interactions,” which
included seabird contacts or entangle-
ments with fishing gear and hookings.
Seabird abundance was also recorded
during all observation periods. All be-
havior and mortality observations were
made by the same observer during five
separate longline fishing tri|)S. Behav-
ior and mortality data for each device
were compared to a general linear
model (S-Plus software from Statsci),

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 26

ABSTRACTS

assuming a Poisson distribution. The
number of mortalities per seabird per
1,000 hooks were: 0.12 for blue-dyed
bait, 0.26 for towed buoy, 0.32 for
strategic offal discards, 0.47 for tori
line, 0.60 for night setting and 2.23 for
the control. If we express the effective-
ness of the mitigation methods in rela-
tive terms, blue-dyed bait, the towed
buoy, strategic offal discards, tori line
and night setting each reduce mortality
by a minimum of 73%. Blue-dyed bait
reduced the albatross mortality by
95%. It is clear from this study that the
employment of mitigation methods on
swordfish longline fishing vessels
could greatly reduce the level of alba-
tross mortality now experienced in this
fishery. This research demonstrates the
various mitigation methods tested are
highly effective on swordfish longline
fishing vessels at mitigating the inci-
dental catch of albatrosses and the be-
haviors that lead to the incidental
catch.

Red-footed Booby {Sula sula) Colony
attendance patterns and population
status in the Mariana Archipelago

Justine B. Cruz and Nathan John-
son. Division of Fish and Wildlife,
Department of Lands and Natural Re-
sources, Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands, P.O. Box 10007
Lower Base, Saipan, MP 96950, USA.
justine@itecnmi.com.

Red-footed Boobies {Sula sula)
(RFBO) in the Marianas appear to be at
least as numerous as in 1991 when the
last status report was published. In the
Saguagaga seabird colony on the island
of Rota, RFBO nest and roost below a
steep cliff in at least 22 species of
trees. Birds used five species most fre-
quently: Pisonia grandis, Intsia bijuga,
Neisosperma oppisitifolia, Mammae
odorata, and Pouteria obovata. The
1992-2000 data from this colony indi-
cated a consistent annual breeding
pattern commencing in December. Av-
erage numbers of birds at the colony
ranged between 1200-1400 during the
most active part of the year (Decem-
ber-July) and then dropped below 1 000
during the latter third (August-

No vember), possibly as juveniles dis-
persed from the colony. The data also
revealed an apparent shift in the num-
ber of nesting birds away from areas
directly below an observation walkway
constructed in 1992. The shift could
have been due to increased disturbance
of the area resulting from changes in
ease of access. Conservation recom-
mendations that limit further recrea-
tional development of the sanctuary
were presented to the community dur-
ing a conference in February 2000.

The Guguan RFBO colony ap-
pears to have declined slightly since
the last count a decade ago but esti-
mates of colony size on Farallon de
Medinilla (FDM) have increased, de-
spite its regular use as a military range.
Seabird numbers on FDM show no
significant changes between 1997 and
1999, but do exhibit an intra-annual
pattern very similar to that of RFBO on
Rota. We estimate an archipelago-wide
population of 3,500-4,500.

Sooty Tern decline noted on
Guguan, Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands

Justine B. Cruz and Alvin Fitial
Division of Fish and Wildlife, Depart-
ment of Lands and Natural Resources,
Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, P.O. Box 10007
Lower Base, Saipan, MP 96930, USA;
justine@itecnm i .com .

Guguan is one of the premier sea-
bird islands of the Northern Marianas
archipelago. Colonies of Sooty Terns
{Sterna fuscata) totaling 20,000-35,000
birds have been consistently docu-
mented there and mapped by prior
workers over the last three decades. In
2000, we found these colonies much
reduced in area and only 5,000 birds on
land during the count period. No eggs,
chicks or juveniles were observed in
the colonies, although the early June
count should have coincided with their
nesting peak. Counts of other resident
seabirds were within the ranges previ-
ously reported including Grey-backed
Tern {S. lunata). Black Noddy {Anous
minutus), and Brown Noddy {A.
stolidus). However, numbers of Red-

footed Booby {Sula sula) were lower
than anticipated.

Because no Varanus lizards, cats,
or rats, other than Rattus exulans, exist
on the island, predation is probably not
an issue here. Neither were there signs
of recent volcanism or typhoons to
help account for the declines. Rats,
however, may continually disturb the
tern colony thereby causing indirect
losses as birds temporarily, but fre-
quently, desert breeding areas in large
numbers. A failure of the food supply
might be another reason that these terns
were neither nesting nor numerous. We
also find it likely that with the past
several years of favorable growing
conditions, successional vegetation
changes have made some areas unsuit-
able for Sooty Tern nests and may have
caused them to shift to other colonies
farther north in the chain.

Using radar to census Marbled Mur-
relets entering watersheds in south-
western British Columbia

Sean Cullen^ and Irene Manley^.
’Box 85, Roberts Creek, BC, VON
2 WO, Canada; sacullen@sfti.ca. ^RR#1
Site4 - comp C8, 5768 HaHa Creek
Road, Wardner, BC, VOB 2J0, Canada.

We used high-frequency marine
radar to count marbled murrelets
{Brachyramphus marmoratus) entering
watersheds within 16 Landscape Units
of the Sunshine Coast Forest District
(Scfd) xhig provincial Forest District
extends along the mainland coast of
southwestern British Columbia from
Howe Sound to Bute Inlet. Narrow
fjords and steep entrances to water-
sheds provided ideal topography for
radar surveys. This topography fun-
neled birds through inlets and estuaries
on route to inland nest sites. During the
2000 breeding season we conducted 58
radar surveys at 27 watershed en-
trances from mid-May through mid-
July.

The primary goal of this project is
to collect distribution data of marbled
murrelet population numbers yvithin
the SCFD. This information is to guide
habitat management activities within
key areas of the District as well as to

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 200 1 * Page 27

abstracts

establish a baseline population estimate
that can be used to evaluate the effec-
tiveness of management regimes.

The highest numbers of marbled
murrelets were detected in the Toba,
Brem and Homfray Landscape Units.

At watersheds within the Howe and
Chapman Landscape Units we detected
the lowest number of marbled
murrelets. At eleven watersheds, we
counted more than 100 marbled
murrelets, and 81% of the total 2678
incoming murrelets counted (maximum
predawn incoming) occurred within
these 1 1 sites. These radar surveys
have, for the first time, established the
presence of marbled murrelets in the
more remote Landscape Units,
specifically Bute East, Bute West,
Homathko and Southgate. The census
counts are examined with respect to
watershed areas and the distribution of
habitat types.

Decline of Newell’s Shearwaters on
Kauai, Hawaii

Robert H. DayJ Brian A. Cooper,^
and Thomas C. Telfer.^ ^ ABR, Inc.,
P.O. Box 80410, Fairbanks, AK
99708-0410, USA; bday@abrinc.com;
^ABR, Inc., Forest Grove, OR, USA;
^Hawaii Department of Land and Natu-
ral Resources, Lihue, HI, USA.

We compared trends in the number
of Newell’s Shearwaters {Pujfmus
auricularis newelli) seen visiting
Kauai, Hawaii, on ornithological radar
in June 1993 and 1999-2000 and
trends in the number of young Newell's
Shearwaters recovered in the "Save
Our Shearwaters" (SOS) Program on
Kauai, 1979-2000. After pairing sam-
pling dates at each site to remove tem-
poral effects, the radar data indicated
that the number of Newell's Shearwa-
ters visiting Kauai declined signifi-
cantly between 1993 and 1999-2000.
The mean change from 1993 numbers
across 13 sites was -60 ± (SE = 7%) m
and —62 i 6% in 2000, with all
sites except one showing decreases of
38-93% in 1999 and all sites showing
decreases of 31-96% in 2000. The
SOS fallout data exhibited two trends,
with a pattern of fairly stable numbers

(but no overall trend) between 1979
and 1991 and a -58% decline from
1993 to 2000. The greatest decline in
fallout occurred on the eastern side of
the island. Because both the radar and
SOS data sets indicated that a decline
had occurred, with annual rates of de-
cline of -13% for the radar and -12%
for the SOS fallout data, we conclude
that there has been a significant de-
crease in the number of Newell’s
Shearwaters visiting Kauai to breed
since 1993. Exact causes of the decline
are unknown at present, but we suggest
that the most probable cause is associ-
ated with either direct or indirect ef-
fects of Hurricane Iniki, which hit the
island in September 1992.

Trends in reproductive success of
Hawaiian seabirds: is guild member-
ship a good criterion for choosing
indicator species?

Donald C. Dearborn,^ Angela D.
Anders?- and Elizabeth Flint.
’Southwestern University, Department
of Biology, P.O. Box 770, George-
town, TX, 78627, US^;

dearbord@southwestern.edu. The

Nature Conservancy of Texas, Fort
Hood, TX, USA; ^U.S. Fish and Wild-
life Service, Honolulu, HI, USA.

Because it is rarely possible to
monitor all species that occur in sensi-
tive or threatened ecosystems, much
theoretical consideration has been
given to the process of choosing indi-
cator species. We evaluated whether
foraging guild classification or nest site
might be an adequate means to select
indicator species for monitoring the
reproductive success of a suite of Ha-
waiian seabird species. We examined
the reproductive success of six species
representing three foraging guilds and
two types of nest sites over an 18-year
period. For two of the three foraging
guilds, there was a strong correlation
between the reproductive success of
birds from the same guild, and there
was a weaker correlation for the third
guild. In contrast, there were no sig-
nificant reproductive success correla-
tions for pairs of species from different
foraging guilds but with the same nest

sites. Thus, the within-guild correla-
tions are likely to be driven by guild- s
specific food availability rather than by
similarity in nest site. Because of the
weak nature of one of the within-guild
correlations, and because there is little
detailed information on the causes of
nest failure in this system, we recom-
mend continuing to monitor multiple
indicator species per foraging guild.

Influence of the Tsushima Warm
Current on the breeding perform-
ance of piscivorous seabirds

Tomohiro DeguchiJ Akiko Kato?^
Akinori Takahash? Sei-ichi Saitoh,^
Akihiko Wada? and Yutaka Watamki.
’Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Hok-
kaido University, Japan;^ tdegu-
chi@res.agr.hokudai.ac.jp. National
Institute of Polar Research, Tokyo,
Japan; ^Graduate School of Fisheries,
Hokkaido University; Japan;
'‘Wakkanai Fisheries Institute, Hok-
kaido, Japan.

Diet, chick growth and fledging
success of piscivorous rhinoceros auk-
lets and black-tailed gulls breeding on
the Teuri Island in northern Hokkaido
varied largely among years. We hy-
pothesized that the flow rate of the
Tsushima Warm Current, forming
major inflowing transport to the Japan
Sea, affected their breeding perform-
ance through timing and magnitude of
migrations of Japanese Anchovy, main
diet of these two seabirds species. We
analyzed the variation of this current
system during 1999 and 2000 using
satellite data based sea-surface tem-
perature(SST), topography and chl-a
concentration. The rhinoceros auklets
hatched 5days earlier on average in
2000 than 1999. The SST of April was
3’ C higher and the chl-a concentration
was peaked two weeks earlier in 2000
than 1999. While chick growth rate and
fledging success of auklets were lower
in 2000 (5.7g/day, 42%) than 1999
(10.9g/day, 85%). The Tsushima
Warm Current expanded slowly north-
ward during chick rearing period in
2000. Although we did not know dis-
tribution pattern and sthck levels of
anchovy, weak front formation in 2000

Pacific Seabirds ’ Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 28

abstracts

implies that anchovy might make dis-
persed patches or migrate northern
areas out of the auklets foraging range.
Effects of this current system on 9-year
variation of the breeding performance
of the rhinoceros auklets black-tailed
gulls will be discussed.

An anomalous wind and snow storm
reduces fledging success at an arctic
Black Guillemot colony

George pivoky and Tamara Em.
Institute of Arctic Biology, University
of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA.
fng|d@uaf.edu

In the summer of 2000 a Black
Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) colony in
northern Alaska had 60% of its nes-
tlings die when an anomalous arctic
storm restricted foraging by adults and
provisioning of chicks. On 10 August a
low pressure system moving eastward
in the Beaufort Sea caused sustained
winds of >50 mph with gusts >70 mph.
Winds abated slightly on 1 1 August
(sustained winds 40 mph and gusts >50
mph) but a major cold front produced
almost 1.5 inches of snow on 12-13
August with substantially higher drifts.
At the beginning of the storm there
were 170 nestlings in the colony, aver-
aging 16 days old. The high winds and
snow-blocked entrances to the man-
made nest-sites impeded chick provi-
sioning for one to four days. Apparent
starvation caused the death of 80 nes-
tlings while an additional 23 chicks
were lost when nest sites blew away.
Nestling weight loss averaged 27% of
pre-storm weight with older chicks
more able to survive the period of star-
vation. Abandonment of the nesting
effort by some pairs was indicated by
post-storm chick mortality. The 67
surviving nestlings grew rapidly after
the storm, fledging at near normal
weights.

An increase in the frequency and
intensity of extreme weather events has
been associated with past periods of
rapid climate change. While assess-
ments of contemporary global warming
typically emphasize the response of
biota to long-term elevations in atmos-
pheric and oceanic temperatures, epi-

sodic perturbations, as described here,
have the potential for causing more
immediate impacts on animal popula-
tions.

What Crested Auklets {Aethia
cristatella) and stinkbugs (Order
Heteroptera) have in com-
mon — evolutionary convergence in
chemical ecology?

Hector D. Douglas IIlJ Jason E.
Co,^ Tappey H, Jones/ and William E.
Conner^ institute of Marine Science,
University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK
99775, USA; hddouglas@yahoo.com.
^Department of Chemistry, Virginia
Military Institute, Lexington, VA,
USA; ^Department of Biology, Wake
Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC,
USA.

Two species of Aethia auklets {A.
cristatella and A. pygmaea)^ small
planktivorous seabirds of the Subarctic
Pacific and Bering Sea, emit a pungent,
citrus-like odor. We analyzed six
Crested Auklets by three methods
(solid phase microextraction SPME,
SuperQ, and solvent extraction). Mass
spectra obtained from a Shimadazu
QP-5000 GC/MS indicate that satu-
rated and mono-unsaturated short-
chained aldehydes (n-hexanal, n-
octanal, n-decanal, Z-4-decenal, and a
12-carbon unsaturated aldehyde) com-
prise the auklet odorant. Octanal and
hexanal are also secreted in the repug-
nant metasternal gland emissions of
heteropteran insects and are known to
be potent invertebrate repellents. We
suggest that the auklet odorant’s pri-
mary function is ectoparasite repel-
lency. This would be highly adaptive
for colonial nesting Aethia auklets.
Increased parasitism is an expected
cost of sociality, and parasites are
thought to limit group size in their
hosts. Ectoparasite infestations can
increase the cost of reproduction, in-
troduce disease, reduce fecundity and
growth rates, and increase mortality.
The courtship behavior of Crested and
Whiskered auklets (A. pygmaea) ap-
pears to promote mutual odor assess-
ment, which could insure ectoparasite
resistant mates. These auklets may use

the aquatic phase of courtship, away
from the dense aggregation and odor
saturation of the colony, to more accu-
rately assess a potential mate's chemi-
cal production. The advertisement of
chemical potency and related ectopara-
site resistance may be a basis for other
extravagant traits (e.g., ornaments and
facial plumes) in Crested and Whisk-
ered auklets.

Feral cat {Felis catus) predation on
low elevation native seabird colonies
on Maui Island

Fern P. Duvall IL Department of
Land and Natural Resources, Division
of Forestry & Wildlife, 54 South High
Street, Room iOl, Wailuku, HI 96793,
USA; mawildl@aloha.net.

Feral house cats {Felis catus), in-
troduced to many areas of the world,
have been implicated in many cases of
predation on native mammalian and
avian wildlife, often leading to extinc-
tions of unique island species. Native
seabirds, such as the common Wedge-
tailed Shearwater {Puffinus pacificus)
and more rare Bulwer’s Petrel
{Bulweria bulweri), which nest in
coastal colonies at low elevations on
Maui, were negatively impacted by
predation by feral cats. Cat predation
on the seabirds was investigated at
several locations on the main island of
Maui to determine overall predation
scope and predation efficiency, to
characterize temporal patterns to pre-
dation, and to provide an assessment
key for identifying cats as predators.
Peaks in predation at colonies of suffi-
cient size was found to be diphasic and
tied to the bird’s biology. Small colo-
nies were vulnerable to total failure and
larger colonies to losses of returning
adults and late-stage chicks and adults.
Cat predation has a sustained negative
impact on established native seabird
colonies, expansion of colonies, and
colonization of new areas by native
seabirds.

Selection and application of predic-
tive models of Marbled Murrelet
forest habitat relationships

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 29

ABSTRACTS

Danielle Prenzlow Escene.
Washington Department of Natural
Resources, P.O. Box 47014, Olympia,
WA 98504-7014, USA; dan-
ielle.prenzIow@wadnr.gov.

As part of its Habitat Conservation
Plan, the Washington Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) is imple-
menting Marbled Murrelet {Brachy-
ratnphus marmoratus') forest habitat
relationships studies to determine the
relative importance of geography, to-
pography, and forest structure on mur-
relet occupancy. Application of models
built from the above studies identifies
forest stands expected to contain 95%
of murrelet occupancy on DNR-
managed lands.

Research sites are surveyed for 2
years to determine their status as occu-
pied or unoccupied by murrelets.
Habitat information collected at each
research site characterizes forest con-
ditions and nesting opportunities. Mul-
tiple logistic regression is used to se-
lect 2 probability models. The first
model includes murrelet nesting vari-
ables, such as numbers of platforms,
and is built to examine the relation-
ships of these variables to occupancy.
The second model includes only vari-
ables present in DNR’s forest inven-
tory, and is built for application to
DNR-managed lands. It assigns each
stand a probability of occupancy which
is multiplied by the stand’s size to pre-
dict the amount of murrelet occupancy.
The stands are sorted on probability to
determine the probability threshold that
includes 95% of the occupancy.

Important variables in southwest
Washington include distance to marine
waters (negative), number of large
western hemlock trees iTsuga hetero-
phylla\ number of large western red
cedar trees {Thuja plicata), and basal
area of Doug!as-fir trees {Pseudotsuga
menziesii) (negative). Important vari-
ables on the Olympic Peninsula include
elevation, density of streams and riv-
ers, and number of large conifer trees.
Important variables in the North Cas-
cades include number of large western
red cedar trees and basal area of silver
fir trees (Abies amabilis).

Lead poisoning in Laysan Albatross
{Phoebasiria immutabilis) chicks:
evaluation of contaminant sources
on Midway Atoll using stable lead
isotopic composition

Myra Finkelstein\ Bradford
Keitf, Don Croll^, Bernie Tersh/, and
Don Smith^. ^Department of Ocean
Sciences, University of California
(UCSC), Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA;
myraf@cats.ucsc.edu. ^Department of
Biology, UCSC; ^Environmental Toxi-
cology, UCSC; '‘island Conservation
and Ecology Group, Davenport, CA,
USA.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the magni-
tude and sources of lead (Pb) poisoning
to Laysan Albatross (Phoebasiria im-
mutabilis) chicks on Midway Atoll, Pb
concentrations and isotopic composi-
tions were measured in chick’s blood
and in environmental samples adjacent
to the chick’s nests. BACKGROUND;
Severe lead poisoning continues to
occur in Laysan Albatross chicks on
Midway Atoll, despite past remediation
efforts. Prior studies have indicated
lead-based paint as a predominant ex-
posure source, however this source and
the pathway(s) of exposure have not
been clearly established. METHODS:
Sampling site #1 was an open field
with no known source of contamina-
tion; Site #2 was adjacent to a building
believed to contain Pb-based paint.
Blood (ImL) and environmental (nest
soil, paint, debris) samples were col-
lected using trace metal clean tech-
niques, and analyzed using a Finnigan
Element magnetic sector ICP-MS.
Results: Average blood Pb of chicks
from the field site (#1) was 6.0 pg/dL
(±1,09 SE, range 1.2 - 12.7 pg/dL, n =
15). In contrast, the blood Pb levels in
chicks from the theater site (contami-
nated) averaged 197 pg/dL (±68.7 SE,
range 1 1.2 -710 pg/dL, n = 10). Nota-
bly, six of the ten birds sampled from
site #2 had blood Pb levels >100
pg/dL, three of which also exhibited
lethal “droop-wing” syndrome. The Pb
isotopic composition measured demon-
strated that Pb-based paint was respon-
sible for the highly elevated blood Pb
levels in these animals. CONCLUSIONS:

In spite of previous attempts to remedi-
ate contaminants on Midway Atoll, Pb
contamination from Pb-based paint
remains a significant threat to seabirds
nesting near buildings.

Do predators read the literature?
interactions between Bald Eagles
and Common Murres

Colin French and Julia K. Parrish.
School of Aquatic and Fishery Sci-
ences, Box 355020, University of
Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5020,
USA; windward@u.washington.edu.

In W. D. Hamilton’s classic paper
“Geometry for the selfish herd,” the
driving force of predation acts as the
selective agent of gregariousness be-
cause individuals in groups sustain
lower risk than loners. Corollaries to
this thesis are: the larger the group, the
lower the risk; and edge locations are
risky, center is safe. Do these relation-
ships work in the real world? On the
coast of Oregon, Common Murre (Uria
aalge) colonies are under increasing
pressure from Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus
leucocephalus) predation. We exam-
ined the escalating interaction between
murres and eagles at one colony -
Yaquina Head. At Yaquina, murres
nest in geographically distinct groups
from hundreds to over ten thousand.
All groups are within sight of each
other, and can simultaneously see and
respond to approaching eagles. From
1998-2000, we recorded behavioral
variables: eagle visitation, attack, and
success, the location of victims, and the
response of the murres as a function of
group size; and demographic variables:
reproductive success and attendance of
all nesting groups. Murres in smaller
groups appeared to perceive a greater
risk from eagles, often evacuating their
nesting area in response to eagle fly-
overs. This cycle of chronic evacuation
led to significantly lower reproductive
success. However, eagles prefeired to
attack murres in larger groups, so that
the actual risk of death, while abso-
lutely low, was significantly higher
than that in smaller groups. Victims
were often taken from the center. De-
spite the risk, these murres remained

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 30

ABSTRACTS

on the nesting area more frequently, a
response which translated into signifi-
cantly higher reproductive success.

Monitoring seabird Populations in
Japan: the government’s role

John Fries. Graduate Group in
Ecology, University of California,
Davis, CA 95616, USA.; Laboratory of
Biodiversity Science, School of Agri-
culture and Life Sciences, University
of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. fries@uf.a.u-
tokyo.ac.jp.

Recent developments are
moving Japan toward an enhanced
system for seabird monitoring: in-
creased interest in seabird conservation
after the 1997 Nakhodka oil spill, for-
mation of the Japan Seabird Group in
2000, and initiatives to increase joint
seabird research under the US-Japan
Migratory Bird Treaty. Compilation of
the first Japan-wide seabird colony
catalog database is in progress and
should help guide future work. I review
legal authority for seabird surveys in
Japan and government implementation
i: to suggest what role can be expected of

the government and where private ef-
I forts are most needed. Legal authority
for seabird surveys in Japan is gener-
■ ally vague and allows the government
broad interpretive discretion. There is a
conspicuous absence of legal require-
ments for wildlife surveys within pro-
tected areas, in which are found most
j.. of the important seabird colonies. In
most cases, government surveys of
these areas lean heavily toward quali-
tative evaluation of colony status;
quantitative results rarely exceed a

I measure of relative abundance. Cover-
age of seabird populations has been
poor within government surveys at-
tempting broad species and geographi-
cal coverage, and inadequate funding
I often leads to heavy reliance on previ-
[■ ously existing data and questionnaire
surveys. There has been a nearly com-
!, plete absence of exploratory surveys to
discover new nesting sites, and peri-
odic, comprehensive sweeps of known
: sites do not occur. More careful moni-

toring of population trends and other
i demographic parameters over time has

been a predominantly private effort.
Except for some land-based surveys of
birds near shore, systematic surveys of
at-sea distribution and abundance have
been rare and of limited geographical
coverage.

Reproductive investment in seabirds

Anthony J. Gaston and J. Mark
Hipfner. Canadian Wildlife Service,
National Wildlife Research Centre, 100
Gameiin Blvd, Hull, PQ, KIA 0H3,
Canada; University of Ottawa, Ottawa,
ON, Canada.

R.A. Fisher: The Genetical Theory
of Natural Selection (1930) was the
first to point out the potential trade-off
between reproduction and survival.
This insight has led to the field of “Life
History Adaptation.” Seabirds, with
high survival and low reproduction,
have been proposed as a good example
of extreme survival-oriented life-
history adaptation. However, the evo-
lutionary causes of this adaptive syn-
drome have been only partially ex-
plored. We describe the different theo-
ries that have been proposed to account
for the life history adaptations of sea-
birds and test them against currently
available data. We also examine the
evidence for life-history trade-offs at
the level of individuals, concentrating
on the experimental evidence for such
trade-offs. We conclude by proposing a
general framework against which both
individual- and population-level life
history trade-offs can be tested.

Five years and 10 tons later: lessons
from a large-scale food supplementa-
tion experiment at a Kittiwake col-
ony

Verena A. Gr7/ and Scott A. Hatch.
US Geological Survey, Alaska Bio-
logical Science Center, 1011 E. Tudor
Rd., MS 701, Anchorage, Alaska
99503, USA.; verena _gill
@usgs.gov.

Since 1996 we have provided herring
and capelin to Black-legged Kittiwakes
{Rissa tridactyla) nesting on an aban-
doned radar tower on Middleton Island,
Gulf of Alaska. We. present some of the

trends observed over the last 5 years of
the study. From 1996-1998 we offered
supplemental fish en masse at each best
site. However, by 1998 “stealing” by
non-site holders reached epidemic pro-
portions and threatened the integrity of
the study. So in 1999 we began hand-
feeding individuals. This allowed us to
tabulate the exact amount of fish con-
sumed by males, females and chicks at
specific sites. We discovered that dur-
ing egg development female intake was
half that of males, suggesting that fe-
males may be meeting their nutritional
needs via courtship feeding — lending
weight to the argument this behavior
serves as a pair bonding mechanism.
Throughout the remainder of the sea-
son males and females ate equal
amounts of food. Overall, consumption
was highest prior to laying. Our data
indicate adults continue to forage natu-
rally even if they are provided all the
food they need at the nest site. A
strong, negative correlation between
the quantity of food consumed and
fledging success in unfed pairs sug-
gests fed birds rely on supplementation
the most when natural foraging condi-
tions are poor. Although our supple-
mentation study indicated that food is
primarily limiting the productivity of
North Pacific kittiwakes, predation and
social facilitation play a role. We found
a gradient of reproductive success de-
pending on whether pairs have access
to supplemental food, breed in a thriv-
ing colony, nest in gull vulnerable
habitat, or a combination of these fac-
tors.

Regulation of parental provisioning
and nestling departure decisions: a
supplementary feeding experiment
in Tufted Puffins {Fratercula cir~
rhata)

Carina Gjerdrum. Centre for
Wildlife Ecology, Dept, of Biological
Sciences, Simon Fraser University,
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC,
V5A 1S6, Canada; cgjerdru^sfti.ca..

In 1999 and 2000, a supplemen-
tary feeding experiment was us^ to
examine the regulation of provisioning

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 3 1

i.

ABSTRACTS

effort and nestling departure behavior
in Tufted Puffins {Fratercula cirrhata)
on Triangle Island, BC. From the par-
ents" perspective, life history theory
predicts regulation of parental effort in
order to balance current investment
with future expectation of survival and
reproduction. 1 test the hypothesis that
nestling nutritional demand regulates
provisioning behavior and predict that
parents of supplementary fed nestlings
will decrease provisioning effort. Sup-
plementary feeding significantly in-
creased nestling mass, culnien, and
tarsus length but had no statistically
detectable effect on wing length. I
could not detect differences in the
number of fish delivered per bill load,
bill load mass, or prey composition.
However, parents of supplementary-fed
nestlings provisioned significantly less
frequently than parents of control nes-
tlings. Results support the hypothesis
that parents adjust provisioning effort
in accordance with nestling demands in
the years of this study. From the nes-
tling’s perspective, remaining in the
nest as the nestling approaches inde-
pendence might depend on the provi-
sioning behavior of the parents. Mor-
bey et al. (Anim.Behav. 57:873, 1999)
hypothesized that nestlings use the
intensity (rate) of pre-fledging mass
recession to gauge parental reluctance
to provision and are more likely to
fledge when the expectation of another
feed is low. The supplementary feeding
experiment tested the prediction that
the expectation of provisioning influ-
ences the fledging behavior of Tufted
Puffins. As predicted, supplementary
fed nestlings experienced reduced rates
of mass recession and remained in the
nest significantly longer than control
nestlings.

A tale of two species: temporal and
spatial patterns in breeding popula-
tions of New England Herring and
Great Black-backed Gulls

Thomas Good. Conservation Biol-
ogy, Northwest Fisheries Science
Center, 2725 Montlake Boulevard E,
Seattle, WA 98112, USA; tom.good@
noaa.gov.

Following decades of increases in
breeding populations in the northeast-
ern U.S. (“the best of times”), the Her-
ring Gull (Larus argentatus) has been
declining recently (“the worst of
times”). Reduced persecution and in-
creased food from anthropogenic
sources are commonly cited for the
increase; however, few data exist on
causes of the ongoing decline. Since
1928, the Great Black-backed Gull
{Larus marims) populations have gen-
erally increased in the northeastern
U.S., resulting in coastal breeding dis-
tributions similar to that of the Herring
Gull. However, breeding populations
for this species have yet to show a
similar decline. Trends for both species
along coastal Maine may or may not be
reflections of colony-specific trends.
To investigate the potential influence
of intraspecific and interspecific inter-
actions between these gull species, I
conducted research on nest habitat,
density, and site characteristics, diet,
behavioral interactions, and breeding
success on Appledore Island, ME. On
Appledore, patterns of nesting behav-
ior, aggression and breeding success of
the two species differ markedly, re-
sulting in Herring Gulls being rele-
gated to rocky habitats at the periphery
of the island and areas of dense vege-
tation and/or human habitation in the
island’s interior. Colony position-
specific levels of aggression and
breeding success also favor Great
Black-backed Gulls over Herring Gulls
as areas of overlap (interface nests)
increase on the island. Predation on
Herring Gull post-fledglings by Great
Black-backed Gulls also is extensive.
These asymmetric interactions favoring
the more recent “invader” are likely
contributing significantly to the re-
gional decline for Herring Gulls and
the lack thereof for Great Black-backed
Gulls.

Status of Brown Pelicans nesting in
the Southern California Bight

Frank Gress and Daniel W. An-
derson. Department of Wildlife, Fish
and Conservation Biology, University

of California, Davis, CA 99516, USA;
fgress@pacbell.net.

Reproductive failure and popula-
tion decline of brown pelicans {Pele-
canus occidentalis californicus) nest-
ing in the Southern California Bight
(SCB) in the 1960s were associated
with high levels of DDE. Because of
the possibility of extirpation, the sub-
species was accorded federal and state
endangered status in 1970-71. Begin-
ning in the mid-1970s, as DDE levels
greatly declined and mean eggshell
thickness increased, reproductive suc-
cess improved substantially and the
population began recovering. DDE
levels in the SCB have declined stead-
ily and (since the mid-1980s) appear to
have stabilized at low levels (about 2.0
pg/g [ppm], wet-weight in eggs). PCBs
are the second most common contami-
nant found in pelicans; like DDE,
PCBs also show a trend of declining
levels, but the decrease has been more
gradual. Highly toxic non-ortho PCB
congeners were detected, but at levels
not likely to be associated with repro-
ductive problems. Dibenzo-/?-dioxins
and dibenzofurans were below detec-
tion limits (<1.2 ng/kg-18 ng/kg) in all
samples. None of the aiyl hydrocarbon
hydroxylase (AHH)-active PCBs were
at levels likely to cause reproductive
impairment. While some eggshell thin-
ning still occurs (about 5%), reproduc-
tive rates are now largely determined
by food availability. The number of
pairs nesting on the Channel Islands
(Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands)
has increased to historically high levels
(about 5,200 pairs on average) since
the mid-1980s; however, long-term
reproductive rates are about 35% lower
than those from central areas of the
subspecies’ range where they were not
known to have been affected by con-
taminants. A subjective criterion previ-
ously established for downgrading to
threatened or delisting as endangered
has been met for breeding population
size but not for productivity. It is pos-
sible that the SCB population (at the
northern periphery of the rang% is sta-
ble at current reproductive rates, but
unfortunately there are no detailed

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 32

ABSTRACTS

historical data for comparison. Without
complimentary data on specific sur-
vival rates, long-term viability of the
breeding population seems to be the
most realistic criterion for assessing its
endangered status.

I Effect of land management strategies
on Marbled Mnrrelets on the Olym-
pic Peninsula, WA

f Shelley Hall^ and John Marzlu^.

^ ^Olympic National Park, 600 E. Park
r Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362, USA;

shelley_hall@nps.gov; ^ University of
! Washington, College of Forest Re-
sources, Seattle, WA, USA.

The Endangered Species Act
places the onus for conservation and
recovery of listed species on federal
land managers. Olympic National Park
contains the largest contiguous area of
marbled murrelet {Brachyramphus
marmoratus) nesting habitat remaining
in the lower 48 states and is surrounded
by more fragmented habitat. Results of
a two-year study to examine murrelet
use of the park will be presented. Is
there a difference in murrelet use of
developed and pristine areas? No dif-
ference in use within the park could be
discerned. Does murrelet use of the
park differ from use of surrounding
lands? The rate of occupancy in the
park is significantly greater than that in
adjacent areas that are more intensively
managed. Implications of these find-
5 ings for the conservation and recovery
of this threatened seabird under provi-
I sions of the Endangered Species Act
’ will be discussed.

^ On the trail of Common Murres in
^ ^ Puget Sound: heading for safe or
J - troubled waters?

- Nathalie Hamel and Julia Parrish.

_ University of Washington, School of
Q . Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Fishery
d and Sciences Blkg., Box 355020, Seat-
n tie, WA 98195, USA.
5 _ nhamel@u.washington.edu.

In Washington State, Common
Murres {Uria aalge) experienced a
precipitous population decline in the
' early 1980s. Currently, the population

remains at 30% of pre-1980 levels. The
cumulative effects of predation, oil
spills, dwindling food resources and
fishery bycatch may prevent population
growth, although the relative impor-
tance of each factor is unknown. We
conducted aerial radio-tracking surveys
of 22 Common Murres from Tatoosh
Island, WA, in 1999 and 2000, to de-
termine whether murres interact with a
gillnet fisheiy active in Northern Puget
Sound. As a first step, we describe the
patterns of murre migration at the time
of the fishery. After murres depart the
Tatoosh colony, which lies at the con-
fluence of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
(SJF) and the Pacific Ocean, their ini-
tial movement is not random but rather
is directed and at a large scale. They
head east through the SJF, into Puget
Sound (PS). After reaching the eastern
SJF, directed movement ceases and
becomes localized, two successive
murre locations being no more than
20km apart Of the murres effectively
tracked, 82% were consistently located
in the SJF and PS. Fourteen murres
reached the eastern SJF and PS, and
71% resided within the confines of the
same geographical area. Less than half
(43%) of murres were located at least
once within the boundaries of non-
treaty commercial fishing zones. Mur-
res may use SJF and PS because of the
availability of predictable food re-
sources and the apparently increased
safety of calmer waters relative to the
outer coast.

Use of radar to monitor Xantus’s
Murrelets at Anacapa Island, Cali-
fornia, in 2000

Thomas Hamer, ^ Harry R. Carter,^
and Douglas MeeekinsK * Hamer Envi-
ronmental L.P., 19997 State Rte. 9,
Mount Vernon, WA 98274, USA;
hamert@aol.com. ^ U.S. Geological
Survey, Western Ecological Research
Center, Dixon, CA, USA, and Hum-
boldt State University, Dept, of Wild-
life, Areata, CA, USA.

The Xantus’s Murrelet (Synthlibo-
ramphus hypoleucus) is one of the rar-
est seabirds in the world. Introduced
predators, especially cats and rats, have

extirpated or reduced many murrelet
colonies throughout its breeding range.
Eradication of introduced Black Rats
{Rattus rattus) at Anacapa Island is
planned by federal and state trustee
agencies. As part of the program, it
was recognized that additional effort
was needed to develop a baseline
monitoring program for Xantus’s Mur-
relets at Anacapa Island. A pilot radar
monitoring program in April and May
2000 determined that radar surveillance
offshore of breeding sites was an ef-
fective way to collect Xantus’s popu-
lation data and determine nocturnal
activity patterns. Five nights of radar
surveys were conducted at Anacapa
and one survey at each of two control
sites. Surveys were conducted from
20:00 to 05:00. Eighty hours of sam-
pling were conducted and 1,838 Xan-
tus’s Murrelet targets were recorded.
The maximum radar detection distance
for murrelets was 990m. Murrelet
flight speeds averaged 36.3 mph (range
= 27-61), Detection rates increased
rapidly after 21:00, 90 minutes after
sunset, and peaked between 00:00 and
01:00. Detections rates dropped after
02:00 and stayed low until 05:30. Ail
three islands exhibited significant dif-
ferences in hourly detection rates.
Sampling hours with the lowest varia-
tion occurred from 23:00 to 03:00 with
a Coefficient of Variation of 0.15. For
a long term monitoring effort, these
sampling hours would yield the lowest
variation in counts and have the great-
est power to detect a change in the
trend of this population. To achieve
s;0.90 power and detect a -5 percent
change in the population, 6 years of
surveys with at least 8 radar surveys
per year to each site would be required.
Complementary data on at-sea congre-
gations (spotlight transects, vocal de-
tection surveys, and nightlighting cap-
tures) and breeding phenology and
success also are being gathered.

Monitoring Common Murre popula-
tions; a preliminary analysis of three
years of replicate aerial surv^;^s on
three Central California colonies

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 33

ABSTRACTS

Christine />. HamiltonJ’^ Michael
% Parker,^ Julie L Yee,^ and Harry R.
iarter*’^. * Humboldt State University,
:)epartment of Wildlife, Areata, CA
>5521 , USA; chamil-
;onl3@hotmail.com; ^U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Newark, CA, USA;
‘U.S. Geological Survey, Dixon, CA,
USA

In 1996, 1997, and 1998, aerial
surveys were conducted on three cen-
tral California Common Murre (Uria
aalge) colony complexes: Point Reyes
Colony Complex, Drake’s Bay Colony
Complex, and Castle/ Hurricane Col-
ony Complex. Two replicate surveys
were conducted at each colony com-
plex during early to mid-May (week 1),
during late May/early June (week 2),
and during mid-June (week 3). Our
objectives were to determine if timing
of aerial surveys (week 1 vs. week 2
vs. week 3) had a significant effect on
our colony attendance estimates, and to
determine if conducting replicates re-
duced our estimation error substan-
tially. Colony attendance at each col-
ony complex was found to vary by
week, and week differences varied
across years. We found that the margin
of error for one survey was within 16%
of our survey estimate using a 95%
confidence interval. Conducting a sec-
ond (replicate) survey reduced the
margin of error to 10%, and we esti-
mate that a third survey in a one-week
period would reduce the margin of
error to 7%. Further analysis of the
data will be conducted as part of a
more comprehensive study on Com-
mon Murre population trends in central
California.

Revival of the Short-tailed Albatross
population on Torishima, Japan

Hiroshi Hasegawa.. Biology De-
partment, Toho University, Miyama,
Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan.
hasegawa@bio.sci .toho-u.ac.jp

The Short-tailed Albatross {Phoe-
bastria albatrus) was once believed to
be extinct, but about 10 birds were
rediscovered surviving on Torishima,
* Japan, in January 1951. Since then, the
species has been protected, and the

Japanese government has carried out
active conservation programs for sav-
ing the species, along the lines of my
proposal of the 1980s. First, we im-
proved nesting habitats by grass trans-
plants and succeeded in increasing the
breeding success up to 67%, producing
more than 50 fledglings after 1985.
Suddenly in 1987, however, a landslide
took place on the nesting slope, and
subsequent mudflows reduced the
breeding success to less than 50%. To
cope with this problem, we have con-
ducted erosion control as well as habi-
tat management from 1993, and we
have recovered the former level of
breeding success, resulting in more
than 130 fledglings after 1998. At the
same time, we started artificial creation
of a new colony by use of decoys and
sound playbacks at a safe site on Tor-
ishima, and we already have had 4
fledglings from the new colony. In
2001, half a century since the rediscov-
ery, the Torishima population is esti-
mated to be about 1150 birds in total
with 238 nesting pairs. A simple
population model predicts that the
breeding population size would con-
tinue to increase at 7% per year, if both
marine and terrestrial environments do
not change seriously, reaching 450 to
500 pairs in 2010.

Adult and subadult survival rates of
Cassin’s Auklets at Frederick Island,
British Columbia.

Anne Harfenist^ and Barry D.
Smith, Canadian Wildlife Service, Pa-
cific Wildlife Research Centre, Delta,
BC, Canada; 'Current address: Har-
fenist Environmental Consulting, Box
2498, Smithers, BC, VOJ 2N0, Canada;
harfenis@bulkley.net.

We estimated adult and sub-adult
annual survival rates of Cassin’s Auk-
lets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) at Fre-
derick Island, British Columbia from
1994-2000 using Program MARK.
Estimates were from recaptures of
2481 birds banded at knock-down nets
at two sites. Birds were grouped by site
and according to three progressive
stages of iris-color at first capture. The
best model (based on QAICc) assumed

brown-eyed birds became mixed-eyed,
and mixed-eyed birds became white-
eyed, after one year. Apparent surviva
increased markedly with stage, and
thus age. There is an indication that
permanent emigration or transient be-
havior might be a feature for birds of
all ages since adults had lower apparent
survival during their first year after
capture than in later years. Alterna-
tively, these rate differences could in-
dicate learning or a detrimental effect
of handling. Apparent survival rates
varied markedly among years, with
white-eyed birds (at least age 2 and
older and >1 year after capture) sur-
viving annually from 0.926 (SE =
0.012) to 0.535 (SE = 0.028). For-the
generally younger mixed-eyed birds
(>1 year after capture) die rates varied
from 0.863 (SE = 0.035) to 0.616 (SE
= 0.064). The rates for the youngest
(brown-eyed) birds (1 year after cap-
ture) were very low at 0.449 (SE =
0.046) to 0.088 (SE = 0.017). Slight
differences in the patterns of survivor-
ship between sites might be explain-
able by changes to the nesting habitat
behind one of the nets. We suggest that
the measurable decline in survivorship
of white-eyed birds during 1997-98 is
related to the El Nino event of that
year.

Duration of foraging trips and chick
feeding rates for Common Murres at
three colonies in central California

Ingrid Harrald/"^ Martin Mur-
phy Michael Parke,r, Stephen W.
Kress, ^ Harry R. Carter, and Richard
T. Golightly,^ ' U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, P.O. Box 324, Newark, CA
94560, USA; Mike_Parker@fws.gov.
^Department of Wildlife, Humboldt
State University, Areata, CA, USA;
^National Audubon Society, Ithaca,
NY, USA; "*U.S. Geological Survey,
Dixon, CA, USA.

In 1999 and 2000, the duration of
foraging trips and chick feeding rates
of Common Murres {Uria aalge) were
examined at three colonies along the
mainland coast of central California:
Point Reyes Headlands, Castle Rocks
and Mainland, and Devils Slide Rock.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 34

ABSTRACTS

Feeding and foraging data have re-
ceived more attention in recent years
and may potentially provide informa-
tion on feeding distances, prey abun-
dance, and productivity of Common
Murres. In this study, all-day and two-
hour observations were used to meas-
ure trip duration and chick feedings.
Data were analyzed to compare both of
these parameters between sites, as well
as between years. All-day feeding rates
were compared with rates from two-
hour subsamples, in order to determine
the differences in magnitude between
the two observation techniques. This
poster shows some preliminary results
of the aforementioned parameters and
discusses the significance of these
findings.

Should we be conducting inland pro-
tocol surveys for Marbled Murrelets
in August? A discussion based on
findings from the Olympic Experi-
mental State Forest, Washington,
U.S.A.

Peter Harrison and Scott Horton.
Washington State Department of Natu-
ral Resources, Olympic Region, 411
Tillicum Lane, Forks, WA 98331,
USA; peter.harrison@wadnr.gov.

The Marbled Murrelet Technical
Committee of the Pacific Seabird
Group has produced and updated a
protocol of methods for surveying
Marbled Murrelets {Brachyramphus
marmoratus) in forests since 1994.
Objectives of this protocol include
providing scientifically-based methods
for distinguishing murrelet “occu-
pancy”, indicating a site has some im-
portance for breeding, from “presence”
or “probable absence”, indicating a site
is probably not important for breeding.
These findings frequently are important
in regulatory or land-management de-
cisions as well as in drawing conclu-
sions from research, all of which are
likely important in the long-term con-
servation of Marbled Murrelets. In
Washington, Oregon, and California,
surveys are distributed across the sur-
vey season (1 May-5 August) accord-
ing to a schedule described in the pro-
tocol. We examined seasonal patterns

of murrelet activity from over 4,400
inland surveys conducted from 1994-
2000 in old-growth forests managed by
the Washington State Department of
Natural Resources on the western
Olympic Peninsula of Washington,
Murrelet activity was consistently re-
duced during August. Average num-
bers of detections per survey were low-
est (0.39 ±0.14 [mean ± standard er-
ror], = 223 surveys) in August, while
the average from all surveys was 1.67
± 0.07 {N= 4472). Average numbers of
detections during August consistently
ranked lowest compared to the other 13
(7-day) weeks of the survey season. As
much as 25% of the survey effort can
occur in August, depending on sched-
uling and findings during the two-year
survey. If our observations reflect a
consistent, region-wide pattern of mur-
relet behavior, surveys conducted dur-
ing August could lead to false-negative
conclusions and less effective murrelet
conservation.

Providence and persistence: making
sense of beached bird surveys

Todd Hass and Julia K. Parrish.
School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sci-
ences, University of Washington, Se-
attle, WA 98195-5020, USA;
thass@u.washington.edu

Although estimates of seabird
beaching rates have been calculated for
several regions within the Pacific
Northwest, few studies have examined
the differences between regions. Fur-
thermore, most published information
has only summarized total deposition
rates (combining all species), leaving
the specific patterns for many taxa in
doubt. Long-term studies by Bob Loef-
fel and Greg Lippert, on the Oregon
and Washington coasts, respectively,
are among the few that have collected
data across all seasons for a number of
years (25 and 5, respectively). Because
neither study marked and recaptured
carcasses, though, regional persistence
patterns (i.e. duration of a carcass’s
stay on the beach) remain unknown.
Their data, combined with those of the
Coastal Observation and Seabird Sur-
vey Teafn (COASST), in which car-

casses are marked individually and left
in place, reveal several striking and
curious trends. The most commonly
beached alcids. Common Murres {Uria
aalge% Rhinoceros Auklet {Cerorhinca
monocerata% and Cassin’s Auklet
{Ptychoramphus aleuticus) show
marked differences in their abundance
across sub-regions. Common Murres
show remarkable annual consistency in
high deposition rates from Grays Har-
bor south to the Long Beach Peninsula
before tapering off in Oregon, while
Rhinoceros and Cassin’s Auklets are 5-
lOx more abundant on the Long Beach
Peninsula than in similar coastal areas
to the immediate north and south. This
talk will relate these and additional
patterns to those of other West Coast
studies, and give the first year-round
assessment of regional beach bird per-
sistence rates as noted by COASST
observers in 2000.

Statistical power for detecting trends
with applications to seabird moni-
toring

Scott A. Hatch. U.S. Geological
Survey, Alaska Biological Science
Center, 1011 East Tudor Road, An-
chorage, AK 99503, USA;
scott_hatch@usgs.gov

Methods for estimating power in
population monitoring include both
analytical models and Monte Carlo
simulations. TRENDS (software by T.
Gerrodette) uses the first approach,
while MONITOR (software by J.P.
Gibbs) takes the latter. Using either
program, it is essential to enter an ap-
propriate measure of variability for a
given population index. Generally, that
measure will be the component of in-
terannual variation in a time series that
is unexplained by any trend in numbers
(i.e. standard error of estimation from a
regression analysis of mean count ver-
sus year). Other important decisions
include a choice of assumptions about
variance structure and selection of an
exponential or linear model of popula-
tion change. Using seabird monitoring
data from Alaska, I computed the
power to detect trends of -1.4% per
year (draft goal of the North American

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 35

ABSTRACTS

Waterbird Conservation Plan) and
-2,1% per year (goal established for
land birds by Partners In Flight). At an
alpha level of 0.05 and desired power
of 0.9, the estimated study duration
(with annual censusing) required to
detect such changes varied from 16 to
69 years depending on species, soft-
ware, trend, and study design. Power
estimates from MONITOR appear
slightly conservative for linear trends,
and the model of exponential change
provided in MONITOR is incorrect
and unusable. TRENDS gives reliable
results for single-plot designs but is
unable to handle potentially powerful
multi-plot designs available in MONI-
TOR. Neither program supports “what
if’ analyses of sampling effort within
years, because neither models the
within- and between-season compo-
nents of variance adequately.

History of seabird populations on
Johnston Atoll

D. Lindsey Hayes, Donna
O'Daniel, and Nancy K. Fuse. U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Johnston
Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, P.O.
Box 396, APO AP 96558, USA;
lindsey.hayes@johnston.af.mil.

Johnston Atoll has been subjected
to numerous environmental insults
since its discovery in 1796. Guano was
mined here from the late 1850s to the
early 1900s. Although it was desig-
nated a “refuge and breeding ground
for native birds” in 1926 by Executive
Order, a succession of military mis-
sions began in 1934 and has continued
to this day. Beginning in 1939, numer-
ous dredging operations enlarged the
two original islands and also created
two new ones, increasing the land area
from 56 to 696 acres. In spite of the
large human population and infra-
structure, 15 species of seabirds breed
here today. Laysan and Black-footed
albatrosses formerly bred here but no
longer do. The addition of new land to
the atoll has allowed for the expansion
of the populations of some species, but
the Wedge-tailed Shearwaters
(Puffinus pacijicus) are limited mostly
to the original land areas, where the

substrate is suitable for burrowing.
Most of the seabirds breed on the three
small, uninhabited islands. White
Terns (Gygis alba) and Black Noddies
(Anous tenuirostris) have benefited
from introduced trees and breed almost
exclusively on the main island. Red-
tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon rubri-
cauda) also breed mostly on the main
island, where the bushes and trees pro-
vide adequate shade. The ending mili-
tary mission, continuing involvement
of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and
absence of introduced predators make
Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Ref-
uge one of few areas in the central Pa-
cific where seabird populations can be
expected to thrive in the new millen-
nium.

Does water clarity affect the at-sea
distribution of nearshore marine
birds?

Laird A, Henkel. Moss Landing
Marine Laboratories, PO Box 450,
Moss Landing, CA 95039 USA; lard-
narf@aol.com.

Water clarity has been proposed as
a factor affecting the at-sea distribution
of seabirds. Pursuit diving birds may
prefer turbid water, in which their prey
are less likely to see them, and plunge
divers may prefer clear water, in which
prey are visible below the surface.
During at-sea surveys of nearshore
marine birds in Monterey Bay, Cali-
fornia, I measured surface water clarity
using a transmissometer. This is the
first study to continuously record both
seabird distribution and an index of
water clarity. Using randomization
analyses, I tested for patterns of distri-
bution of seven species of marine bird
relative to water clarity at two scales:
100 m and 1000 m. Species distribu-
tions that I analyzed included four pur-
suit divers: Pacific Loon {Gavia
pacifica), Western Grebe {Aechmopho-
rus Occident alls), Brandt’s Cormorant
{Phalacrocorax penicillatus) and Mar-
bled Murrelet {Brachyramphus mar-
moratus)', two plunge divers: Brown
Pelican {Pelecanus occidentalis) and
Forster’s Tern {Sterna forsteri); and
one benthic foraging sea-duck: Surf

Scoter {Melanitta perspicillata). Bird
distributions for all species were not
strongly related to water clarity.

Correlates of Marbled Murrelet ac-
tivity in old-growth Forests: Olym-
pic Experimental State Forest,
Washington, U.S.A.

Scott Horton and Peter Harrison,
Washington State Department of Natu-
ral Resources, Olympic Region, 411
Tillicum Lane, Forks, WA 98331
USA; scott.horton@wadnr.gov.

Inland activity of Marbled Mur-
relets {Brachyramphus marmo-
ratus) is hypothesized to reflect char-
acteristics of the species’ behavior and
ecology, including behavioral re-
sponses to weather conditions and
breeding season phenology. We ex-
amined aspects of these hypotheses at
two time scales, daily and weekly, us-
ing findings from over 4,400 inland
Marbled Murrelet surveys conducted
1994-2000 in old-growth forests man-
aged by the Washington State Depart-
ment of Natural Resources on the
western Olympic Peninsula of Wash-
ington. Daily (numbers of detec-
tions/survey, and time from first to last
detections) and weekly (detec-
tions/survey, and proportion of surveys
with detections) indices of murrelet
activity were correlated — ^we used de-
tections/survey for all analyses re-
ported here. Activity levels were highly
variable within days throughout the 14-
week season, coefficients of variation
(averaged within weeks) were 165-
266% for 199 dates with 10 surveys.
Correlations of summarized weather
conditions with numbers of detections
were generally not statistically signifi-
cant {P > 0.05), however comparisons
of conditions at the time detections
were made with available conditions
throughout the surveys found more
detections than expected occurred
during cloudy and/or foggy periods and
fewer than expected during rainy peri-
ods {P < 0.01). Detections occurred
later in the morning during cloudy or
foggy weather {P <0.01). We observed
seasonal patterns in activity. Levels
were over twice as high during the five

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 36

ABSTRACTS

i

weeks that approximate the peak activ-
ity period identified by the Pacific Sea-
bird Group survey protocol than those
recorded earlier or later in the season
(P < 0.01). Additional understanding of
inland activity of murrelets is needed
for more effective development and
monitoring of conservation strategies.

Effects of diet and crude oil ingestion
on captive pre-fledging Pigeon
Guillemots

Andrew K. Hovey and Daniel D.
Roby. US Geological Survey, Oregon
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Re-
search Unit, Department of Fisheries
and Wildlife, Oregon State University,
Nash Hall 104, Corvallis, OR 97331,
USA; hoveya@ucs.orst.edu.

We performed studies on captive-
reared Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus
columba) at the Alaska SeaLife Center.
In 2000, 77.4% of collected eggs {N =
93), from multiple locations in south-
east and south-central Alaska, success-
fully hatched. Of the 21 eggs that failed
to hatch, 52% came from a single site
that required extensive boat transporta-
tion, suggesting that embiyo survival is
sensitive to handling. Different groups
of guillemot chicks were fed either
high-lipid (56.5% of calories as lipid,
910 kJ/day) or low-lipid isobiomass
diets (37.2% of calories as lipid, 630
kJ/day). We found differences in pre-
fledging growth between high-lipid
and low-lipid diet groups. On day 30
post-hatch, both body mass and wing
chord length were greater for chicks on
the high-lipid diet (431.9 ± 9.8 g and
131.2 ± 1.4 mm, respectively) than
those on the low-lipid diet (368.5 ± 4.3
g and 127.7 ± 0.7 mm, respectively).
Chicks fed the low-lipid diet were also
subjects in a 10-day crude oil ingestion
experiment consisting of the following
groups: low crude oil dosing (125
pl/kg), high crude oil dosing (500
pl/kg), and control. We detected no
differences in growth parameters or
hematocrits among the crude oil dosing
groups. Stress series were performed 3
days after the end of the dosing period
and corticosterone levels were ap-
proximately two-fold higher in chicks

fed crude oil (30 min stress, 16.4 ± 2.7
ng/ml plasma) compared with controls
(30 min stress, 8.7 ± 1.9 ng/ml
plasma). Studies are ongoing to char-
acterize differences in blood chemis-
tries due to crude oil ingestion.

Nesting habitat preferences in Mar-
bled Murrelets: GIS and telemetry
approaches combined

Falk Huettman and Fred Cooke.
Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Biology
Dept., 8888 University Drive, Simon
Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A
1S6, Canada; falk.huettmann@
ec.gc.ca.

We used 85 nests from Marbled
Murrelets {Brachyramphus
marmoratus) located by radio-
telemetry during the field seasons 1998
(N = 23), 1999 {N = 34) and 2000 {N =
28) in Desolation Sound, southern
British Columbia, and 9 additional nest
locations in 2000 from a second study
area, Clayoqout Sound, on western
Vancouver Island. All nest locations
were characterized for the following
landscape characteristics: slope, aspect,
elevation, edge and patch size for “old
forests.” Findings were related to a
larger landscape context of habitat
availability using a 50 km circle around
the center of the suspected foraging
activity, as determined by “dipnetting.”
Our approach allows us to investigate
habitat preferences of nesting Marbled
Murrelets, by comparing habitat use to
habitat availability. Using several pro-
vincial and international GIS data sets,
we examine the relationship of nests to
the landscape features described above.
We then develop a multivariate nesting
habitat model to predict the occurrence
of this bird within the two study areas
using a Generalized Linear Model
(GLM), Classification and Regression
Tree (Cart) and other advanced mod-
eling algorithms. Results indicate a
very good model fit, even beyond the
study area; findings are compared with
existing models and knowledge for this
bird.

Albatross response to survey vessels:
implications for studies of distribu-

tion, abundance, and prey consump-
tion

K. David Hyrenbach. Point Reyes
Bird Observatory, Marine Science Di-
vision, 4990 Shoreline Highway, Stin-
son Beach, CA 94970, USA;.
khyrenba@ucsd.edu.

The study of seabird ecology at
sea is complicated by the tendency of
many species to follow and otherwise
attend vessels. Seabird vessel-
attendance biases abundance estimates,
blurs the correlation between seabird
distributions and habitat features over
small scales, and inhibits the statistical
analysis of marine bird dispersion pat-
terns. These biases have important im-
plications when estimating the size of
rare and endangered populations and |
the prey consumption by abundant spe- |
cies. This study illustrates how obser- j
vations of recognizable ship-following
albatrosses can be used to mitigate the
biases of vessel-attendance. I surveyed
albatross distributions off southern
California between August 1996 and
April 1999 from CalCOFI cruises. 1
quantified the degree of albatross at-
traction to survey vessels, and esti-
mated that standard 300 m strip tran-
sects overestimated their abundance by
at least a factor of 3.57. Additionally, I
modeled albatross ship-following be-
havior and determined that 95% of
recognizable Black-footed {Phoebas-
tria nigripes) and Laysan (P. immu-
tabilis) Albatrosses ceased to follow
the survey vessel after 60 and 38 min-
utes respectively. Using these models, I
calculated that standard survey meth-
ods overestimated Black-footed Alba-
tross abundance by an additional factor
of 1.17 due to their ship-following be-
havior. When these two biases were |
combined, standard survey techniques j
overestimated albatross abundance and ^
squid consumption by a factor of 4. j
Determining the degree of vessel-|
attraction and the temporal scale of|
ship-following will enhance our abilityf
to monitor the abundance, and pre3|
consumption of albatross^populationsf
This information is essential to incorg
porate accurate estimates of seabird
resource consumption into multij

Pacific Seabirds * Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 37

ABSTRACTS

species fisheries models and ecosys-
tem-level management plans.

Long-term changes in marine bird
communities of the California Cur-
rent (1987-98): importance of prey
patchiness and energetic constraint

K, David HyrenbachJ Richard R.
Veit/ and John A. McGowan/ * Point
Reyes Bird Observatory, Marine Sci-
ence Division, 4990 Shoreline Hwy,
Stinson Beach, CA 94970, USA;
khyrenba@coast.ucsd.edu. ^Biology
Department, College of Staten Island,
Staten Island, NY, USA; ^ Scripps In-
stitution of Oceanography, University
of California at San Diego, La Jolla,
CA, USA .

The productivity of the California
Current has decreased in response to a
long-term ocean warming trend since
the mid !980’s. We surveyed seabird
and macrozooplankton abundance off
southern California, using seasonal
CalCOFI cruises as vessels of opportu-
nity. Our objective was to determine if
marine bird communities have shifted
in response to changes in the abun-
dance and patchiness of their
zooplankton prey. Our analyses re-
vealed that onshore and offshore sea-
bird assemblages have responded to
declining ocean productivity differ-
ently. Onshore, we detected a decrease
in overall seabird abundance and a
long-term shift in community compo-
sition, concurrent with a decline in the
abundance and aggregation of macro-
zooplankton biomass. We detected no
such changes offshore. Additionally,
we found that onshore and offshore
seabird assemblages have become pro-
gressively more similar through time.
Analyses of individual species re-
sponses revealed that marine birds with
different energetic flight costs, deter-
mined on the basis of wing morphol-
ogy measurements (wing loading =
body mass / wing surface area), re-
sponded differently to declining
zooplankton biomass and aggregation.
We detected a concurrent long-term
increase in the abundance of a pelagic,
low-cost species with disproportion-
ately large wings (Cook’s Petrel,

Pterodroma cooki), and declines in the
abundance of four coastal species with
high flight costs: Common Murre
{Uria aalge)^ Sooty Shearwater
(Puffinus griseus\ Rhinoceros Auklet
{Cerorhinca monocerata), and Cas-
sin’s Auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuti-
cus). We hypothesize that energetic
requirements and prey patchiness
modulate the response of bird species
to decreasing ocean productivity.
These results suggest that species-
specific characteristics influence com-
munity-level responses to changing
ocean climate.

Oceanographic habitats of two sym-
patric North Pacific albatrosses:
scale-dependent patterns

K, David Hyrenbach^ , David J.
Anderson^, and Patricia Fernandez^'

* Point Reyes Bird Observatory, Marine
Science Division, 4990 Shoreline
Highway, Stinson Beach, CA 94970,
USA; khyrenba@coast.ucsd.edu.
^Department of Biology, Wake Forest
Univereity, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.

We characterized the habitats ex-
ploited by Black-footed {Phoe-
bastria nigripes) and Laysan {P. im-
mutabilis) Albatrosses breeding sym-
patrically at Tern Island, Hawaii.
Analyses of ARGOS telemetry data in
conjunction with satellite-derived sea
surface temperature and chlorophyll
concentrations suggest that albatross
habitat selection is scale-dependent.
Over macro-mega scales (lOOO’s of
km) albatross dispersion is influenced
by water mass distributions and con-
strained by breeding duties at the col-
ony. During the brooding period (< 1 8
days after chicks hatched), Black-
footed Albatrosses restricted their
movements to tropical waters (> 20°
C), while Laysan Albatrosses ventured
into the cooler waters of the Transition
Domain (15-12°C) and the Subarctic
Frontal Zone (12-10° C). Albatross
foraging ranges expanded during the
rearing period (19-140 days post-
hatching), when both species foraged
in cooler and more productive water
masses. Black-footed Albatrosses
commuted to the California Current,

• Volume 28,

and Laysan Albatrosses ventured into
subarctic waters (< 10° C) in the Gulf
of Alaska, the Aleutians, and the
Northwest Pacific. Within these large-
scale water masses, albatrosses focused
their foraging activities along smaller
coarse-meso scale (lO’s-lOO’s of km)
features characterized by elevated pro-
ductivity and prey concentrations. For-
aging birds engaged in area-restricted
searching behaviors along continental
shelves (Califomia-British Columbia,
Aleutians), and water mass boundaries
(North Pacific Transition Domain,
California Current). Conversely, alba-
trosses commuted rapidly over tropical
and subtropical waters between highly-
productive foraging areas and Tern
Island. An understanding of the physi-
cal processes that stimulate ocean pro-
ductivity and prey aggregation is es-
sential to delineate important foraging
grounds exploited by highly-mobile,
pelagic species.

Overlap between satellite-tracked
female Black-footed Albatrosses and the
Japanese eastern Pacific longline fishery

K. David Hyrenbach^ and Ronald
C. Dotson/ ’Point Reyes Bird Obser-
vatory, Marine Science Division, 4990
Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach,
CA 94970, USA;

khyrenba@coast.ucsd.edu. ^ Southwest
Fisheries Science Center, National Ma-
rine Fisheries Service, La Jolla, CA,
USA.

In the central North Pacific, Black-
footed Albatrosses {Phoebastria ni-
gripes) sustain substantial mortality in
the Hawaiian longline fishery, where
an estimated 1-2% of the world popu-
lation (58,500 breeding pairs) is taken
yearly (Skillman and Flint, 1997). Pe-
lagic longline fleets not currently
monitored by observer programs are a
likely source of additional mortality in
the central and eastern North Pacific.
Determining the overlap between
longline fishing effort and albatross
foraging zones is an important first
step to identify potential sources of
additional bycatch. We tracked four
female albatrosses for a total of 99
days during their summer dispersal

Pacific Seabirds

Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 38

ABSTRACTS

(July-September, 1997-99), and com-
pared their movements to seasonal
summaries of fishing effort from the
Japanese Eastern Pacific Ocean
longiine fishery. The tracked birds
ranged across international borders and
spent 22%, 26% and 52% of their time
in U.S., Mexican arid international
waters respectively. Determining the
overlap between the fishery and alba-
tross distributions was hindered by the
inherent spatial and temporal variabil-
ity of fishing effort. While the analysis
of summertime longiine effort between
1981 and 1987 revealed potential
overlap with the satellite-tracked alba-
trosses, the pattern was not as clear
when data from 1991-97 were ana-
lyzed. At present, this research cannot
directly evaluate whether Black-footed
Albatross bycatch occurs at the Japa-
nese eastern Pacific longiine fishery.
However, the available data suggest
there is potential for albatross interac-
tions with this fishery, especially be-
cause fishing effort is likely to increase
in the coming years. These results un-
derscore the need for “exploratory”
observer coverage in fisheries that
overlap albatross foraging ranges.

Extensive vaiiation in feeding flock
use by individual seabirds linked to
prey type

David B. Irons, Robert M. Suryan,
Jeb Benson and Max Kaufmann, Mi-
gratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 1011 E. Tudor
Rd., Anchorage, Alaska 99503, USA.
david_irons@mail.fws.gov.

We examined the use of feeding
flocks by breeding Black-legged Kitti-
wakes {Rissa tridactyla) in Prince Wil-
liam Sound, Alaska, by tracking 116
birds over seven years during foraging
trips. We tested to see if variation in
feeding flock use was related to prey
abundance or prey type. Prey abun-
dance was assessed by aerial surveys of
fish schools. Prey type was assessed by
comparing diets at the colonies. We
found extreme variation in feeding
flock use by birds, ranging from only
7% to 90% of feeding occurring in
flocks. This variation was not related to

prey abundance, but was highly corre-
lated with prey type. Generally, when
kittiwakes fed on young of year Pacific
herring and young of year sand lance,
they fed in feeding flocks, but when
they fed on age one herring, they fed
singly. The reasons for these differ-
ences are likely related to three factors:
1) an increased foraging efficiency
while searching for prey, 2) an in-
creased foraging efficiency while cap-
turing prey, and 3) differences in the
behavior of the prey types.

Waved Albatrosses off the coast of
Peru during El Nino, 1998

Jaime Jahncke^ ^ Aquiles Garcia-
Godos^, and Elisa Goya? ‘Department
of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,
University of California, 321 Steinhaus
Hall, Irvine, CA 92697, USA;
jjahncke@uci.edu. ^Subdireccion de
Investigaciones en Aves Marinas,
Institute del Mar del Peru (IMARPE),
Callao, Pern .

In this paper we investigate the re-
sponses of Waved Albatrosses (Phoe-
bastria irrorata) to El Nino 1998, and
discuss these responses in relation to
oceanographic conditions and prey
distribution off the coast of Peru. A
total of 3,853 and 989 Waved Alba-
trosses were observed off Peru during
the early fall and late winter cruises,
respectively. The average density of
Waved Albatrosses was 1 .72 birds-km‘^
in April and 0.30 birds-km'^ in August-
September. During early fall, these
albatrosses aggregated over the conti-
nental shelf between 9° S and 1 P S. In
late winter, scattered birds were found
along the edge of the shelf More
Waved Albatrosses were observed in
areas where fish backscatter was reg-
istered by the echosounder than ex-
pected by chance. Of the birds ob-
served during April and August-
September, 72% and 77%, respec-
tively, were aggregated in areas
where— in spite of El Nino — ^potential
prey was available for foraging birds.
Earlier studies suggested that Waved
Albatrosses forage on small squids at
the Qalapagos Islands and shoaling
fish. Such as Peruvian Pacific Sardine

{Sardinops sagax) and Peruvian An-
chovies (Engraulis ringeris) off the
coast of Peru. Oceanographic condi-
tions observed during early fall 1998
suggest that birds were distributed in
an area of local upwelling that con-
tained over 50% of the total prey avail-
able in the coastal system at that time.
Locally available prey included
epipelagic species such as Chub Mack-
erel {Scomber japonicus) as well as
sardines and anchovies. Waved Alba-
trosses during late winter were distrib-
uted at the edge of the shelf, where the
mesopelagic species Panama Lightfish
{Vinciguerria lucetid) was particularly
common.

Variation in survival rates of
Crested, Least, and Whiskered
Auklets at Buldir Island, Alaska
1990-2000.

Ian L. Jones, ^ Fiona M. Hunter,^
and Gregory J. Robertson?
‘Department of Biology, Memorial
University of Newfoundland, St.
John’s, NF, AIB 3X9, Canada;
ijones@morgan.ucs.mun.ca.
^Department of Biological Sciences,
University of Stirling, Stirling, UK;
^Canadian Wildlife Service, Mount
Pearl, NF, Canada.

No previous study has investigated
whether seabird adult survival varies
with large scale variability in oceano-
graphic conditions. We estimated an-
nual adult survival for three auklet spe-
cies over a ten year period at Buldir
Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA.
Crested (Aethia cristatella, N = 650)
and Least Auklets {A. pusilla, N = 340)
were captured by day using noose car-
pets, marked with plastic color bands,
and survival estimates were based on
color band resightings during 1990-
2000. Whiskered Auklets (A. pygmaea,
N = 499) were mist netted at night,
marked with stainless steel bands, and
survival was estimated from recaptures
during 1992-2000. Survival estimates
and relationships between survival and
the covariates Pacific Decadal Oscilla-
tion (PDO), Aleutian Low Pressure
Index, and North Pacific Index (NPl)
were evaluated using program MARK.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 39

ABSTRACTS

For Crested Auklets, the best fit was a
two-age model incorporating the co-
variate NPI, indicating survival rates
varying from 0.93 ± 0.04 (SE) to 0.73
± 0.06 over the study period years
(Jagel,age2*NPI), p(g)). For Least
Auklets, the best fit was also the two-
age model incorporating the covariate
NPI, with survival varying annually
from 0.96 ± 0.07 to 0.79 ± 0.09
(j[ageI,age2*NPI), p(g)). For Least
and Crested Auklets, the best model
included two groups of birds based on
ease of resighting. For Whiskered
Auklets, the best fit was a two-age
model incorporating the covariate PDO
and indicating survival rates varying
annually from 0.99 to 0.82 ± 0.09
Qagel,age2*PDO), /?(constant except
for 1999)). Our results indicate that at
Buldir, varying auklet survival corre-
lated strongly with, and is thus
likely determined by, large-scale
oceanographic variation.

California Least Tern population;
status and trends

Kathy Keane^ and Jack Fancher.^
’Keane Biological Consulting, 5546
Parkcrest Street, Long Beach, CA
90808, USA; keanebio@cs.com. ^U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad
Field Office, Carlsbad, CA, USA.

The California least tern {Sterna
antillarum browni) breeds from April
through August at nesting areas along
the coast from the San Francisco Bay,
California to lower Baja California,
Mexico. Prior to its listing as endan-
gered under both the federal and Cali-
fornia Endangered Species Act in the
early 1970’s, the progressive conver-
sion of suitable nesting habitat to hu-
man uses had resulted in a severe re-
duction in both nesting sites and num-
bers of nesting pairs. Thereafter, the
number of nesting pairs in California
escalated from an estimated 664 in
1976 to over 4,000 in year 2000. Up to
38 nesting sites are now used, up from
23 in 1976, when statewide censuses
were initiated. However, over 80% of
the nesting population is concentrated
in 1 0 sites. In addition, poor production
years such as 1999 still threaten the

population, as does predation by a va-
riety of both native and non-native
predators. Thus, continued manage-
ment will be required to ensure long-
term survival. Population and produc-
tivity fluctuations, existing manage-
ment and monitoring methods and rec-
ommendations for future monitoring
and management will be discussed.

Nocturnal activity as predator
avoidance in Black-vented Shearwa-
ters

Bradford S. KeittJ'^ Bernie R. Ter-
shy/'^ and Donald A. CrollJ'^ ’island
Conservation and Ecology Group POB,
141 Davenport, CA, USA;

bkeitt@islandconservation.org.
^University of California, Santa Cruz,
CA, USA.

Many seabirds are nocturnal at
their colonies and it has been theorized
that this is a result of predator-prey
relationships. We examined nocturnal
behavior in the Black-vented
Shearwater {Puffinus opisthomelas) on
Natividad Island, Mexico, to test the
hypotheses that nocturnal attendance
patterns are a result of prey availability
and shearwater foraging patterns or
predation pressure by diurnal Western
Gulls (Larus occidentalis). We looked
at shearwater attendance and activity
patterns throughout the breeding sea-
son, including activity on the colony
surface, vocalizations of shearwaters
and gulls, and percent of shearwater
burrows entered per night in relation to
moon phase. We used direct observa-
tions and radio telemetry to examine
the behavior patterns of shearwaters in
flocks formed on the water adjacent to
the breeding colony at dusk. We found
that shearwater activity was mostly
restricted to moonless nights. Fewer
burrows were entered on nights with a
full moon than on other nights. Activ-
ity patterns of birds in the near-shore
flocks were not consistent with the
foraging limitation hypothesis. Preda-
tion rate by Western Gulls on
shearwater live-mounts was highest
during daytime, intermediate during
moonlight, and lowest at complete
dark. Our results support the hypothe-

sis that pressure from diurnal predators
causes nocturnal colony attendance
patterns in the Black-vented Shearwa-
ter.

Correlated patterns of kittiwake
chick growth and productivity on St
George Island, AK.

Dean Kildaw. Institute of Arctic
Biology, PO Box 757000, University
of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks Alaska
99775, USA; ffdsk@uaf.edu

Although seabird breeding success
should be influenced by the same fac-
tors that affect the ability of parents to
provision young (food supply and
weather for example), past research on
kittiwakes suggests that productivity is
not related to nestling growth. On St.
George Island, in the south-eastern
Bering Sea, kittiwakes displayed
marked inter-annual variability in re-
productive performance over the past
20 years. For Red-legged Kittiwakes
{Rissa brevirostris) I found that nes-
tling growth was poorly related to lay-
ing success (/^ = 0.01), but was well
correlated with hatching success {r^ -
0.76), fledging success (/^ = 0.50), and
overall productivity (r^ = 0.67). These
results indicate that factors shaping
laying success are independent of those
important during incubation and brood
rearing period, and that resource con-
ditions are somewhat stable and poten-
tially predictable over the coume of the
breeding season. In addition, both Red-
legged and Black-legged {R, tridoctyla)
Kittiwakes on St. George Island have
historically exhibited greater reproduc-
tive success at the High Bluffs area of
the colony where nestling grovrth is
greater. Moreover, although within-
colony correlations between produc-
tivity and chick growth corroborate
results from inter-annual comparisons,
they cannot be explained by differ-
ences in resource abundance because
kittiwakes forage some distance from
the colony and, in principle, have equal
access to common food resources. I
suggest that within-colony patterns are
a consequence of either a local advan-
tage of breeding at High Bluffs (where
ticks are less abundant, for example) or

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 40

ABSTRACTS

a difference in "bird quality" (intrinsic
foraging and provisioning abilities)
between High Bluffs and lower-
elevation areas.

What’s going on at Devil’s Slide
Rock anyway? The timing, number,
and breeding success of Common
Murres at three Central California
colonies from 1996 to 2000

Hugh A, Knechiel/'^ Michael W.
Parker J Stephen W. Kress,^ Harry R.
Carter, and Richard T. Go lightly.^
‘U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San
Francisco Bay NWRC, P.O. Box 524,
Newark, CA 94560 USA;
hknechte@sfu.ca. ^Humboldt State
University, Areata, CA, USA;
^National Audubon Society, Ithaca,
NY, USA; ^U.S. Geological Survey-
Biological Resources Division, Dixon,
CA, USA.

Restoring breeding Common Mur-
res (Uria aalge) to Devil’s Slide Rock
(DSR) using social attraction equip-
ment has been very successful. Every
year since the project’s inception in
1 996, numbers of breeding pairs and
fledged chicks has increased. To de-
termine if the murres recolonizing DSR
behave in a manner similar to that of
established nearshore breeding colo-
nies two central California murre colo-
nies (Point Reyes Headland [PRH] and
Castle/Hurricane Colony Complex
[CHCC]) have been monitored in ad-
dition to DSR since 1996. Here we
present data on the number of breeding
pairs, the timing of laying, and the re-
productive success at these three colo-
nies from 1996 to 2000. Upwelling
indices indicate that environmental
conditions were worst in the El Nino
year of 1998 and best in the La Nina
year of 1999. In 1998 reproductive
success was reduced at all three colo-
nies. Although murres at PRH and
CHCC responded to El Nino by laying
late and laying fewer eggs, at DSR the
number of breeding murres increased
slightly from 1997 and the mean laying
date was almost two weeks earlier than
at PRH and CHCC. In 1999 murres at
all three colonies responded favorably

to La Nina; breeding was early and
reproductive success was high. Num-
bers of breeding murres increased at
DSR from 14 in 1998 to 70 during the
La Nina conditions of 1999. Chicks
fledged per pair has been high at DSR
and PRH in the last two years, but
lower at CHCC. Possible reasons for
these patterns are discussed.

Attraction of Dark-Rumped Petrels
to artificial burrows in the Galapa-
gos Islands

Stephen W. Kress and Richard H.
Podolsky. Seabird Restoration Pro-
gram, National Audubon Society, 159
Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY
14850, USA; skress@audubon.org

We excavated a total of 160 artifi-
cial burrows for endangered Dark-
rumped Petrel (Pterodroma phaeopy-
gia) into the interior rim of the dormant
caldera of the Mirador Volcano on
Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos in 1988
and 1989. In these years and in 1990,
we broadcast petrel flight calls near the
burrows on alternate nights from mid
June to mid August. We measured the
use of the burrows daily by placing
upright toothpicks in the entranceways
and powdery soil in front of the bur-
rows to record tracks. We recorded
petrel visits within 64, 38 and 16% of
the burrows respectively from 1988
to 1990. These data suggest that petrels
visit multiple burrows when first pros-
pecting and eventually concentrate
visits to a single burrow. Burrows with
the most visits eventually contained
breeding pairs in subsequent years. We
found no difference in the frequency of
visits during nights in which we played
recordings vs. nights without record-
ings, but visited burrows were 0.5 m
closer to speakers than was expected if
burrow use was random. Eggshell
fragments were found in one of the
burrows in 1989, providing evidence
that nesting occurred in the first year of
the project. Four pairs nested in artifi-
cial burrows in 1990 and the number of
nesting pairs increased to at least 1 5 by
1994.

Dine and dash: the foraging patterns
of wintering Surf Scoters {Melanitta
perspicillata) feeding on bay mussels
{Mytilus trossulus) in coastal British
Columbia

Deborah Lise Lacroix.
Behavioural Ecology Research Group,
Department of Biological Science,
8888 University Way, Simon Fraser
University, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6,
Canada; dlacroix@sl^.ca.

Surf Scoters {Melanitta perspicil-
/o/a) winter in abundant num^rs along
the west coast of British Columbia.
They forage in large flocks preferen-
tially feeding on intertidal mussels in
rocky habitats. The combination of
abundance, density and preferential
selection of mussels indicate that Surf
Scoters may deplete and impact their
prey, the bay mussel {Mytilus trossu-
lus). 1 conducted a two year study to
examine the predation impacts of Surf
Scoters on mussels by: (1) using
monthly photographs to monitor 14
mussel beds to assess scoter predation;
(2) conducting bimonthly boat surveys
to determine the abundance and distri-
bution of Surf Scoters. In 1 1 sites, the
mussel beds were entirely depleted.
Boat survey data demonstrated that
95% of the foraging sites were not re-
occupied after initial observation. The
foraging and distribution patterns ob-
served suggest that feeding remains
profitable throughout the period of
mussel depletion. I hypothesized that
openings in mussel beds created by
Surf Scoter predation increases the
overall feeding efficiency of the flock,
since mussels around the perimeter are
easier to access and remove. Simula-
tion models were used to test the hy-
pothesis that creating openings in mus-
sel beds allow more scoters to feed on
a site then would normally be pre-
dicted. Surf Scoter flocks benefit from
increased feeding efficiency due to
reduced handling time of mussels. In
conclusion, large numbers of SurL:
Scoters completely deplete a mussel
bed before abandoning the s^e.

ABSTRACTS

Are corticosterone levels a good in-
dicator of food stress and reproduc-
tive success in a seabird colony?

Richcjf'd S- Lonctot, Scott A.
Hatch/ Verena A. Gill/ and Marcel
Sens/ *US Geological Survey, Alaska
Biological Science Center, 1011 E.
Tudor Road, MS 701, Anchorage,
Alaska 99503, USA; Rich-
ardJanctot@usgs.gov. ^Department of
Biology, University of Antwerp, Wil-
rijk, Belgium.

To determine if stress hormone
levels in adult seabirds are related to
local food conditions and indicate the
reproductive health of a colony, we
contrasted base-line levels of corticos-
terone in supplementally fed and unfed
adult Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa
tridactyla) breeding on a radar tower
on Middleton Island, AK in 1999 and
2000. Blood was obtained from adults
shortly after returning from the win-
tering grounds (~1 1/2 months prior to
breeding), and during pre-egg laying,
incubation and chick-rearing stages of
breeding. A variety of reproductive
parameters were also measured at fed
and unfed sites throughout the colony.
Base-line levels of corticosterone were
2-3 times higher in birds sampled
shortly after arriving on the island
compared to those sampled during the
remainder of the breeding season (lev-
els decreased from an average of 8-16
ng/ml to 2-6 ng/ml). Differences were
most pronounced in 1999 — a season
when pre-laying conditions were some
of the worst for many years — and were
greater for individuals that subse-
quently failed to breed. During pre-egg
laying, incubation, and chick-rearing
stages, corticosterone levels were con-
sistently low and not significantly dif-
ferent between sexes, or between fed
and unfed kittiwakes (except chick-
rearing in 1999). Further, corticoster-
one levels during these three stages
were a poor predictor of reproductive
success in the colony. Taken together,
these results suggest that base line-
levels of corticosterone have a limited
ability to predict local food conditions
and the reproductive health of a col-
ony. Useful sampling appears to be

limited to when birds first arrive from
their wintering grounds.

Breeding population of Streaked
Shearwaters {Calonectris leu-
comeras) on the Sasu Islet, Korea

Kyung-Gyu Lee and Jeoug-Chil
Yoo. Korea Institute of Ornithology,
Kyung-Hee University, Seoul 130-701,
Korea; scops@hanmail.net

For study on breeding population
of Streaked Shearwaters {Calonectris
leucomelas), survey quadrats were es-
tablished on the Sasu islet (approxi-
mately 217,000 m^) Chejudo, Korea,
during the breeding season. In July
2000 (10 X 10m, N = 41), survey was
carried out for about two weeks after
egg laying. We regarded adult con-
tained burrows as breeding burrows.
Burrow density was 0.15/m ± 0.02
(mean ± SE). High densities were re-
corded in old field and rock area. Sixty
eight percent of burrows surveyed were
breeding ones and the density of
breeding burrows was 0.10/m ± 0.02.
The breeding population was estimated
to be 8,166 ± 2,340 pairs. But only
36.4% (5 X 6m, N = 31), 19.8% (10
xlOm, 18) of burrows surveyed
were adult or chick contained burrows
during the hatching season in Aug.
1998 and 1999 respectively. Fifty-four
breeding burrows were monitored for
23 days in 1999. And breeding failures
were recorded in 31 out of 54 burrows
(57.5%). Norway Rats {Rattus nor-
vegicus) eating a chick in a burrow
was observed. Predation by Norway
Rats was the probable cause of failure
for 26 (82.3%) of these burrows.
Above results suggest that Norway
Rats predation is the main factor af-
fecting this breeding population of
Streaked Shearwaters .

Caspian Tern predation on juvenile
Salmonids in the Columbia River
estuary

Donald E. Lyons/ Daniel D.
Roby/ Ken Collis/ and David P.
Craig^. 'us Geological Survey, Ore-
gon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife
Research Unit, Department of Fisheries

and Wildlife, Oregon State University,
104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-
3803, USA; lyonsd@ucs.orst.edu.
^Real Time Research Consultants,
Bend, OR, USA; ^Department of Biol-
ogy, Willamette University, Salem,
OR, USA.

Rice Island, a dredged material
island in the Columbia River estuary,
supported the largest breeding colony
of Caspian Terns {Sterna caspia) in the
world (over 8,000 pairs) during the late
1990’s. Using bioenergetics modeling,
we estimated that terns nesting in the
estuary consumed about 11.8 million
juvenile salmonids (95% confidence
interval = 8.3-15.9 million) during
the 1999 out-migration. A management
plan implemented in 2000 sought to
relocate the Rice Island tern colony to
a new site on East Sand Island, 21 km
closer to the ocean, where it w^ hoped
terns would consume significantly
fewer juvenile salmonids. Over 94% of
the terns shifted to East Sand Island,
where nesting success was nearly four
times higher than at the Rice Island
colony. Juvenile salmonids comprised
44% of the prey items of terns nesting
at East Sand Island, compared to 91%
of prey items at Rice Island. The relo-
cation of nearly all the nesting terns
from Rice Island to East Sand Island
resulted in a sharp drop in consumption
of juvenile salmonids. Total smolt con-
sumption by Caspian terns nesting in
the Columbia River estuary in 2000
was estimated at 7.3 million (95% con-
fidence interval = 5.7 - 9.3 million).
This represents a reduction of about 4.4
million (38%) compared to the 1999
smolt consumption estimate. Regional
resource managers are contemplating
further reduction in the annual con-
sumption of juvenile salmonids by re-
storing tern colonies outside the estu-
ary and relocating a portion of the East
Sand Island colony to these alternative
sites.

Effects of different microhabitats
and burrow types on the breeding
success of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters
{Puffmus paciftcus)

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28. Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 42

ABSTRACTS

Daniela Maldini, Peter Nilsson,
and Daniel Poland. Oceanwide Sci-
ence Institute, P.O. Box 61692, HI
96839, USA; twomoons@compaq.net

The Wedged-tailed Shearwater
{Puffmus pacificus) is the most com-
mon shearwater species in Hawaii. The
current study investigated the breeding
ecology of this species on Kapapa Is-
land, a small offshore islet in Kaneohe
Bay, Oahu. The purpose of the study
was to determine the difference in
overall breeding success, and egg and
chick success between four micro-
habitats (sand ledge, ironwood, rock
flat and mixed low vegetation) and
three types of nests (rock burrow, un-
derground burrow, and ground nest) in
the breeding colony located on the is-
let.

Overall breeding success for Ka-
papa Island was 61%. Results showed
a significant difference among the four
microhabitats and the three types of
nests, the ironwood forest exhibiting
the lowest overall breeding success
(50.1 %), the rock flat the highest
(80.4%). Breeding success was 78%
for rock burrows, 67% for underground
burrows, and 28% for ground nests.

Differences in breeding success
could be attributed to several physical
and biological factors such as heat
stress and predation pressure (for
ground nests), and potential for col-
lapse and water inundation (for under-
ground burrows). The highest success
was found in the rock burrows, which
have a lower susceptibility to tem-
perature changes, and to tram-
pling/collapse due to their inherent
construction.

Seasonal movements of seabirds in
the Santa Barbara Channel, Califor-
nia

John W. Mason, William R.
Mclver, and Gerard J. McChesney.
U.S. Geological Survey, Western
Ecological Research Center, 6924
Tremont Road, Dixon, CA 95620,
USA, and Department of Wildlife,
Humboldt State University, Areata,
CA, USA. John_W_Mason@usgs.gov.

Shore-based and shipboard data
were gathered to examine seasonal
movements of seabirds in the Santa
Barbara Channel, California. Forty
shore-based surveys of seabirds were
conducted semi-monthly from Point
Mugu, Ventura County, California
from June 1999 to December 2000. Of
45 species recorded, Western Gull {La-
rus occidentalis). Brown Pelican {Pe-
lecanus occidentalis), and Surf Scoter
{Melanitta perspicillata) were the most
frequently observed birds. Peaks in
overall seabird abundance resulted
from strong along-shore movements of
gulls in late November 1999 and early
January 2000 and the occurrence of
large numbers of Western Grebes
{Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Pa-
cific Loons (Gavia pacifica) in late
April and early May 2000. Eleven
shipboard strip transects were con-
ducted semi-monthly from March to
October 2000 from Santa Barbara har-
bor to Santa Rosa Island. More than
10,000 individual seabirds of 30 spe-
cies were observed. Sooty Shearwater
(Puffinus griseus), phalaropes. Western
Gull, and Brown Pelican were the most
abundant species observed. Large in-
fluxes of phalaropes occurred in early
May 2000 and large influxes of
shearwaters occurred in late August
2000. Data collected in the Santa Bar-
bara Channel supplement extensive
aerial at-sea transects that examine at-
sea distribution of seabirds throughout
Southern California in May, Septem-
ber, and January 1 999-2000.

At-sea distribution and abundance
of seabirds in Southern California

Gerard J. McChesney, John W.
Mason,^'^ William R. Mclver,^’^ Harry
R. Carter, Dennis L. Orthmeyer,^ and
Richard T. Golightly.^ *U.S. Geological
Survey, Western Ecological Research
Center, 6924 Tremont Road, Dixon,
California 95620 USA,
gerry_mcchesney@usgs.gov;
TJepartment of Wildlife, Humboldt
State University, Areata, CA, USA

In 1 999-2000, we conducted aerial
at-sea transects of seabirds in shelf and
slope waters off southern California

from 35'’ 35’ N to the U.S.-Mexicani
border and as far west as 122'’ W. Sur^i
veys were conducted primarily in May
(spring, breeding season), September
(fall dispersal and migration), and
January (mid-winter). Both offshore!
and coastal strip transects were con-
ducted from fixed-wing aircraft at 200
feet ASL with a variable transect width
of 50 to 1 00 m. Offshore transects were
spaced from 8 to 15 nm apart while all
mainland and island coastlines were
surveyed about 300 m from shore. As
found on University of Califor-
nia/BLM surveys in 1975-1978, Sooty
Shearwaters {Puffmus griseus). Red-
necked Phalaropes {Phalaropus lo-
batus). Western Gulls {Larus occiden-
talism and California Gulls {Larus
californicus) were numerically domi-
nant in offshore areas, while West-
ern/Clark’s grebes {Aechmophorus
spp.). Western Gulls, Surf Scoters
{Melanitta perspicillata). Brown Peli-
cans {Pelecanus occidentalis), and
Brandt’s Cormorants {Phalacrocorax
penicillatus) dominated in coastal ar-
eas. Transect design and analyses are
focused on: (a) measuring spatial
variation and relationships with sea
surface temperature, upwelling,
bathymetry, and breeding and/or
roosting locations; and (b) updating
baseline data for assessing population :
changes over time from potential an-
thropogenic impacts (e.g., oil pollution, J
military activities, and human distur-
bance), El Nino/La Nina events, and j
longer-term environmental change. I

Reproductive success of the Ashy I
Storm-petrel at Santa Cruz Island, I
California, 1995-1998 I

William R. Mclver,^‘^ Harry R. j
Carter^'^ Richard Golightly,^ Daniel I
Welsh,^ Thomas W. Keeney,^ Gerard J. |
McChesney,^ Darrell L, Whitworth,^’^ |
and John R. GilardiJ'^ ‘U.S. Geologi- 1
cal Survey, Western Ecological Re- 1
search Center, 6924 Tremont Road, «
Dixon, CA 95620, USA;|
bill_mciver@usgs.gov. ^Humboldt |
State University, Department of Wild- J
life. Areata, CA , USA; ^U.S. Fish and m
WHdIife Service, Sacramento, CA, J

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 43

ABSTRACTS

USA; '‘Natural Resources Management
Office, Naval Base Ventura County,
Point Mugu, CA, USA.

Reproductive success of the Ashy
Storm-Petrel {Oceanodroma homo-
chroa) was studied at five locations at
Santa Cruz Island off southern Califor-
nia in 1995-1998. Nests were marked,
mapped, and monitored infrequently
with small flashlights; adults were not
flushed or handled in order to prevent
disturbance by researchers. Egg-laying
occurred from early April through late
September, peaking in mid-June. In
1995-1997, mean values of hatching,
fledging, and breeding success were
61%, 93%, and 54%, respectively.
Hatching success was 17% lower and
fledging success was 6% higher than at
the South Farallon Islands in 1972-
1983 (excluding 1977). Breeding suc-
cess was 15-24% lower than reported
for the South Farallon Islands in vari-
ous periods between 1971-1995. In
1998, a strong El Nino year, hatching
success and breeding success were not
significantly different from 1995-1997,
but a greater proportion of chicks did
not fledge. Possible factors affecting
breeding success included: contamina-
tion of eggs and eggshell thinning due
to chlorinated hydrocarbons; predation
of adults; and human disturbance at
nesting locations.

Seabird bycatch in a North Pacific
longline fishery - solutions that
work

Edward F. Melvin/ Kimberly S.
Dietrich/ Owen Hamel/ and Julia K
Parrish/ ‘Washington Sea Grant Pro-
gram, University of Washington, Box
355020, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
emelvin@u.washington.edu. ^School of
Fisheries, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA, USA.

Seabird bycatch occurs in longline
fisheries as seabirds attempt to feed on
sinking baits during gear deployment.
In Alaska seabird bycatch in longline
fisheries includes Northern Fulmars
{Fulmarus glacialis), Larids,
Shearwaters {Puffinus spp.) and 3 spe-

cies of albatross {Phoebastria spp.).
Although actual bycatch is rare, these
fisheries face closure or limitation due
to the potential hooking mortality of
Short-tailed Albatross (P. albatrus), an
internationally endangered species, and
now operate under regulations bor-
rowe:d from other nations. In the sec-
ond year of this study, we compared
seabird and fish catch rates among
three seabird deterrent treatments in the
IFQ sablefish fishery in the Gulf of
Alaska and Aleutian Islands. Vessels in
this fleet tend to be less than 25 m,
have crews of six persons, hand-bait
hooks, and deliver iced fish in trips
lasting only a week. Deterrents, se-
lected in collaboration with fishers,
included: a single streamer (tori) line,
paired streamer lines, and paired
streamer lines in combination with
weight (0.23 kg/10 m) added to the
groundline. Seabird abundance and
foraging behavior (bait attacks per
minute) were also quantified during
each set. Preliminary results indicate
that compared to a control of no deter-
rent, paired streamer lines plus weight
and paired streamer lines alone were
nearly 100% effective at reducing sea-
bird bycatch. These results suggest that
cooperative research between fishers
and scientists can create effective and
practical solutions.

Marbled Murrelet population trends
in northern California adjacent to
managed and unmanaged forests

Sherri L. Miller and C. John
Ralph. U.S. Forest Service, Redwood
Sciences Laboratory, 1700 Bayview
Drive, Areata, CA 95521, USA;
Sherri_Miller@fs.fed.us.

We conducted line transect sur-
veys in the near-shore waters of North-
ern California for 10 years beginning in
1989. Because of an offshore gradient
in Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus
marmoratus) densities, our sampling
efforts were stratified to allow defini-
tion of the density curve. We used lin-
ear regression analysis methods to es-
timate population size from transects at

two distances from the shoreline. We
found densities stable in areas adjacent
to the large contiguous forest stands in
state and national parks. In areas adja-
cent to forests managed for timber har-
vesting, we found a downward trend.
However, preliminary analysis of the
last two years of data indicates a possi-
ble reversal of this trend.

A protocol for archiving seabird plot
photos and data

Heather Moore and G. Vernon
Byrd. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
2355 Kachemak Bay Dr., Suite 101,
Homer, AK 99603, USA;
heather_moore@fws.gov.

As data continue to accumulate,
filing cabinet needs multiply and bi-
ologists who can answer questions
about 20-yr-old reports eventually re-
tire. The Alaska Maritime National
Wildlife Refuge is in the process of
trying to develop electronic archives
for various forms of data. Goals are to
(1) improve access for more people, (2)
allow re-analysis of historical data, (3)
take up less physical space, (4) stan-
dardize data formats — especially when
data are collected by multiple observ-
ers, and (5) preserve data for long peri-
ods of time. Additionally, storage in a
compact and reproducible medium
allows placement of data in an off-site
location (National Archives and Re-
cords Administration) for further pro-
tection. This presentation details our
new system for scanning and digitally
archiving population and productivity
photographs. The most difficult deci-
sion is which photographs to archive.
We estimate our current collection to
be about 10,000 photographs and an-
ticipate archiving 2-3,000. A relatively
low scanning resolution (2-3 MB file
size) is probably sufficient for plot
photographs. We developed a Micro-
soft Access database to store metadata
about the original and scanned images.
Images are saved as JPEG files on
CD's. Because of changing database
technology, the collection must be mi-
grated forward in time onto new data
management systems, simultaneously
with the migration of the individual

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 * Spring 2001 • Page 44

ABSTRACTS

images onto new media. Although
long-term storage of such a large
quantity of multimedia information is a
daunting task, we hope that beginning
the process now will preserve our
staffs hard work for generations to
come.

Murre and kittiwake reproduction
at a subarctic colony: links with local
climate and oceanography and to
oceanographic oscillations in the
north temperate and tropical Pacific
Ocean

Edward C. Murphy. Institute of
Arctic Biology, University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775-0180,
USA; ffecm@uaf edu.

Numbers of adults, timing of
breeding, and breeding success of
Black-legged Kittiwakes {Rissa tri-
dactyla) and Common Murres {Uria
aalge) at Bluff, Alaska fluctuated
markedly among years during 1975-
2000. Numbers and breeding success
were highest, and breeding was earli-
est, in years when local (Nome) spring
temperatures were highest and ice
break-up in the region was earliest. In
turn, spring temperatures in Nome
were strongly correlated with the North
Pacific Index (NPI) during this period
(e.g., April temperature in Nome vs.
NPI for April; r = -0.571, P = 0.003;
May temperature in Nome vs. NPI for
May: r = -0.511, P = 0.009). Spring
temperatures in Nome also were
strongly correlated with the Nino 3.4
Index {N3.4) and the newly derived
Trans-Nino Index {TNI); e.g., May
temperatures in Nome were signifi-
cantly correlated with N3,4 for January
(r = 0.415, P = 0.04) and TNI for Feb-
ruaiy (r = -0.499, P = 0.01). Examina-
tion of the historical climatic record for
Nome, which extends back to 1907,
indicated that correlations between
April and May temperatures and the
NPI also were highly significant in
1907-1974, as were those between
April temperatures (but not May tem-
peratures) and N3.4. These results sug-
gest that there may be surprisingly
strong couplings between oceano-
graphic variability in the tropical and

temperate Pacific and local conditions
influencing murres and kittiwakes at
this colony.

Heart rate as a measure of social
recognition: do Little Blue Penguin
{Eudyptula minor) chicks use vocal
signatures to distinguish siblings
from other chicks?

Shinichi Nakagawa. Joseph R.
fVaas* and Masamine Miyazaki. De-
partment of Biological Sciences, Uni-
versity of Waikato, Hamilton, New
Zealand.

Researchers investigating social
recognition typically measure only
behavioral responses during discrimi-
nation tests — physiological changes
have been largely ignored. We exam-
ined whether Little Blue Penguin
(Eudyptula minor) chicks could distin-
guish siblings from other chicks using
auditory cues, by measuring behavioral
and heart rate changes during playback
experiments. Chicks were exposed to
five treatments, the begging calls of
siblings, neighboring chicks and unfa-
miliar chicks, and two controls (het-
erospecific begging calls and music).
We also determined if chicks devel-
oped distinctive begging calls, by using
F ratios to quantify inter- versus intra-
individual variability in a range of
acoustic parameters, and applying a
discriminant function analysis. Inter-
individual variation was greater in
pitch parameters than temporal or am-
plitude parameters, suggesting that call
pitch may be important for individual
recognition. The discriminant function
analysis showed each chick’s calls
were distinctive and could act as a vo-
cal signature. Treatments did not insti-
gate different behavioral responses.
However, chick heart rates during
playback of sibling calls were signifi-
cantly higher than those recorded dur-
ing stranger, but not neighbor, play-
back. A simple recognition system
based on familiarity may allow this
plesiomorphic and loosely colonial
penguin to gain at least some of the
benefits associated with more advanced
sibling recognition systems (some
highly colonial seabirds discriminate

siblings from neighboring chicks).
Heart rate can be a useful measure of
social recognition abilities, particul^Iy
in species where changes in behavior
are not always evident or are difficult
to observe.

The status and conservation of the
Long-billed Murrelet in Japan

S. Kim Nelson J Yoshihiro Fu-
kuda,^ and Nariko Oka.^ * Oregon Co-
operative Wildlife Research Unit, Ore-
gon State University, Department of
Fisheries and Wildlife, 104 Nash Hall,
Corvallis, OR 97331-3803 USA, nel-
sonsk@ucs.orst.edu; ^5-2-25 Oka Ma-
tsubara-shi, Osaka 580-014 Japan;
^Yamashina Institute of Ornithology,
Chiba, Japan.

We summarize the past and cur-
rent status of the Long-billed Murrelet
{Brachyramphus perdix) in Japan dur-
ing the breeding season (March-
September). Since its discovery and
description in 1811 (Pallas), the Long-
billed Murrelet (then called the Asian
Mottled Murrelet, Cepphus perdix) has
been encountered in northern Japan
throughout the year. Recently, how-
ever, fewer and fewer observations of
this species have been recorded during
the breeding season. The Long-billed
Murrelet was thought to breed on Hok-
kaido although no nests have been
documented. Based on our recent sur-
veys, we believe this species may no
longer breed in Japan, despite its
known breeding on nearby Russian
islands. We discuss the conservation
problems, including gill-net fishing,
logging of mature forests in coastal
regions, oil pollution, and predation,
that may have led to its extirpation
from Japan during the breeding season.

Metabolism of cytochrome P450 3 A
(CYP3A)- mediated compound, qui-
nine, in Adelie Penguin chicks

Mihoko Numata, Dorothy Saville,
Peter Coville, and Sompon Wanwimol-
ruk. School of Pharmacy, Ui^versity of .
Otago, P.O. Box 913 Dunedin, New
Zealand; mihoko.numata@stonebow.
otago.ac.nz.

ABSTRACTS

Cytochromes P450 (CYP) are a
large superfamily of enzymes that
catalyze metabolism of a variety of
xenobiotics, including environmental
pollutants. Our previous study (Wan-
wimolruk et al. 1999; Comp. Biochem.
Physiol. 124C; 301-307) has shown
that adult Adelie Penguins (Pygoscelis
adeliae) have much less ability than
humans to eliminate xenobiotics hav-
ing a similar nature to quinine, a spe-
cific human CYP3A4 substrate. This
study was aimed to determine if the
activity of CYP3 A subfamily in Adelie
Penguin chicks is different from that
observed in adults. Liver microsomes
prepared from 10 chicks (age 14-28
days) were used for incubation with
quinine. The formation of its metabo-
lite, 3-hydroxyquinine, was quantified
using HPLC and used as a measure of
CYP3A activity. Mean maximum rate
of metabolism (Vmax) and substrate
affinity (Km) in chick livers were 119
± 35 pmol/mg protein/min and 122 ±
27 pM, respectively. These seemed
less than those reported in adults (160
± 72 pmoi/mg protein/min and 160 ±
73 pM, respectively), but the differ-
ences were not statistically significant
(P's > 0.1). Mean intrinsic clearance
(Vmax/Km) was 1 .0 ± 0.3 ml/min in
chicks, which was similar to that pre-
viously observed in adults. These re-
sults suggest that chick penguins have
the ability to metabolize quinine, but
the capacity is much less than humans.
The metabolite formation in chick liv-
ers was inhibited by specific CYP3A
inhibitors, midazolam and troleando-
mycin, but not by other CYP inhibi-
tors, suggesting that the metabolite
formation is likely to be catalyzed by a
CYP isoform resembling the human
CYP3A4.

Historical and present distribution
of colonies of Streaked Shearwaters
{Calonectris leucomelas)

Nariko Oka. Research Division,
Yamashina Institute for Ornithology,
115 Konoyama, Abiko, Chiba, 270-
1 145, Japan; oka@yamashina.or.jp

The Streaked Shearwater
{Calonectris leucomelas), the most

abundant shearwater in western Pa-
cific, mainly breeds in warmer current
regions along Japanese archipelagoes,
from Nakanokamishima Is. (24°N
north) to Oshima-Ohshima Is. (41^N)
and adjacent islands off southern Ko-
rean Peninsula. Based on a comprehen-
sive literature survey. Streaked
Shearwaters breed on 73 islands in
total (17 located in the Sea of Japan, 19
in the Pacific Ocean, 1 8 in the Yellow
Sea and Tsushima Strait, 18 in the East
China Sea and one in Taiwan Strait; in
other words 56 in Japan, 12 in Korea,
two in China, and one each in North
Korea, Russian and Taiwan). There
might be more in China, Taiwan and
North Korea.

These breeding colonies have pos-
sibly expanded northwards with the
northward movement of the polar fi-ont,
which was located 32-35*’N (north East
China Sea — ^Izu Islands) around 20,000
years ago, when the Sea of Japan was
isolated from ocean.

The high concentration in offshore
uninhabited islands in Pacific in rather
higher latitudes for this species of 38-
40°N (150 thousands birds in five is-
lands) may be an outgrowth both of the
higher marine production in subarctic
boundary with cold and warm currents,
and long-term nature conservation
originated by local coastal residents.
The unwritten law of islanders to pro-
tect the shearwaters in Mikura Island of
Izu Islands for hundreds years has also
supported the present estimated largest
population of more than 1.8 million
birds.

The fossil record of Hawaiian sea-
birds

Storrs L. Olson. Department of
Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum
of Natural History, Smithsonian Insti-
tution, Washington, D. C. 20560 USA;
olson.storrs@nmnh.si.edu.

The fossil record of seabirds in the
Hawaiian Islands includes archaeologi-
cal deposits and extends as far back as
the Middle Pleistocene about 500,000
years ago, although most fossil speci-
mens are late Holocene in age (5,000
years or less). There is at least some
fossil evidence of seabirds from all the

main Hawaiian Islands, with the most
being known about Hawaii, Mololcai,
Oahu, and Kauai. Taphonomic bias
may greatly affect species composition
and relative abundance from site to
site, for example on the south coast of
Kauai, where the seabird fauna of a
Holocene lake deposit is very different
from that found in adjacent dunes.
Some species, such as terns, are almost
never found as fossils. Only two total
extinctions have been recorded — a
petrel and a gull. Many species were
more widely distributed than in historic
times, and all species of seabirds were
probably much more abundant than at
present. Extinctions and reduction in
population-sizes of seabirds are all
thought to be related to the arrival of
humans.

Breeding biology of the Japanese
Murrelet

Koji OnoJ John N. Fries, ^ Mihoko
Sato,^ Hiroyoshi Kohno,^ Yutaka Na~
kamura,^ and Toru Hara.^ 'Hokkaido
Seabird Center, Kita 6-1, Haboro,
Tomamae, Hokkaido 078-4116 Japan,
ono@seabird.go.jp; ^Laboratory of
Biodiversity Science, School of Agri-
culture and Life Sciences, The Univer-
sity of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan;
^Sakaemachi 2-506, Haboro,
Tomamae, Hokkaido 078-4123 Japan;
''Tokai University Okinawa Regional
Research Center, Yaeyama, Okinawa ,
Japan; ^Magohori-Ko 2008-5, Miya-
zaki, 880-0841, Japan; ^Omosu 277-1,
Uchiura, Numazu, Shizuoka 410-0225,
Japan.

Breeding biology of the Japanese
Murrelet {Synthliboramphus wurni-
zusume) was studied from 1993 to
1996 at Biro Island, off Kyushu, Japan.
Nesting occurred most commonly in
gaps within stone piles (56%). The first
egg was laid in mid- to late-March and
the second one in late-March to early-
April. Only one case of egg replace-
ment was observed, after an adult
broke its own egg. The interval be-
tween first and second egg averaged
7.6 days, and the clutch was neglected
for 3 days. Length of incubation aver-
aged 31.4 days, with daytime incuba-

Pacific Seabirds * Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 46

ABSTRACTS

tion of 29 days. Time from laying first
egg to family departure averaged 42
days. Both parents shared incubation
duties equally. Length of incubation
shifts in 1993 and 1995 differed sig-
nificantly from those in 1994 and 1996
(1,8 and 1.4 days, respectively). Family
departure occurred in late- April to
early-May for all years, and 53-67% of
dates were concentrated within one
week of the median. Chicks at depar-
ture (21.8 g) were 2.5 g lighter than
just after hatching. Departure times
were distributed relatively evenly from
1 to 8 hours after sunset. Early in June,
murrelets could no longer be seen at
sea around Biro Island. Specimens
suggest that some murrelets move
north in summer and spend winter
south of breeding range. Differences in
external measurements between Japa-
nese Murrelet males and females and
between Japanese and Ancient Mur-
relets {S. antiquus) were also exam-
ined, based on comparison with meas-
urements of Ancient Murrelet carcasses
from the 1997 Nakhodka oil spill in the
Japan Sea.

Geographic and species differences
in the stress response in Leach’s
Storm-petrels and Wilson’s Storm-
petrels

Kathleen O'Reilly, Susie Imhol,
and Alec Bailey. Department of Biol-
ogy, University of Portland, 5000 N.
Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203,
USA; oreilly@up.edu.

Leach’s Storm-Petrels {Oeeano-
droma leucorhoa) breed on islands in
both the North Atlantic and the North
Pacific Oceans during the boreal sum-
mer, while Wilson’s Storm-Petrels
(Oceanites oceanicus) breed in Ant-
arctica and nearby islands during the
austral summer. During the boreal
summer, a large population of Wil-
son’s Storm-Petrels feeds in the Bay of
Fundy in the North Atlantic Ocean. We
obtained blood samples for analysis of
corticosterone levels immediately after
capture and 30 minutes after capture to
compare geographic and species differ-
ences in the stress response, Leach’s
Storm-Petrels were sampled during the

breeding season at Tatoosh Island,
Washington and at Kent Island, New
Brunswick. Wilson’s Storm-Petrels
were sampled in the Bay of Fundy,
Nova Scotia. Wilson’s Storm-Petrels
had a significantly lower stress re-
sponse than Leach’s Storm-Petrels at
either site. Wilson’s Storm-Petrels
were in heavy molt of their flight
feathers during the sampling period
(mid July). Other researchers (Le. L.
M. Romero) have reported a reduction
of the stress response during molt in
several sparrow species and European
Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Biology, status and conservation of
seabirds in Hokkaido

Yuichi Osa^ and Yutaka Wata-
nuki^. ‘Nature Conservation Depart-
ment, Hokkaido Institute of Environ-
mental Sciences, Kita-19 Nishi-12,
Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0819, Japan;
osa@hokkaido- i es . go . j p . ^ Laboratory
of Animal Ecology, Graduate School
of Agriculture, Hokkaido University,
Sapporo, Japan.

For the purpose of promoting con-
servation of seabirds in Hokkaido, we
will discuss the status of their colonies.
By using published and unpublished
research data, we summarized infor-
mation regarding their size, and natural
and human-induced disturbances of
each colony.

At least 12 species breed in Hok-
kaido. The present status of the Long-
billed Murrelet {Brachyramphus per-
dix) is unknown. For some colonies in
which we are able to use trend of their
size, we have calculated their annual
rate of change by regression analysis.
In Teuri Island, colony size of the
Common Murre (Uria aalge) de-
creased by 12% annually during 1938-
80 and decreased by 27% during 1981-
94. In Moyururi Island, colony size of
the Common Murre decreased by 25%
annually during 1965-83 and no indi-
vidual has been observed since 1985.
We also found out that colony size of
Tufted Puffin {Fratercula cirrhata) in
Moyururi Island and Spectacled
Guillemot {Cepphus carbo) in Teuri

and Yururi Islands decreased during
the last 30 years.

Descriptions of disturbances were
found in research reports at 14 colo-
nies, Out of 14 colonies, predation by
gulls or crows was reported at 12 colo-
nies and death due to being caught by
commercial nets was reported at the 6
colonies. Disturbance by introduced
rats and cats was reported at 5 colonies.

In Japan, most colony areas are
protected by law, such as the Wildlife
Protection and Hunting Law. However,
there are no guidelines for protection of
seabirds at sea (or under the sea). We
therefore must understand their threats
at sea, for example, the impact of by-
catch in commercial nets, and we must
seek ways to allow the coexistence of
both seabird and human communities.

Adult time budgets of Common
Murres at three nearshore colonies
in central coastal California

Michael Parker,^ Richard T. Go-
lightly,^ and Harry R, Car ter. ‘U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box
524, Newark, CA 94560, USA,
mike__parker@fws.gov. ^Humboldt
State University, Department of Wild-
life, Areata, CA, USA; ^U.S. Geologi-
cal Survey, Dixon, CA, USA.

A temporal (within and between
year) and spatial (between colony) in-
vestigation of Common Murre {Uria
aalge) adult time budgets (co-
attendance) was conducted in central
California in 1999 and 2000. We ob-
served breeding pairs of murres during
the incubation and chick-rearing peri-
ods at three nearshore colonies in cen-
tral California to aid in evaluating res-
toration efforts, in this region. Cur-
rently, social attraction techniques are
being used to restore the extirpated
Devil’s Slide Rock colony. We found
that on average, murres spent more
time in co-attendance during the chick-
rearing period than during the incuba-
tion period. In addition, murres at the
restoration colony spent more time
co-attendance during the chick-rearing
period when compared the other-
colonies. However, adult time budget$J
at each colony did vary by day, and

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 * Spring 2001 • Page 47

ABSTRACTS

day differences varied between years.
We look at the influence of environ-
mental factors on time spent in co-
attendance as well as the relationship
between time budgets and reproductive
success.

Post-breeding survival and behavior
of radio-tagged juvenile and adult
Marbled Murrelets

Nadine Parker, Emmanuelle Cam*
and Fred Cooke. Centre for Wildlife
Ecology, Department of Biological
Sciences, Simon Fraser University,
Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada;
nrparker@sfu.ca.

Conservation measures are greatly
enhanced by knowledge of demo-
graphic parameters within populations.
For Marbled Murrelets {Brachyram-
phus marmoratus) almost nothing is
known about juvenile survival. In ad-
dition, direct measures of fecundity are
difficult to determine accurately for
this species. Instead juvenile to adult
ratios from at sea surveys are com-
monly used as an index of productivity.
Knowledge of juvenile vs. adult be-
havior is essential for these ratios to be
interpreted accurately. From July 3 1 to
August 26 we attached radio transmit-
ters to 14 juvenile and 8 adult Marbled
Murrelets captured in Desolation
Sound, BC. The movements of radioed
birds were tracked by boat and fixed
wing aircraft from August 1 to No-
vember 12. From the data collected we
provide the first estimate of juvenile
survival and also document differences
in the movements of juveniles and
adults during the post breeding period.

Victims or villains? Seabirds in the
coastal ecosystem

Julia K. Parrish^'^ and Elizabeth
LogerwellJ * School of Aquatic and
Fishery Sciences and ^Zoology De-
partment, University of Washington,
Box 355020, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
jparrish@u. washington.edu.

Over 50% of the world’s human
population lives within 20 miles of a
coastline, making highly productive
coastal ecosystems an intense focus of

human use and interest. However,
other predators, such as marine mam-
mals and seabirds, also are concen-
trated in coastal systems. As human
impacts increase and fisheries decline,
this leads to conflict between people
and seabirds. In this retrospective
analysis, we examined the role seabirds
have played in the California Current
System over the last three decades.
Piscivorous seabirds comprise more
than 3,600 metric tons of predatory
biomass on the shelf and demand 431
billion Kcal of energy there, predomi-
nantly in the form of forage fishes.
Energy content of forage fish varies by
a factor of 2.5, from Pacific cod (0.94
Kcal/gm) to eulachon (2.55 Kcal/gm).
Therefore, depending on which prey
species are consumed, seabirds eat
220-300 thousand metric tons of fish
annually, or roughly double the current
California sardine fishery. Seabird im-
pacts on forage fishes depend on the
energy content and size of available
prey - poorer quality fish must be con-
sumed in greater quantities, as is also
the case with smaller fish, to satisfy
energetic demands. Impacts can be
further intensified around breeding
colonies, where demand can be 7-10
times the average regional value. Fi-
nally, seabirds can have large impacts
on rare prey, as in the case of endan-
gered salmonids, even when the per-
cent of total diet is small. Management
of the ecosystem, rather than just the
fisheries, will require honest assess-
ments of the spatio-temporally explicit
needs of these birds, and the realization
that seabird predators are an influential
and integral part of the system.

Marbled Murrelet population dy-
namics in central California

M. Zachariah Peery,’ Steven
BeissingerJ Scott Newman,^ and
Esther Burkett.^ *151 Hilgard Hall
#3110, University of California, Ber-
keley, CA 94720, USA;
zpeery@nature.berkeley.edu. ^Oiled
Wildlife Care Network, Wildlife
Health Center, University of Califor-
nia, Davis, CA, USA; ^Habitat Conser-
vation Planning Branch, Department of

Fish and Game, Sacramento, CA,
USA.

We used radio-telemetry to deter-
mine if poor Marbled Murrelet
{Brachyramphus marmoratus} repro-
ductive success in central California
was due to a low rate of nest initiation
or a high rate of nest failure. We also
estimated the survival rate for mur-
relets in this region using mark-
recapture techniques. We radio-tagged
24 murrelets in April and May, 2000.
Of these, only two attempted to nest
and 15 did not attempt to nest. Of thir-
teen murrelets with brood patches, al-
most all flew inland during the early
morning flight period; only two of 1 1
non-brood patch birds flew inland.
Brood patch birds and birds that flew
inland did not spend more time forag-
ing, nor were they in better body con-
dition than non-brood patch birds and
birds that did not fly inland, respec-
tively. Low nest initiation could have
been due to nest-site limitation, low
food availability, predator avoidance,
or a combination of these factors. We
banded 187 individual Marbled Mur-
relets from 1997 to 2000 and recap-
tured 24 of these at least once. The
estimated survival rate for this popula-
tion was lower than the estimate used
by Beissinger (1995) to model a de-
clining population. Management rec-
ommendations include increasing the
number of birds that attempt to nest
and reducing adult mortality.

Hawaii East?: the changing marine
avifauna of San Benedicto Island,
Mexico

Robert L. Pitman,^ Richard A.
Rowlett,^ and Lisa T. Balance.*^

* Southwest Fisheries Science Center,
P.O. Box 271, La Jolla, CA. USA;
pitman@caliban.ucsd.edu. ^P.O. Box
7386, Bellevue, WA 98008, USA.

Since we started visiting San
Benedicto Island, Mexico (ca. 400 km
south of the tip of Baja California) in
1978, two and possibly three species of
central Pacific seabirds have colonized
the island. Laysan Albatross {Phoe-
bastria immutabilis) was first seen

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 ♦ Page 48

ABSTRACTS

around the island in 1979, first ob-
served displaying on land in 1987, and
first recorded nesting in 1992. The
population currently consists of 20
nesting pairs and appears to be growing
slowly. We saw a single Black-footed
Albatross (P. nigripes) roosting on the
island for the first time in December
1999 and photographed a bird on an
egg in 2000. Mexican military person-
nel stationed on Guadalupe Island,
1300 km to the north, told us a pair of
"black" albatrosses raised a chick on
that island in 1998, were absent in
1 999, but were attempting to nest again
in 2000. These are the first records of
Black-footed Albatross breeding east
of Hawaii. Male Brown Boobies {Sula
leucogaster) nesting on San Benedicto
are comprised of forms that are light-
headed (eastern Pacific) and dark-
headed (central Pacific and elsewhere),
indicating that Brown Boobies from
the central Pacific may also have colo-
nized the island, although when is not
clear. A facile explanation that alba-
trosses may have been "lured" into
breeding in the eastern Pacific because
of food made available by commercial
fishing operations does not explain the
presence of central Pacific Brown
Boobies at San Benedicto. The reason
why these normally philopatric species
have begun breeding halfway across
the Pacific may have to do with bur-
geoning central Pacific populations or
possibly changing oceanographic con-
ditions.

Attraction and behavior of Laysan
Albatross on Kaohikaipu Islet, Oahu

Richard H. Podolsky and Stephen
W. Kress. Seabird Restoration Pro-
gram, National Audubon Society,
Ithaca, NY, USA; podolsky@att.net.

We report the results of a 7-year
study with the shared goals of at-
tempting to artificially stimulate col-
ony formation of Laysan Albatrosses
{Phoebastria immutabalis) on Kaohi-
kaipu Islet, Oahu, and to study the re-
action and behavior of albatrosses to
different types of decoys and vocaliza-
tion playback. In each year of the study
we presented adult sky-pointing decoys

and head-forward, loafing model de-
coys in two circular displays in similar
habitat and broadcast a combination of
adult courtship calls and chick begging
calls. Observers conducted behavior
scans from Sea Life Park about 1/4
mile from Kaohikaipu for 80-120 days
per year starting in mid December and
ending mid May. Conclusions include:
1. Albatrosses were very rare in the
vicinity of Kaohikaipu Islet prior to the
initiation of this study, but since the
project began albatrosses have been
seen on and near the island in every
year of the study; 2. In all years of the
study the behaviors most common
were loafing, sleeping, preening and
walking; 3. Attraction was not ran-
dom — ^prospecting albatrosses consis-
tently favored certain decoy postures
and groupings; 4. Of two study plots
on the island, albatrosses consistently
favored the higher elevation plot, even
when chicks, eggs and recordings of
chick sounds were switched to the
lower plot.

The Transition Zone chlorophyll
front, a dynamic global feature de-
fining migration and forage habitat
for marine resources

Jeffrey J. PolovinaJ Evan Howell,^
Donald R. Kobayashi, ^ and Michael P.
SekiJ ^Honolulu Laboratory, South-
west Fisheries Science Center, Na-
tional Marine Fisheries Service,
NOAA, 2570 Dole Street, Honolulu,
HI 96822, USA; ^Joint Institute for
Marine and Atmospheric Research,
University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI,
USA.

Pelagic ecosystem dynamics on all
temporal scales may be driven by the
dynamics of specialized oceanic habi-
tat. One such habitat is the basin-wide
chlorophyll front located at the bound-
ary between the low chlorophyll sub-
tropical gyres and the high chlorophyll
subarctic gyres. Global satellite maps
of surface chlorophyll clearly show this
feature in all oceans. In the North Pa-
cific, the front is over 8,000 km long
and seasonally migrates north and

south about 1,000 km. In the winter
this front is located at about 30®-35'' N
latitude and in the summer at about
40®-45'* N. The front represents a zone
of surface convergence as cool, verti-
cally mixed, high-chlorophyll surface
water on the north side sinks beneath
warm, stratified, low-chlorophyll water
on the south side. Satellite telemetry
data on movements of loggerhead tur-
tles {Caretta caretta) and detailed fish-
eries data for albacore tuna {Thunnus
alalunga) show that both apex preda-
tors travel along this front as they mi-
grate across the North Pacific. The
front is easily monitored with ocean
color satellite remote sensing. A
change in the position of the transition
zone chlorophyll front (TZCF) between
1997 and 1998 appears to have altered
the spatial distribution of loggerhead
turtles. The position and dynamics of
the front varied substantially between
the 1998 El Nino and the 1999 La
Nina. For example, from May to July
1999 the TZCF remained between
about 35° N and 40° N latitude show-
ing very little meandering, while in
1998, during the same period, the
TZCF exhibited considerable mean-
dering and greater monthly latitudinal
movement. Catch rates for albacore
were considerably higher in 1998 than
in 1999 and we hypothesize that a me-
andering TZCF creates regions of con-
vergence which enhance foraging
habitat at the front for apex predators.

How useful are productivity ratios
from at-sea surveys of Marbled
Murrelets?

Martin G. Raphael and Diane
Evans Mack. US Forest Service, Pa-
cific Northwest Research Station, 3625
93^*^ Ave. SW, Olympia, WA 98512,
USA; mraphael@fs.fed.us.

Productivity ratios from at-sea j
surveys are being used as indices of|
fecundity of Marbled Murfelet popula-^
tions {Brachyramphus marmoratus)A
Although fecundity is a fundamenta||

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 49^

ABSTRACTS

determinant of population trend, we
believe the utility of at-sea productivity
ratios as indices of murrelet fecundity
in support of population monitoring
has yet to be demonstrated. We discuss
pitfalls in the estimation of productiv-
ity ratios in relation to their use as a
population-monitoring tool. For exam-
ple, changes in nesting habitat occur on
a decadal scale, whereas at-sea condi-
tions that influence a female’s physio-
logical condition vary by year. Asyn-
chronous or unquantified movements
into and out of breeding areas, dis-
similar habitat selection by hatch year
(HY) and after hatch year (AHY) mur-
reiets, and degree to which breeding
adults aggregate with their offspring
can influence the ratio. Point estimates
of ratios vary depending on method of
analysis. Simultaneous and density-
based ratios from the San Juan Islands,
WA, from 1995-2000 ranged from 0.01
to 0.13, whereas the highest staggered
ratio from counts of HY to early-
season AHY was 0.6, surpassing the
theoretical maximum of 0.5 for a
population with 100% breeding suc-
cess. Estimates of error in productivity
ratios have rarely been reported, but
precision of an estimator is critical in
evaluating its usefulness. Estimates of
error from our studies in Puget Sound
are very large (the ratio in summer
2000 was 0.04, SE = 0.13). Further
research will be needed to refine the
techniques for at-sea population sam-
pling and data analysis to develop a
useful and reliable index in support of
population monitoring.

less so on others (small rodents and
flightless rails co-existed on Wake At-
oll). Howland Island was literally over-
run with rats, probably introduced by
prehistoric navigators as a food source.
Small seabirds were seriously affected
by rodents. House cats (Fells calus)
introduced by American colonists
around 1935 eliminated the Polynesian
rats on Howland.

House cats have also eliminated
rats from Jarvis and Baker Islands, but
not mice. Cats were in turn extirpated
in 1964 by POBSP personnel, but they
reappeared in 1966 after a visit to the
islands by the US military who were
conducting biological warfare tests.
Project Magic Sword was designed to
test the efficacy of mosquitoes as de-
livery systems and over one million
were released upwind of Baker Island.
But why reintroduce cats if rats were
already absent? To monitor biotoxin
build-up? To test their susceptibility?
These questions are answered and the
relationships of the biological warfare
testing is compared to the 1999 out-
break of West Nile virus.

Population size and breeding success
of Double-crested Cormorants
(Phalacrocorax auritus) on the
Richmond-San Raphael Bridge,
California, in 2000

Mark J. RauzonJ William J. Sy-
deman,^ Meredith L. Elliott,*^ and Jen-
nifer Roth.^^Al^l Edgewood Avenue,
Oakland, CA 94602, USA;
Mjrauz@aoi.com. ^Point Reyes Bird
Observatory, Stinson Beach, CA, USA.

Feral cats as seabird conservation-
ists? A cautionary tale

Mark J. Rauzon. Marine Endeav-
ors, 4701 Edgewood Ave. Oakland,
CA 94602, USA; Mjrauz@aol.com..

The ecological histories of three
central Pacific tropical atolls are ex-
amined with reference to the introduc-
tion of rats and cats, the subsequent
elimination of rats by cats and the pos-
sible link to a modem epidemic. The
effects of Polynesian rats (Rattus exu-
lans) on small seabirds can be ex-
tremely negative on drier islands, and

Through a contract with the Cali-
fornia Department of Transportation,
surveys were conducted on the Rich-
mond-San Rafael Bridge (RSRB), lo-
cated in San Francisco Bay, to monitor
the Double-crested Cormorant {Pha-
lacrocorax auritus) population in 2000.
The timing of colony occupation and
breeding, population change, move-
ment patterns, and overall productivity
of Double-crested Cormorants was
investigated. Our research was de-
signed to provide guidelines to con-
tractors about the timing of mainte-
nance and earthquake retrofitting ac-

tivities in and around the RSRB cor-
morant colony without causing harrn to
the birds. 669 breeding pairs were ob-
served on the RSRB. The hatching
success rate was 0.48, and an estimated
881 chicks fledged (-1.32 fledglings
per pair). A similar study was con-
ducted by the Point Reyes Bird Obser-
vatory on the RSRB colony from 1988-
1990 to monitor the effects, if any, on
the reproductive success of the cormo-
rants from treated wastewater from the
Chevron Richmond Refinery’s deep
water outfall. These results were com-
pared with the 2000 results; changes in
population size, reproductive success,
and nest distribution on the RSRB
were analyzed. Although hatching suc-
cess and fledging success have de-
creased significantly' since 1990, the
size of the population has increased.
The colony has expanded since 1990,
and the distribution of the population
has changed substantially. The RSRB
colony was also compared to other
Double-crested Cormorant colonies in
the central California meta-population,
including a colony utilizing the San
Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The
RSRB colony was shown to have in-
creased in size, while other central
California populations have decreased
in size.

Patterns of hematocrit values in
Least Auklet (Aethia pusilld) on
Buldir Island, Alaska

Martin Renner and Ian L. Jones.
Biology Department, Memorial Uni-
versity of Newfoundland, St. John’s,
NF, AIB 3X9, Canada;
auklet@bigfoot.com.

Hematocrit measures the density
of red and white blood cells in whole
blood and has been used to indicate
immune and general condition, and
high levels are linked with social
dominance. Since it is cheap and easy
to obtain in the field, hematocrit might
be an alternative to conventional con-
dition measures. To evaluate the use of
hematocrit, we correlated it with mor-
phometries, body mass, a condition
index, plumage score, brood patch
score, and ornament expression in

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 50

ABSTRACTS

Least Auklets adults (N = 112) and
subadults (N =41), breeders and non-
breeders. Spearman-rank correlations
with all factors were weak. Hematocrit
of erythrocytes was most correlated
with that of leucocytes (r - 0.15) and
brood patch score (r = 0.15); hema-
tocrit of leucocytes was most corre-
lated with bill depth (r = -0.17) and
plumage score (r = 0,1 8). Correcting
for multiple testing, none of these cor-
relations were statistically significant.
Condition (mass/wing) was not corre-
lated with hematocrit < 0.005). Age
groups did not differ significantly in
hematocrit values (MANOVA, Wilks
Lambda = 0.9846, approx. ^ 2,150 =
1.18, P = 0.31), but breeding birds had
significantly higher erythrocyte hema-
tocrits than non-breeders (U-test, z =
3.46, P = 0.0005). This indicates that
hematocrit reflects a different quality
of condition than a mass-based condi-
tion index.

Seabird bycatch in longline fisheries
off Alaska: current estimates and
bycatch reduction efforts

Kim S. Rivera/ Michael A. Perez/
Greg Balogh\ Sharon Davis/ and
Kenton D. Wohl/ Protected Resources
Division, National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), P.O. Box 21668,
Juneau, AK 99802, USA;
Kim.Rivera@noaa.gov. ^National Ma-
rine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fish-
eries Science Center (AFSC), NMFS,
Seattle, WA, USA; ^Ecological Serv-
ices, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
(USFWS), Anchorage, AK, USA;
'*North Pacific Groundfish Observer
Program Office, AFSC, NMFS, Seat-
tle, WA, USA; ^Office of Migratory
Bird Management, USFWS, Anchor-
age, AK, USA.

In groundfish fisheries off Alaska,
longlines account for most of the sea-
bird bycatch. Longlines catch surface-
feeding seabirds that consume prey
which resemble bait. During setting of
the line, seabirds are hooked as they
attempt to capture the bait. Birds that
habitually scavenge floating material
from the sea surface are also suscepti-
ble to being hooked on longlines.

Longline fishing is considered the most
recent and, potentially, the most seri-
ous global threat faced by albatrosses
and other procellariiforme taxa. Pre-
liminary estimates of the annual sea-
bird bycatch for the groundfish fisher-
ies of Alaska, based on 1993 to 1999
data, indicate that approximately
17,000 seabirds are taken annually in
the combined groundfish fisheries of
the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands
(BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA)
regions (14,600 in the BSAI; 2,300 in
the GOA) at the average annual rates
of 0. 1 0 and 0.06 birds per 1 ,000 hooks
in the BSAI and in the GOA, respec-
tively. Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis)
comprise about 60% of the estimated
14,600 seabirds that are incidentally
caught in the BSAI. Various gull spe-
cies (almost 20 %) and unidentified
seabirds make up most of the remain-
ing bycatch in the BSAI as less than
5% of the bycatch in this area consists
of albatrosses, shearwaters, and “all
other” species. Northern fulmars are
also the most abundant species among
the estimated 2,300 seabirds that are
incidentally caught in the GOA (almost
50%), followed by albatrosses (almost
40%), gulls, unidentified seabirds,
shearwaters, and “all other” species.
Collaborative efforts to reduce seabird
bycatch in Alaska have included:
regulatory measures, research on ef-
fectiveness of seabird avoidance meas-
ures, numerous outreach items, partici-
pation in development of a national
plan of action on seabird bycatch re-
duction, and distribution of free seabird
avoidance gear.

Oily fishes, junk foods, and energy
shortages; implications for Kittiwake
reproduction in the Gulf of Alaska

Daniel D. Roby/ Patrick G.R.
Jodice/ and Kathy R. Turco/ *US
Geological Survey, Oregon Coopera-
tive Fish and Wildlife Research Unit,
104 Nash Hall, Oregon State Univer-
sity, Corvallis, OR 97331-3803, USA;
robvd@ucs.orst.edu . ^Institute of Ma-
rine Science, University of Alaska,
Fairbanks, AK, USA.

The “Junk Food Hypothesis” predicts
that the shift in marine trophic structure
in the Gulf of Alaska during the late
1970’s resulted in lower diet quality
and declines in piscivorous seabirds
and other top trophic level predators.
We tested the hypothesis that quality of
forage fishes (lipid content) limits pro-
ductivity of Black-legged Kittiwakes
{Rissa tridactyla) by investigating re-
lationships between diet composition,
food delivery rates, and energy provi-
sioning to broods at six colonies during
the late 1990’s. Differences in lipid
content and energy density among and
within forage fishes were sufficient to
potentially limit energy availability to
growing nestlings, thereby limiting
fledging success. But kittiwakes con-
sistently fed their young mostly
(>82%) high-lipid forage fishes: sand
lance Ammodytes hexapterus, herring
Clupea pallasiy and capelin Mallotus
villosus. The proportion of low-lipid
gadids (e.g., pollock Theragra chal-
cogramma) in kittiwake diets was <8%
in any one colony and year, and aver-
aged <1%. Nevertheless, kittiwake
productivity was strongly positively
related to energy provisioning rates to
broods; variation in energy provision-
ing rate alone explained nearly 50% of
variation in productivity. Differences
energy provisioning to kittiwake

m

broods were, however, influenced more
by meal delivery rate and meal size
than by quality of the diet. Productivity
of kittiwakes at colonies in the northern
Gulf of Alaska was primarily depend-
ent on availability of three high-lipid
forage fishes; capelin, sand lance, and
herring. Switching to alternative low-
lipid prey (i.e., gadids) when high-lipid ■
forage fish are scarce does not appear
to be adaptive. Thus the Junk Food ;
Hypothesis was not supported.

Beached bird and tarball deposition |
patterns in the Gulf of the Faral-|
lones: the answer is blow’n in the|
wind

J. Roletto/ Mortenson/ L \
Culp,*^ and Leslie Grella//Gu\f of 1
Farallones National Marine Sanctuar
Fort Mason, Bldg. 201, San Franciscp,;j

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 * Spring 2001 • Page 5 1

ABSTRACTS

CA 94123, USA; Jan.RoIetto@noaa.
gov. ^Farallones Marine Sanctuary
Association, San Francisco, CA, USA.

\'i The Gulf of the Farallones Na-

tional Marine Sanctuary and the Far-
aliones Marine Sanctuary Association
conduct bimonthly shoreline surveys
along the northern California coast.
Data collected include encounter rates
(numbers/km) for live and beached
(dead) birds, mammals, tarballs and
oiled wildlife, human activity patterns,
and relative abundance of wrack vege-
tation and invertebrates. Data were
analyzed for seasonal and geographical
deposition patterns of selected species,
oiled species and tarballs. The mean
monthly encounter rate for all beached
birds except murres was highest during
the oceanic season of the Davidson
Current (Nov-Feb, 0.90/km). Common
Murres (year-round resident and most
commonly found beached bird) were
encountered mostly during the Transi-
tion Season (Sep-Oct, 0.67/km). Tar-
balls were encountered most frequently
during the Davidson Current
(72.18/km). Peak months for tarballs
were November and January. Oiled
Common Murre encounter rates were
highest during the Davidson Current
(0.063/km). Regional differences in
deposition were apparent. Beaches
north of Point Reyes had higher en-
counters of beached birds during the
Davidson Current (1. 77/km) when
compared to southern beaches.
Beaches south of Point Reyes had
higher encounters during the Transition
Season. Between Point Reyes and the
entrance to San Francisco Bay the en-
counter rate was 1 .52/km and beaches
south of the Bay entrance had an en-
counter rate of 1.29/km. Deposition
patterns during the Davidson Current
were correlated with oceanographic
parameters. Higher deposition periods
of murres were correlated with higher
sea surface temperatures {P = 0.0097,

= 0.216), shorter wave periods {P =
0.0363, = 0.147), and lower wave

heights {P ~ 0.0046, = 0.253).

Foraging dynamics of multi-species
flocks In San Francisco Bay

Benjamin Saenz, Christine L.
Abraham, Julie Thayer and William J.
Sydeman. Point Reyes Bird Observa-
tory, Marine Science Division, 4990
Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach,
California 94970, USA;
blsaenz@prbo.org.

The San Francisco Bay (SFB) is
an extremely productive estuarine envi-
ronment, harboring a diverse array of
marine organisms including many spe-
cies of seabirds. Multi-species seabird
feeding flocks in SFB include Brandt's
and Double Crested Cormorants
(Phalacrocorax penicillatus and P.
auritus). Western Gulls (Larus occi-
dentalism Common Murres (Uria
aalge). Brown Pelicans {Pelecanus
occidentalism Common Terns {Sterna
hirundo). Western Grebes {Aechmo-
phorus occidentalism and others. Sea-
bird feeding activity and behavior are
indicative of habitat productivity, prey
type and availability, and other estua-
rine conditions. In April through July
2000, we conducted weekly surveys of
feeding flock activity in the San Fran-
cisco Bay, and recorded time of for-
mation, location, duration, and species
composition of flocks within visual
distance of our observation point on
Alcatraz Island. Data already show
extreme variation in foraging patterns
inside SFB, with some breeding spe-
cies disappearing and reappearing
throughout the season. Analysis will
include GIS mapping of foraging flock
locations and examination of patterns
with respect to bay floor bathymetery,
sea surface temperature, tidal flux
characteristics, and other abiotic data.
Persistent foraging flock locations in-
dicates consistent aggregations of prey,
possibly associated with localized up-
welling and other water column char-
acteristics. Subtidal estuarine produc-
tivity in this large bay ecosystem may
be more consistent spatially and tem-
porally than previously thought.

Observation of Short-tailed Alba-
tross by satellite portable phone

Fumio Sato,^ Kunikazu MomoseJ
Miyako Tsurumi,^ Shuji Sasaki,^ and
Kouken Saitou/ ’ Yamashina Institute

for Ornithology, 115, Konoyama,
Abiko, Chiba 270-1145, Japan;
QYR01766@nifty.ne.jp.
^NTTDoCoMo, Inc., Tokyo, Japan;
^DoCoMo Sentsu, Inc., Kanagawa,
Japan.

In 1991, the Yamashina Institute
for Ornithology initiated a project on
the Short-tailed Albatross at a new site
on Torishima, one of the Izu islands.
The project involved the initiation of a
new nesting colony using decoys and
vocal lures. A new observation system
using video that transmits live to our
office near Tokyo, was established at
the site in 1997. The system uses a
portable satellite phone developed by
NTT DoCoMo Inc. The camera estab-
lished near the colony can be con-
trolled for zoom and change of view by
a personal computer in the office. Two
cameras, each at a different location,
were used: one beside the nesting spot
of the first pair that colonized the site,
the other above the decoys where all
birds could be observed.

The incubation period was 63-66
days. Just after the egg was laid, the
male started incubating. The pairs ex-
changed incubation duties regularly,
with the longest period between nest
exchange being 24 days. This type of
information was never previously re-
corded for Short-tailed Albatross pa-
rental care. The behavior of juveniles
and interactions with decoys were re-
corded for three breeding seasons.

This system is most useful in the
observation of an endangered species
on an isolated island where it is diffi-
cult for researchers to live and where
the nesting colony is readily disturbed
by humans.

Rat eradication on Midway Afoli
National Wildlife Refuge: a success
story with petrels and shearwaters

Nanette W.H. SetoJ Nancy
Hoffman,^ and Bruce Casler.^
*Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
Complex, 100 Brown Farm Road,
Olympia, WA 98516 USA;
nanette_seto@fws.gov. ^Midway Atoll
National Wildlife Refuge, Honolulu,
HI, USA.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 52

ABSTRACT

The black rat {Rattus rattus) was
introduced to Midway Atoll in 1943.
After its introduction, drastic declines
of several ground and burrow-nesting
petrel and shearwater populations were
observed. The Bonin Petrel {Ptero-
droma hypoleuca) population de-
creased from approximately 500,000
birds in the early 1940’s to an esti-
mated 5,000 nesting pairs in 1979.
Dense rat populations lead to the extir-
pation of petrels from Eastern Island.
The Christmas Shearwater {Puffinus
nativitatis) population on Eastern Is-
land decreased to a low of 50 nesting
pairs after rat introduction. Rat eradi-
cation eftbrts were initiated on Midway
in 1994. 1998 eradicated rats eradi-
cated from ail three islands in the atoll.
Increased reproductive success of the
Bonin Petrel was observed after rat
eradication. Before rat eradication,
complete reproductive failure was ob-
served in Bonin Petrel colonies located
in high rat density areas. Bonin Petrel
reproductive success in these same
areas have increased to a high of 83%
after rat eradication. Bonin Petrels have
also re-colonized Eastern Island with
as many as 47 nesting pairs in 2000.
Christmas Shearwater numbers have
also increased dramatically since rat
eradication. As many as 200 nesting
pairs have been observed since 1997
with reproductive success as high as
67%.

Previously used and newly estab-
lished breeding sites at a partly re-
stored colony of Common Murres

Victoria M. SlowikJ'^ Michael W.
Parker/’^ Stephen W. Kress/ Harry R.
Carter/'^ and Richard T. GolightlyJ
'U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O.
Box 524, Newark, CA 94560, USA;
vslowik@mindspring.com.

^Department of Wildlife, Humboldt
State University, Areata, CA, USA;
^National Audubon Society, Ithaca,
NY, USA; '‘U.S. Geological Survey,
Dixon, CA, USA.

In 1996, Common Murres (Uria
aalge) recolonized the extirpated col-
ony at Devil’s Slide Rock (DSR), San
Mateo County, California, when 6

breeding sites were established after
social attraction equipment (i.e., de-
coys, mirrors, and broadcast vocaliza-
tions) was deployed. From 1996 to
1998, 27 breeding sites were estab-
lished among decoys in one localized
area on the eastern portion (founder
area) of the rock. In 1999, 70 pairs bred
at DSR, with 32 additional sites estab-
lished in the founder area (1996-1998),
plus 1 8 new sites in a satellite area
located on the western portion of this
colony. By 2000, 98 pairs bred at DSR,
with 28 new sites located mostly
within or appended to the founder and
satellite areas. As a result, the nesting
densities have increased in both the
founder and satellite areas simultane-
ously. However, breeding sites do not
occur between these two separate
nesting groups. Using sites studied in
1999-2000, we compare colony atten-
dance prior to egg laying, laying dates,
and breeding success at previously
used and newly established breeding
sites for the founder and satellite areas.
Preliminary results suggest that previ-
ously used sites tend to be reused, are
attended more frequently, have earlier
laying, and have higher breeding suc-
cess than the newly established sites. In
addition, laying dates for newly estab-
lished sites of 1999 for both the foun-
der and satellite areas differed in 1999
and 2000, whereas newly established
sites in 2000 for both areas did not.

Seabird bycatch in Canada’s west
coast gillnet and longline fisheries

Joanna Smith/ Ken Morgan/ and
Jim Mitchell/ *101-1001 W. Broad-
way Ave., Box 623, Vancouver, BC
V6H 4E4, Canada; jlsmith@intergate.
ca. ^Canadian Wildlife Service, Sidney,
BC, Canada; ^Fisheries and Oceans
Canada, Nanaimo, BC, Canada.

As a result of the 1999 Interna-
tional Plan of Action of the United
Nations Food and Agricultural Organi-
zation (FAO), the reduction of seabird
mortality in longline fisheries has re-
ceived considerable international at-
tention. Seabirds are long-lived, with
delayed maturity and low reproductive
output. Several of the seabird species

caught in fisheries may be declining,
and increased mortality from gear en-
tanglement may be deleterious to some
populations. Canada has endorsed the
principles laid out in the International
Plan of Action for longline fisheries.
However, there is also a need to assess
seabird bycatch in several net fisheries.
In British Columbia, the number of
seabird species caught and the bycatch
rate are virtually unknown. A study
began in the fall of 2000 to assess the
status of seabird bycatch in EC's net
and longline fisheries. The study is
being supported by Fisheries and
Oceans Canada and Environment Can-
ada. With the inclusion of previously
collected fisheries observer data in test
and commercial salmon gillnet fisher-
ies, seabird mortality was examined for
a period of up to 4 years. Common
Murres {Uria aalge) and Rhinoceros
Auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata) were
the two most common species caught;
Marbled Murrelets {Brachyramphus
marmoratus) were caught infrequently.
Seabird bycatch data in longline fish-
eries was collected from interviews
conducted by the International Pacific
Halibut Commission in 1998-99. The
interviews indicated that Black-footed
Albatross {Phoebastria nigripes) was
the most common species caught dur-
ing commercial halibut fishing. Pre-
liminary bycatch rates will be pre-
sented at the meeting, as well as a fish-r;
eries overview and future research
needs.

Can Kiska’s auklets survive the rat
menace?

Arthur 1. Sowls and Mark Raw

zow ^Alaska Maritime NWR, 235
Kachemak Bay Dr., Suite 101, Homer
AK 99603, USA; Art_Sowls@ftvs.goy
^Marine Endeavors, 4701 Edgewoo;
Ave., Oakland, CA 94602, USA.

Kiska Island (69,598 acres, 28,1
hectares) is located in the weste
Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Gn the lay
fields of Kiska volcano |.east {Aeth
pusilla) and Crested Au^ets {Aeth
cristatella) nest in immense nu

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 200 1 • Page 53

ABSTRACT

Ijers— probably millions. Norway rats
(Rattus norvegicus) were introduced
during World War II and persist today.
^ Kiska is one of at least 20 rat- infested
■; Aleutian Islands, and it is unique in
that it still has a substantial seabird
colony. During a brief visit in May

2000, rats were documented taking
adult auklets, eggs, young, and caching
large numbers of uneaten birds. In an
experiment, quail eggs were set out in
plots to test the level of rat predation.
Egg loss due to rats occurred on all
plots, but on some coastal plots, loss
was 33% during the first night. Be-
cause of the magnitude of auklets at
Kiska and winter rat die-off, we won-
der if there are so many birds that rat
predation effects are insignificant at the
population level; or is this spectacular
colony in decline and possibly in dan-
ger of elimination? The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service plans to investigate
the auklet/rat relationship further in

2001. The planned approach is to fol-
low the survival of color-banded auk-
lets and marked eggs through the
breeding season. Research results from
Kiska will be compared with the near-
by and rat-free auklet colony on Buldir
Island. If auklet populations are threat-
ened, the Service will consider rat
control options. Thoughts and sugges-
tions are welcome.

Interannual and intercolony varia-
tion in seabird densities across
oceanographic regimes

Suzarm G. SpeckmanJ John F.
and Julia Parrish J 'School of
Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, Univer-
sity of Washington, 1122 NE Boat
Street, Seattle, WA 98105 USA;
speckman@u.washington.edu. ^U.S.
Geological Survey, Alaska Biological
Research Center, Anchorage, AK,
USA.

Seabird distribution patterns at sea
often reflect fluctuations in prey avail-
ability, as birds switch foraging areas
to follow prey movements or to forage

in areas of higher prey abundance. To
examine how variability in food supply
affects the distribution of seabirds, we
conducted at-sea surveys for seabirds
and contemporaneous acoustic surveys
for small schooling fishes in Lower
Cook Inlet from 1996-1999. Effort was
focused around 3 seabird colonies, the
Barren Islands (well-mixed oceanic
waters). Gull Island (oceanic and estua-
rine waters), and Chisik and Duck is-
lands (estuarine waters). At the re-
gional scale (>100 km), average annual
estimates of prey abundance (acoustic
backscatter) were significantly higher
around the Barrens and Gull Island
than around Chisik. Densities of Black-
legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla)
and murres {Uria spp.) followed the
same pattern, with average densities
around both the Barrens (6.2 kittiwakes
and 10.4 muixes/km^, respectively) and
Gull Island (5.8 and 6.0/km^) signifi-
cantly higher than densities around
Chisik (1.1 and 1.5/km^), a pattern not
necessarily reflective of colony size. At
the patch scale (1-10 km), birds con-
sistently aggregated in areas of higher
prey abundance, and those hot spots
persisted from year to year. However,
at the colony scale (20-40 km), annual
estimates of kittiwake and murre den-
sities were not significantly correlated
with annual estimates of acoustic back-
scatter within any colony region. We
suggest that the unique oceanographic
regimes surrounding each colony have
such strong influences on prey abun-
dance that interannual variability
within the colony scale is slight in
comparison.

Conserving waterbirds in North
America: the North American Wa-
terbird Conservation Plan— a conti-
nental waterbird conservation strat-
egy

Melanie Steinkamp and James
Kushlan. US Geological Survey,
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center,
12100 Beech Forest Road, Laurel,
Maryland 20708, USA

Within North America, a unique
opportunity to coordinate bird conser-
vation planning across species guilds

and geographic scales has emerged.
Neotropical migrants have a network
of bird conservationists within the
Partners in Flight planning effort, wa-
terfowl have the North American Wa-
terfowl and Wetland Plan, and shore-
birds have the United States and Cana-
dian Shorebird Conservation Plans. To
make certain waterbirds are not over-
looked, a North American Waterbird
Conservation Plan is being developed.
For the past two years, a unique part-
nership of waterbird biologists have
assembled to identify waterbird re-
search, monitoring, management, and
outreach needs at the continental scale.
The result is a draft continental strategy
for waterbirds. This strategy, in addi-
tion to the other three bird plans, make
up the North American Bird Conserva-
tion Initiative, a tri-lateral initiative
between Canada, Mexico and the
United States, focused on integrating
bird conservation across species and
landscapes.

While the continental waterbird
strategy is near completion, its useful-
ness for on-the-ground implementation
of projects is limited. Over the next
year, fourteen regional working groups
will meet to develop regional waterbird
conservation plans. The purpose of the
regional plans is to identify species
priorities, establish habitat goals, and
identify local projects which, once im-
plemented, will contribute to waterbird
conservation at both the regional and
continental scale.

Use of stable isotopes to identify nu-
trient sources for a breeding seabird
in a complex hydrographic environ-
ment

Robert M. Suryart^ Thomas C.
Kline, Jr.,^ and Keith A. Hobson.^
'Migratory Bird Management, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 E.
Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK 99503,
USA; robert__surya@fws.gov. ^Prince
William Sound Science Center, Cor-
dova, AK, USA; ^Canadian Wildlife
Service, Environment Canada, Saska-
toon, SK, Canada.

Prince William Sound (PWS) is
connected to the Gulf of Alaska (GOA)

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number I • Spring 2001 • Page 54

ABSTRACT

by hydrographic processes that are
dynamic in nature and thereby strongly
influence biological productivity in the
Sound. This biophysical coupling be-
tween PWS and the GOA has been
recently investigated using natural sta-
ble isotopes of carbon and nitrogen.
Investigators have demonstrated that
biological production of lower trophic
levels in PWS can be greatly supple-
mented by advected carbon from the
GOA, which is highly variable among
years. We investigated whether the
inter-annual and possibly regional dif-
ferences in nutrient sources (PWS vs.
GOA) could explain the respective
differences in reproductive success of a
piscivorous seabird, the Black-legged
Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyld). For iso-
tope analysis, we collected feather
samples from kittiwake nestlings at
nine colonies throughout PWS in 1997,
juvenile herring samples from three
bays widely distributed within PWS in
1997, and zooplankton samples from
stations within PWS and adjacent GOA
waters in 1995-1997. Preliminary re-
sults do support a regional gradient
with colonies in central and southern
PWS exhibiting a greater reliance on
GOA carbon compared to northern
colonies. Additionally, the current
year’s energy source for breeding kit-
tiwakes may most reflect residual en-
ergy from the previous year’s primaiy
production. Reliance on residual en-
ergy in the system may be indicative of
poor energy input during the current
year, which, in turn, may affect year-
class strength of the kittiwake’ s pri-
mary prey.

Temporal variability in prey con-
sumption by breeding seabirds In the
California marine ecosystem

William J. Sydeman, K.L. Mills,
and C.L. Abraham. Point Reyes Bird
Observatory, Marine Science Division,
4990 Shoreline Highway, Stinson
Beach, CA 94970, USA; wjsyde-
man@prbo.org.

Seabirds are highly visible secon-
dary and tertiary predators in marine
ecosystems. Models of seabird prey
consumption indicate that seabirds

consume a large proportion of the
available biomass of lower trophic-
level organisms, particularly large
zooplankton and the younger age
classes of many pelagic fishes, and at
rates comparable to marine mammals
and human fisheries. However, empiri-
cal studies of interannual and longer-
term variability of prey harvest are
extremely rare. We have been studying
prey consumption by locally breeding
seabirds (families Laridae, Phalacro-
coracidae, and Alcidae) in the Califor-
nia eastern boundary current system for
3 decades (1971-2000). Intraannual,
interannual, and interdecadai variabil-
ity in prey consumption for 4 alcid
species (1 planktivorous and 3 piscivo-
rous species) are described and related
to changes in local oceanographic con-
ditions and apparent prey availability.
Long-term trends (declines and in-
creases) in the consumption of certain
prey species and size-classes of prey,
and an apparent “regime-shift” in prey
consumption in the late 1980s, have
been revealed. Prey consumption var-
ied with changes in population size and
productivity (number of offspring to
feed). Estimates of trophic impact by
seabirds on mid trophic-level prey or-
ganisms will be significantly improved
by determining seasonal, interannual,
and decadal scale patterns of prey con-
sumption by both resident and migra-
tory birds.

Island conservation in northwest
Mexico

Bernie Tershy!'^ Donald CrollJ'^
Jose Angel Sanchez,^ C. Josh Donlan/
Brad Kent* \ Bill Wood,^ and Miguel
Angel Hermosillo.^ ^Island Conserva-
tion & Ecology Group, PO Box 141,
Davenport, CA 95017, USA; ter-
shy@islandconservation.org. ^Grupo
de Ecologia y Conservacion de Islas,
AP 162, Punta Banda, Baja California,
CP 22791, Mexico.

The 230+ islands of northwestern
Mexico have 29 species of breeding
seabirds and over 210 species and sub-
species of endemic vertebrates. Isola-
tion and aridity have protected these
islands from many human impacts, and
they have relatively intact biotas. Nev-

ertheless, they have a higher apparent
extinction rate than the adjacent main-
land (12% vs. 2% for bird species, 20%
vs. 1% for mammal species and sub-
species). Introduced mammals are re-
sponsible for 93% of these extinctions.
Most of the islands are managed by the
Natural Protected Areas Department
and fall under >8 jurisdictions, result-
ing in dramatically different levels of
actual protection. Islands in the Gulf of
California are well protected, but oth-
ers including the biodiverse Guadal-
upe, Revillagigedo, and Tres Marias
islands are not. The Island Conserva-
tion & Ecology Group (ICEG) devel-
oped a regional database of native spe-
cies, introduced species, and extinc-
tions to prioritize conservation action.
ICEG, the National Autonomous Uni-
versity of Mexico, Center for Biologi-
cal Investigations, and National Pro-
tected Areas Department collaborated
with local people and nongovernmental
organizations to remove one or more
introduced mammals from each of 18
islands. They will soon complete eradi-
cation on five more. This work has
protected habitat for 20 seabirds and
>48 endemic vertebrates. Our method
of science-based, collaborative conser-
vation action has resulted in the re-
moval of introduced mammals from
most islands less than 4,000 ha in this
biologically important region. This
experience will make eradications pos-
sible on larger islands. Once introduced
mammals are removed, long-term pro- ;
tection of these islands depends on
active management by Mexico’s Natu- !
ral Protected Areas Department.

Tufted Puffin flight feather molt andi
effects of food availability

Christopher W. Thompson,' Alex-|
ander S. Kitaysky,^ and Robert|
Westra.^ 'Wash;ngton Department of
Fish and Wildlife, 16108 Mill Creekl
Blvd., Mill Creek, WA 98102, USA|
thompcwt@dfw.wa.gov. ^Departmen]||
of Zoology, University of Washingte
Seattle, WA, USA; ^Alaska SeaLif|
Center, Seward, AK, USA?,^

Thirteen Tufted Puffins {Frater^
cula cirrhata) were reared in the lab

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 55

ABSTRACT

ratory from eggs through completion of
most of their first flight feather molt.
Birds were fed 50g or 1 lOg capelin per
day from 10 days post-hatch until
fledging (44-59 days of age), and ad
libitum after fledging. Birds fed 50g
per day began primary molt an average
of 26d earlier (225.0 ± 3.5d of age,
mean ± SE) than birds fed llOg per
day (251.0 ± 6.4d). Within each food
treatment group, young birds began
and completed molt earlier than older
birds. Rate and duration of primary and
secondary molt did not differ between
food treatment groups, requiring 53.6 ±
3. Id. Secondary molt began 13.2 ±
0.9d after onset of primary molt, but
completed simultaneously with pri-
mary molt. Eleven birds replaced pri-
maries in order from the innermost
primary (PI) distal ly to PIO; however,
in two birds molt began in the middle
of their primaries (P4-P6) and pro-
gressed distally to PIO and proximally
to PI, a sequence also exhibited by
many captive subadult and adult Tufted
Puffins in Alaska. This is the first
documentation of the long-term effects
of food stress during early develop-
ment on molt in alcids, and the first
record of polymorphism in flight
feather molt sequence in any species of
bird.

Examining the stress response in
Marbled Murrelets in Desolation
Sound, British Columbia

Laura McFarlane Tranquilla.
Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Depart-
ment of Biological Sciences, Simon
Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A
1S6, Canada; lat@sfu.ca.

The Marbled Murrelet {Brachy-
ramphus marmoratus) has been the
subject of intense research, due to con-
cern about its status as a threatened
species in both Canada and the U.S.
Efforts to describe demography should
include descriptions of nonbreeding
propensity; if this propensity is high,
causes should be addressed. Physio-
logical analysis of corticosterone can

help address this issue. Corticosterone
is a hormone released when birds expe-
rience stress. Factors affecting per-
ceived “stress’* include body condition,
energy expenditure, and environmental
factors. The release of corticosterone is
regulated in individual birds according
to input from natural stressors, and to
the life stage event under way at the
time. It is this regulation of corticoster-
one that is particularly relevant to de-
scribing the biological status of the
bird. By understanding what causes
regulation of the stress response under
natural conditions, it is then possible to
address possible capture effects. This
study addresses some of the ways cor-
ticosterone release is modified in Mar-
bled Murrelets. The ability to deter-
mine reproductive status using radio-
telemetry allows alternative compari-
son of corticosterone levels with sub-
sequent reproductive success, and in
particular, assessment of nonbreeders.
So far, results from my study suggest
that males and females regulate corti-
costerone differently, and that females
may be more susceptible to stressors
than males. Successful breeding may
depend on the ability to reduce sensi-
tivity to unpredictable disturbances. 1
found a complex interaction exists
between biological status of the bird
and the effect of capture: some birds
are impacted by capture, while some
are not.

Using multiple techniques to de-
scribe breeding phenology in Mar-
bled Murrelets

Laura McFarlane Tranquilla *
Russell Bradley, Fred Cooke, and Falk
Huettmann. Centre for Wildlife Ecol-
ogy, Department of Biological Sci-
ences, Simon Fraser University,
Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada;
lat@sfu.ca.

Due to its elusive breeding habits,
the reproductive phenology of the
Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus
marmoratus) has not been thoroughly
described. The research project in
Desolation Sound, BC, Canada, has
employed a number of techniques to
describe aspects of the breeding phe-

nology of the Marbled Murrelet. These
include traditional at-sea surveys to
describe the abundance of adults and
juveniles in the study area; use of radio
transmitters, which monitor daily ac-
tivity patterns and determine reproduc-
tive success; and physiological analysis
of plasma, which allows identification
of egg-producing females caught in the
study area. These three methods allow
independent and comparable estimates
of the timing of egg production, incu-
bation, chick-rearing, and fledging
stages. Physiological analysis of
plasma allows description of these
stages for a larger sample of the popu-
lation than other methods. Once a few
years of data have been collected, it is
possible to address inter-annual varia-
tion in this phenology, including influ-
ential environmental factors. In addi-
tion, studying breeding phenology
helps to outline the best times to catch
birds or target activities to specific
times during the breeding season, (e.g.
when is it best to do at-sea surveys),
and may influence decision-making by
industry, if there is need to restrict ac-
tivities to certain breeding stages. Re-
cent results suggest that the timing of
initiation and duration of reproductive
stages in 1999 and 2000 have been
fairly consistent. Also, an approximate
score of breeding stage by brood patch
score may be more meaningful than
previously thought.

Patterns of variation of tail stream-
ers and other morphological traits in
relation to age, sex and sexual selec-
tion in the Red-tailed Tropicbird

Allison Veit and Ian L. Jones. De-
partment of Biology, Memorial Uni-
versity of Newfoundland, St. John’s,
NF, AIB 3X9, Canada; p99av@mun.
ca.

We investigated patterns of varia-
tion of tail streamer length and other
morphological traits of Red-tailed
Tropicbirds {Phaethon rubricauda), a
monogamous seabird, based on 251
individuals, including 145 known-age
birds, measured in the year 2000 at
Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals in
the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands,

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 56

ABSTRACT

One prominent ornament was dis-
played: an elongated red tail streamer,
composed of two central rectrices
which are filamentous with a black
rachis and narrow red vane averaging
395 mm in length. Rectrix molt has
been described as a continuous step-
wise molt, with central rectrices con-
stantly being replaced, so individuals
almost always had one full grown rec-
trix and the other absent or partly
grown. Male and female Red-tailed
Tropicbirds are morphologically indis-
tinguishable externally so we used a
combination of cloacal appearance near
laying and a genetic sexing technique
to identify males and females. Among
the traits measured there was evidence
for slight sexual dimorphism for the
tail streamer and for culmen length,
wing length and tarsus (males were
slightly larger than females). There was
no correlation between individuals’
full-grown streamer length and wing
length or body size, consistent with the
hypothesis that streamers have an or-
namental rather than aerodynamic
function. As in other putative sexually
selected traits, the tail streamers were
more variable across individuals than
non-omamental traits. Based on adults
of known age (four to sixteen years),
the length of individuals’ tail streamers
does not appear to increase with age
and tail streamer length was not corre-
lated with body condition.

Oceanic habitat of tropical seabirds;
exploring relationships between
abundance and oceanography with a
Generalized Additive Model

S L. Ignacio Vilchis^'^ and Lisa T.
Balance ’Grupo de Ecologia y
Manejo, Universidad Catolica de!
Norte de Chile, Larrondo 1281, Casilla
117, Coquimbo, Chile; na-
cho@coast.ucsd.edu. ^Ecology Pro-
gram, National Marine Fisheries Serv-
ice, Southwest Fisheries Science Cen-
ter, 8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La
Jolla, CA 92037, USA.

We used generalized additive
models to investigate habitat relation-
ships of pelagic seabirds in the eastern
tropical Pacific. Seabird distribution

and abundance were recorded from two
NOAA research vessels using 300-
meter strip transect methods during
386 days at sea, in the boreal summer
and fall of 1989 and 1990. Habitat was
quantified using latitude, longitude,
and the following oceanographic vari-
ables, recorded from the same vessels:
sea surface temperature, salinity, water
density, and chlorophyll, thermocline
depth and strength. We chose six sea-
bird species representing a diverse
group, phylogenetically and ecologi-
cally. The models were fitted using a
forwards and backwards stepwise se-
lection process, based on the Akaike
Information Criterion. Fitted models
selected as important from three to
eight habitat variables for each species,
with Leach’s Storm-Petrel {Oceano-
droma leucorhoa) exhibiting the most
generalized pattern (all 8 variables se-
lected) and Red-footed Booby (Sula
sula) exhibiting the most specialized
(only 3 variables selected). For the
remaining species the number of habi-
tat variables selected varied: Wedge-
tailed Shearwater {Pufinus pacificus)
with 7, Red-tailed Tropicbird
{Phaethon rubricauda) with 6, Juan
Fernandez Petrel {Pterodroma externa)
with 5, and Wedge-rumped Storm-
Petrel (O. tethys) with 4. Phylogenetic
comparisons indicated that habitat gen-
eralists and specialists can be found
among Oceanitidae (Leach's and
Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels, respec-
tively), Procellaridae (Wedge-tailed
Shearwater and Juan Fernandez Petrel,
respectively), and Pelecaniformes
(Red-tailed Tropicbird and Red-footed
Booby, respectively). Micronekton
feeders (both Storm-Petrels) included a
specialist and generalist, as did species
which feed in association with tunas
and dolphins (Wedge-tailed Shearwa-
ter, Juan Fernandez Petrel, Red-footed
Booby). Generalized additive models
are a valuable tool in identifying habi-
tat relationships for pelagic seabirds.

Feeding site specialization of chick-
rearing Adelie Penguins in a fast sea
ice area

Yu taka WatanukiJ Akinori Taka-
hashi/ and Katsufumi Saio.^ ’Graduate
School of Agriculture, Hokkaido Uni-
versity, Sapporo 060, Japan;
ywata@res.agr.hokudai.ac.jp.

^National Institute of Polar Research,
Tokyo, Japan.

Parents of coastal feeding seabird
species (kittiwakes and shags) show
individual feeding site specialization.
By visiting the same feeding site re-^
peatedly they are expected to improve
foraging efficiency and meal delivery.
To examine individual feeding site
specialization and its effects on meal
delivery, we radio-tracked both mem-
bers of 20 pairs of Adelie Penguins
{Pygoscelis adeliae) breeding at Hu-
kuro Cove colony in 1999/2000 sum-
mer where fast sea-ice limited their
feeding opportunity. Their meal fre-
quency was recorded and the meal de-
livery rate was estimated by weighing
chicks at regular interval. The parents
fed in small pools in ice cracks along
the coasts and icebergs, and they
showed individual site fidelity. Mean
distance to feeding sites varied among
individuals (0.3-2.2 km) and males fed
in sites closer to the colony than fe-
males. The male and female members
of pairs selected feeding sites inde-
pendently. Feeding site specialization
did not affect trip duration, hence meal
frequency. Although there was clear
individual feeding site specialization,
high prey availability and presumably
small variation in feeding efficiency
among sites in the study season might
make the effects of this specialization
ambiguous.

Orga nochlorines and Eggshell Thin-
ning in Ashy Storm Petrels at Santa
Cruz Island, California, 1995-1997

Daniel Welsh/ Harry R. Carter/’'
William R. McJver/^ Laura Valoppi,*’
Julie Yee/ and Clark Sumida.^ ’ U.S
Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cot-
tage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825
USA; Daniel_Welsh@fws.gov. ^U.S
Geological Survey, Western Ecologica
Research Center, Dixon, CA, USA
^Humboldt State Uni^rsity, Depart
ment of Wildlife, Areata, CA, USA

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 57

ABSTRACT

ratory from eggs through completion of
most of their first flight feather molt.
Birds were fed 50g or llOg capelin per
day from 10 days post-hatch until
fledging (44-59 days of age), and ad
libitum after fledging. Birds fed 50g
per day began primal^ molt an average
of 26d earlier (225.0 ± 3,5d of age,
mean ± SE) than birds fed llOg per
day (251.0 ± 6.4d). Within each food
treatment group, young birds began
and completed molt earlier than older
birds. Rate and duration of primary and
secondary molt did not differ between
food treatment groups, requiring 53.6 ±
3. Id. Secondary molt began 13.2 ±
0.9d after onset of primary molt, but
completed simultaneously with pri-
mary molt. Eleven birds replaced pri-
maries in order from the innermost
primary (PI) distally to PIO; however,
in two birds molt began in the middle
of their primaries (P4-P6) and pro-
gressed distally to PIO and proximally
to PI, a sequence also exhibited by
many captive subadult and adult Tufted
Puffins in Alaska. This is the first
documentation of the long-term effects
of food stress during early develop-
ment on molt in alcids, and the first
record of polymorphism in flight
feather molt sequence in any species of
bird.

Examining the stress response in
Marbled Murrelets in Desolation
Sound, British Columbia

Laura McFarlane Tranquilla,
Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Depart-
ment of Biological Sciences, Simon
Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, V5A
1 S6, Canada; lat@sfti.ca.

The Marbled Murrelet {Brachy-
ramphus marmoratus) has been the
subject of intense research, due to con-
cern about its status as a threatened
species in both Canada and the U.S.
Efforts to describe demography should
include descriptions of nonbreeding
propensity; if this propensity is high,
causes should be addressed. Physio-
logical analysis of corticosterone can

help address this issue. Corticosterone
is a hormone released when birds expe-
rience stress. Factors affecting per-
ceived “stress” include body condition,
energy expenditure, and environmental
factors. The release of corticosterone is
regulated in individual birds according
to input from natural stressors, and to
the life stage event under way at the
time. It is this regulation of corticoster-
one that is particularly relevant to de-
scribing the biological status of the
bird. By understanding what causes
regulation of the stress response under
natural conditions, it is then possible to
address possible capture effects. This
study addresses some of the ways cor-
ticosterone release is modified in Mar-
bled Murrelets. The ability to deter-
mine reproductive status using radio-
telemetry allows alternative compari-
son of corticosterone levels with sub-
sequent reproductive success, and in
particular, assessment of nonbreeders.
So far, results from my study suggest
that males and females regulate corti-
costerone differently, and that females
may be more susceptible to stressors
than males. Successful breeding may
depend on the ability to reduce sensi-
tivity to unpredictable disturbances. I
found a complex interaction exists
between biological status of the bird
and the effect of capture: some birds
are impacted by capture, while some
are not.

Using multiple techniques to de-
scribe breeding phenology in Mar-
bled Murrelets

Laura McFarlane Tranquilla, *
Russell Bradley, Fred Cooke, and Falk
Huettmann. Centre for Wildlife Ecol-
ogy, Department of Biological Sci-
ences, Simon Fraser University,
Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada;
Iat@sfu.ca.

Due to its elusive breeding habits,
the reproductive phenology of the
Marbled Murrelet {Brachyramphus
marmoratus) has not been thoroughly
described. The research project in
Desolation Sound, BC, Canada, has
employed a number of techniques to
describe aspects of the breeding phe-

nology of the Marbled Murrelet. These
include traditional at-sea surveys to
describe the abundance of adults and
juveniles in the study area; use of radio
transmitters, which monitor daily ac-
tivity patterns and determine reproduc-
tive success; and physiological analysis
of plasma, which allows identification
of egg-producing females caught in the
study area. These three methods allow
independent and comparable estimates
of the timing of egg production, incu-
bation, chick- rearing, and fledging
stages. Physiological analysis of
plasma allows description of these
stages for a larger sample of the popu-
lation than other methods. Once a few
years of data have been collected, it is
possible to address inter-annual varia-
tion in this phenology, including influ-
ential environmental factors. In addi-
tion, studying breeding phenology
helps to outline the best times to catch
birds or target activities to specific
times during the breeding season, (e.g.
when is it best to do at-sea surveys),
and may influence decision-making by
industry, if there is need to restrict ac-
tivities to certain breeding stages. Re-
cent results suggest that the timing of
initiation and duration of reproductive
stages in 1999 and 2000 have been
fairly consistent. Also, an approximate
score of breeding stage by brood patch
score may be more meaningful than
previously thought

Patterns of variation of tail stream-
ers and other morphological traits in
relation to age, sex and sexual selec-
tion in the Red-tailed Tropicbird

Allison Veit and Jan L. Jones. De-
partment of Biology, Memorial Uni-
versity of Newfoundland, St. John’s,
NF, AIB 3X9, Canada; p99av@mun.
ca.

We investigated patterns of varia-
tion of tail streamer length and other
morphological traits of Red-tailed
Tropicbirds {Phaethon rubricauda), a
monogamous seabird, based on 251
individuals, including 145 known-age
birds, measured in the year 2000 at
Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals in
the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 56

cover in Hudson Bay has approxi-
mately halved. We suggest that the
observed changes in diet composition
reflect changes in the relative abun-
dance of the species involved and that
the decline in arctic cod and increase in
capelin are associated with a general
warming of Hudson Bay waters, as a
result of ongoing climate change in the
area.

A large-scale model for the at-sea
distribution of Marbled Murrelets
{Brachyramphus marmoratus) in
coastal British Columbia, Canada

Peggy Yen and Falk Huettmann.
Center for Wildlife Ecology, Depart-
ment of Biological Sciences, Simon
Fraser University, 8888 University
Drive, Burnaby BC, V5A 1S6, Canada;
ppyen@sfii.ca.

It is not fiilly understood what role
the marine environment plays in the
summer distribution and rate of occur-
rence of Marbled Murrelet {Brachy-
ramphus marmoratus). Consistent in-
formation on the distribution of Mar-
bled Murrelets dos not exist in British
Columbia, Canada. In order to improve
our knowledge on this topic, we com-
piled and investigated (!) murrelet sur-
veys (count and density), (2) environ-
mental factors, and (3) prey distribu-
tion. We then overlaid these data In a
Geographic Information System (GIS,
Arc View) and identified the signifi-
cant predictors by evaluating their
shortest distances from survey loca-
tions to the predictors. In this multi-
variate scenario, we used Generalized
Linear Models (GLM), Multivariate
Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS,
Salford Systems) and Classification
and Regression Trees (CART from
both S-PLUS and Salford Systems). It
is shown that there is a strong correla-
tion between Marbled Murrelet abun-
dance and several environmental and
prey predictors. We present a spatially
explicit large-scale distribution model
to predict Marbled Murrelet abundance
in coastal British Columbia. Model
predictions are evaluated by several
methods (e.g. Bootstrapping, model

ABSTRACT

comparison, and distance to old-growth
forest), allowing for discernible results.

Are there consequences for Glau-
cous-winged Gulls that re-lay a
clutch?

Stephani ZadorJ'^ John Piatt, ^ and
Alexander .Kitaysky.^ *Box 352100,
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
9 8 1 9 5 USA;

szador@u.washington.edu. ^Alaska
Biological Sciences Center, US Geo-
logical Survey, Anchorage, AK, USA;
^Department of Zoology, University of
Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

As part of a larger study of the ef-
fects of harvesting eggs at a glaucous
winged gull (Larus glaucescens) col-
ony, we investigated the physiological
cost of increased reproductive invest-
ment during the egg-laying and incu-
bation stages. We found that the total
number of eggs laid did not affect
hatching success. We tested the hy-
pothesis that gulls that laid (females)
and incubated (males and females) a
second clutch would show different
levels of corticosterone in their blood
from gulls that kept their original
clutch. Birds under physiological stress
exhibit high baseline levels of corti-
costerone, a hormone that regulates
behavior in response to stressors.
However, birds can modify their be-
havior by suppressing their stress re-
sponse, thus decreasing the amount of
corticosterone released during a stan-
dardized capture period without in-
creasing their baseline levels. In our
experiment, we removed the entire
clutch on the day the third egg was laid
in 32 nests, forcing the breeding pairs
to re-lay a clutch. We captured birds
from surviving control nesl^ and ma-
nipulated nests at the end of their incu-
bation period. We found no differences
in the baseline levels of corticosterone,
indicating conditions were favorable
for the gulls. However, females from
manipulated nests had suppressed
stress responses, which may have re-
sulted from a combination of poor
body condition experienced by all of
the females at the end of incubation

■ ■ ■■■

and the laying of ext^^
results suggest that guljl'L.
variable incubation investments,
the implications of these costs as me
ated through adult and chick suryj;
ship should be investigated. ^ ™

The Peruvian Tern; nesting ah
breeding strategies to reduce pred^
tor detection

Carlos Zavalaga, Albert BertolerS,
md Manuel Plenge. Av. Guardia Cha
laca 1333, Callao 1 -Callao, Peru;
czav@terra.com.pe.

Nest predation has been recog-
nized as one of the main selective pres-
sures in shaping the nesting strategies
of birds. Among seabirds, the need for
security from predators has led to the
location of their breeding grounds on
remote islands, in inaccessible places
on the mainland, or in harsh climates.
In this study, we described the nesting
habits and breeding biology of Peru-
vian Terns {Sterna lorata) at three lo-
calities off the coast of Peru in 1969-74
and 1995-98. Unlike all other open-
nesting seabirds in Peru, Peruvian
Terns built their nests mainly 2-3 km
inland, only in loose aggregations (col-
ony size = 6-10 nests), and with a high
inter-nest distance (about 21 m). Nests
were small depressions without any
nest material and were located close to
stone aggregations, sand marks or col-
orful broken glass. Egg laying was
asynchronous, spreading from October
to late January. Eggs were incubated
from 23 to 29 days and chicks weighed
about 8 g at hatching. Body mass
growth fitted the logistic equation with
the following parameters: k = 0193
days' asymptote = 51 days, // = 10
days. Chicks fledged about 27 days
after hatching. High breeding asyn-
chrony, low nest density, cryptic nests,
camouflaged eggs and chicks, and high
mobility of chicks seem to be breeding
adaptations to avoid massive mortality
occasioned by ground predators.

I

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 59

INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS

Pacific Seabirds is the journal of the Pacific Seabird Group. Manuscripts and news items are welcome on any
topic relating to research on Pacific seabirds or to their conservation. Short manuscripts are preferred (about 1 ,000
to 5,000 words for major submissions). Material should be submitted to the Editor, except as noted below: Dr.
V.M. Mendenhall, 4600 Rabbit Creek Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99516; phone (907) 345-7124; Fax (907) 345-
0686); e-mail fasgadair@att.net. Deadlines are 15 March for the spring issue and 15 September for the fall issue.

CONTRIBUTIONS

Contributors are invited to submit
the following:

• Articles on original research

• Reports (articles on topics other
than original research — e.g., sea-
bird conservation issues)

• Forum (discussion of a current
topic)

• Review articles (these may cover
seabirds worldwide)

• Conservation News (submit to
Craig Harrison, Associate Editor
for Conservation, 4001 North
9‘^ St., no. 1801, Arlington, VA
22203; E-mail charri-
son@erols.com)

• Other short news items relating
to seabird research or conservation
or the Pacific Seabird Group

• Book reviews

• Letters commenting on content of
Pacific Seabirds or other issues. If
the topic is controversial, others
may be given a chance to review
the letter and submit a reply.
Printing and editing of letters are
at the editor’s discretion

• Art work, such as sketches of
seabirds, either accompanying a
text or for publication alone

PEER-REVIEW OF MANSCRIPTS
Articles, and review articles, will
be submitted to two peer reviewers for
technical review. Other types of manu-
script can be sent for review if the
author requests it or at the editor’s dis-
cretion.

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Material may be submitted by ei-
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For materials submitted by mail,
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Format. The disk should include a sec-
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Contributor should consult format
used in a recent issue of Pacific Sea-
birds, If no example is available, you
may request that the Editor send a copy
of relevant material.

General

Manuscripts should be double-
spaced with 1-inch margins. If your
paper size is A4 (European), the bot-
tom margin should be at least 1 3/4
inch (whether the manuscript is sent by
regular or E-mail). Pages should be
numbered, except for Tables and Fig-
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Use US spelling conventions (e.g.,
“behavior,” not “behaviour” and “criti-

cize,” not “criticise”), except when
citing non-US journal articles.

Give the scientific name {itali-
cized) after the first mention of any
genus or species. English names of bird
species are capitalized (e.g.. Fork-
tailed Storm-Petrel). Names of mam-
mals, other taxa, and English names of
bird groups are lowercase except for
proper names (e.g., blackbirds, shield
fern, Steller’s sea cow).

Use the 24-hour clock with a colon
(e.g., 1 8:30). Give dates as day-month-
year. Use metric measures, except
when quoting informal statements. For
quantities less than 1, use an initial 0
(P = 0.95,notP = .95).

If you use an acronym, give the
entity’s full name the first time it is
mentioned. Avoid excessive use of
acronyms.

Typographical conventions follow
Scientific Style and Format^ 6**^ edition,
by the Style Manual Committee of the
Council of Biology Editors; Cambridge
University Press (1999).

Organization

Articles should contain the fol-
lowing sections, in this order: Title,
Author(s), Authors’ affiliations (in-
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author). Abstract, Key words. Intro-
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Tables, Figure legends, and Figures.
Other types of manuscript may use a
different organi:^tion (e.g., a review or
report could contain sections on vari-
ous locations); however, formats for
Literature Cited, Tables, and Figures
will still apply.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 60

INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS

Abstract — An abstract is required
for longer articles and suggested for
short ones. It should contain essential
information from each section of the
text, without statistics. One or more
additional abstract(s) may be provided
in languages other than English.

Key words — Five to 10 words for
use in computerized searching. Species
names in both Latin and English
should be included.

Introduction — Present the aims
and significance of the work, and place
it in the context of pre-existing infor-
mation. State hypotheses that are being
tested, if any.

Methods — ^Describe the methods,
location, time, and personnel of the
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Results — Present results that are
pertinent to aims given in the Intro-
duction. Where feasible, summarize
information and give the full data in
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Discussion — Summarize the re-
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and develop their importance in rela-
tion to other work. Do not include pri-
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Literature Cited — List all refer-
ences in alphabetical order of first
author’s surname. Surname of the first
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names should be listed as Initial(s),
Surname. List all authors in the Lit-
erature Cited; do not use “et al.” Year
of publication follows authors, then
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book. Use standard abbreviations for
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The first line of each citation
should be justified to the left margin;
subsequent lines may be left-justified

or indented. Do not use all-capital let-
ters or italics in the Literature Cited,
except that scientific names should be
in italics. Examples:

Pratt, H.D., P.L, Bruner, and D.G. Berrett.
1987. A field guide to the birds of Ha-
waii and the tropical Pacific. Princeton
University Press, Princeton, NJ. 409 pp.

Schreiber, E.A., and R.W. Schreiber. 1988.
Great Frigatebird size dimorphism on
two Central Pacific atolls. Condor
90:90-99.

Verify that all items in the Litera-
ture Cited are referenced in the article,
and vice versa.

For articles read by you in a lan-
guage other than English, list the cita-
tion in the original language. An Eng-
lish translation of the title [in brackets]
is optional.

Text citations should be “Sur-
name year” (no comma). Two authors
are “Surname and surname year”; 3 or
more authors are “Surname et al. year”
(but all authors should be given in the
Literature Cited). E.g., (Pratt et al.
1987, Schreiber and Schreiber 1988).

Tables— Tables should be num-
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least once. Use horizontal lines below
the main heading(s); do not use vertical
lines in tables. The Table (including its
heading) should be comprehensible
without immediate reference to the
text. Data in Tables should not be re-
peated in the text, except to summarize.
If the manuscript is submitted by E-
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Fax or regular mai, because table col-
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attachments.

Figures — Figures should be num-
bered in the order they are first men-
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at least once. Figures should be drawn
at least 50% larger than they will ap-
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figure (including caption) should be

comprehensible without immediate
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REVISIONS AND PROOFS

Materials that are sent for peer re-
view will be returned to the author,
along with reviewers’ and editorial
suggestions. If the Editor has accepted
the article, he or she will endeavor to
revise and return the manuscript within
60 days. If the article needs major
work, the author may be invited to re-
vise and re-submit it for future accep-
tance.

For peer-reviewed articles, proofs
will be mailed to the author before
publication. Corrections should be re-
turned within one week (E-mail reply
is encouraged). Proofs of other materi-
als will not be sent to the author unless
he or she requests them.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number i • Spring 2001 • Page 61

PUBLISHED PROCEEDINGS OF SYMPOSIA OF THE PACIFIC

SEABIRD GROUP

The Pacific Seabird Group holds occasional symposia at its annual meetings. Published symposia are listed
below. They are available for purchase (unless out of print). To order, see the membership application/publication
order form.

SHOREBIRHS IN MARINE ENVIRONMENTS. Frank A: Pitelka (Editor). Proceedings of an International Symposium of the
Pacific Seabird Group. Asilomar, California, January 1977. Published June 1979 in Studies in Avian Biology, Number 2. Out of
print.

TROPICAL SEABIRD BIOLOGY. Ralph W. Schreiber (Editor), Proceedings of an International Symposium of the Pacific
Seabird Group, Honolulu, Hawaii, December 1982, Published February 1984 in Studies in Avian Biology, Number 8. Out of print.

MARINE BIRDS: THEIR FEEDING ECOLOGY AND COMMERCIAL FISHERIES RELATIONSHIPS. David N.
Nettleship, Gerald A, Sanger, and Paul F. Springer (Editors). Proceedings of an International Symposium of the Pacific Seabird
Group, Seattle, Washington, January 1982. Published 1984 as Canadian Wildlife Service, Special Publication. Out of print.

THE USE OF NATURAL VS. MAN-MODIFIED WETLANDS BY SHOREBIRDS AND WATERBIRDS. R. Michael Erwin,
Malcolm C. Coulter, and Howard L. Cogswell (Editors). Proceedings of an International Symposium at the first joint meeting of the
Colonial Waterbird Society and the Pacific Seabird Group, San Francisco, California, December 1985. Colonial Waterbirds 9(2).

ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF GULLS. Judith L. Hand, William E. Southern, and Kees Vermeer (Editors). Proceedings of
an International Symposium of the Colonial Waterbird Society and the Pacific Seabird Group, San Francisco, California, December
1985. Published June 1987 in Studies in Avian Biology, Number 10. $18.50.

AUKS AT SEA. Spencer G. Sealy (Editor). Proceedings of an International Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group, Pacific
Grove, California, December 1987. Published December 1990 in Studies in Avian Biology, Number 14. $16.00.

STATUS AND CONSERVATION OF THE MARBLED MURRELET IN NORTH AMERICA. Many C. Carter, and Michael
L. Morrison (Editors). Proceedings of a Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group, Pacific Grove, California, December 1987.
Published October 1992 in Proceedings of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Volume 5, Number 1. $20.00.

THE STATUS, ECOLOGY, AND CONSERVATION OF MARINE BIRDS OF THE NORTH PACIFIC. Kees Vermeer,
Kenneth T. Briggs, Ken H. Morgan, and Douglas Siegel-Causey (editors). Proceedings of a Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group,
Can^ian Wildlife Service, and the British Columbia Minishy of Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria, British Columbia, February
1990. Published 1993 as a Canadian Wildlife Service Special Publication, Catalog Number CW66-124-1993E. Free of diargefrom:
Publications Division, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa, Ontario, K1 A OH3, Canada.

BIOLOGY OF MARBLED MURRELETS— INLAND AND AT SEA. S. Kim Nelson and Spencer G. Sealy (Editors).
Proceedings of a Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group, Seattle, Washington, February 1993. Published 1995 in Northwestern
Natumlist, Volume 76, Number 1. $12.00.

BEHAVIOUR AND ECOLOGY OF THE SEA DUCKS. Ian Goudie, Margaret R. Peterseen and Gregory J. Robertson (editors).
Proceedings of the Pacific Seabird Group Symposium, Victoria, British Columbia, 8-12 November 1995. A special publication
compiled by the Canadian Wildlife Service for the Pacific Seabird Group. Published 1999 as Canadian Wildlife Service Occasional
Paper number 100, catalog number GW69-1/100E. Free of charge from: Publications Division, Canadian Wildlife Service, CXtawa,
Ontario, K1 A 0H3, Canada.

SEABIRD BYCATCH: TRENDS, ROADBLOCKS AND SOLUTIONS. Edward F. Melvin and Julia K. Parrish (Editors).
Proceedings of an International Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group, Semi-Ah-Moo, Washington, February 1999. To be
published by University of Alaska Sea Grant, Fairbanks, Alaska. In preparation.

Information on presenting symposia: Pacific Seabird Group Symposia are initiated by one or more persons with interest in a . |

particular topic. TTie goal is to present a collection of papers that explore and review the chosen topic, usually at an annual meeting
of the Pacific Seabird Group. In some cases the papers are then edited and published as a Symposium of the Pacific SeaWrd Group.
Individuals interested in organizing a symposium must first contact both the Coordinator of the Publications Commitme and the
Scientific Program Coordinator for an annual meeting. Important guidelines will be provided for obtaining approval, organizing,
presenting, and publishing Pacific Seabird Group Symposia, including the responsibilities involved. Organizers can then proceed to I
put the symposium session together. This opportunity is available to all members of the Pacific Seabird Group.

J*/i4S£i5c.AVa6iVJs.*.,Voliimo 2S. Niimher. 1 .‘SDrinfi^ 2_Q,Q1 * Page 62

PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP COMMITTEE

COORDINATORS

Contact committee coordinators for information on activities of committees and how you can participate.

CONSERVATION COMMITTEE

Craig S. Harrison, 4001 North 9th Street, Number 1801, Arlington, VA 22203 USA. Telephone (202) 778-2240, Fax: (202)
778-2201, E-mail: charrison@eroIs.com

ELECTION COMMITTEE
Pat Baird, Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840 USA. Telephone: (562)
985-1780, Fax: (562) 985-8878, E-mail: patbaird@csulb.edu

JAPANESE SEABIRD CONSERVATION COMMITTEE
Roll Ono, Office: Hokkaido Seabird Center, Kita 6-1, Haboro, Tomamae 078-41 16 Japan. Telephone: 01 1-81-1646-9-2080,
Fax: 011-81-1646-9-2090. Home: 2-506, Sakaemachi 93-12 Haboro, Tomamae 078-4123 Japm. Telephone & Fax. 011-81-

1646-2-1324, E-mail: kojiono@gol.com and John Fries, Laboratory for Wildlife Biology, University o okyo, - - ayoi

Bunkyo-ku, 1 13 Tokyo, Japan. Telephone/Fax; 011-81-356-89-7254, E-mail: fries@
uf.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp

MARBLED MURRELET TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

Anne Harfenist, P.O. Box 2498, Smithers, B.C. VOJ 2N0 Canada. Telephone: (250) 847-1730, E-mail: hafenis@bulkley.ne

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Steven M. Speich, 4720 N. Oeste Place, Tucson, AZ 85749 USA. Telephone: (520) 760-2 1 10, E-mail: sspeich®
azstamet.com

SEABIRD MONITORING COMMITTEE « x h Rd

Scott Hatch, Biological Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Biological Science ^nter. 101 1 E. Tudor Kd.
Anchorage, AK 99503 USA. Telephone; (907) 786-3529, Fax; (907) 786-3636, E-mail: scott_hatch@usgs.gov

XANTUS' MURRELET TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
William Everett, Endangered Species Recovery Council, P. O. Box 1085, La Jolla, CA 92038 USA. Telephone: (858)
7077 Fax* CSSS') 456-7121 E-mail’ everett@esrc.org, anfiKennelh Briggs, Danville Veterinary Hosp a ,
Rl;nToad!DanlnK ci 9;526 uL Telephone: (92% 837-4264, Fax: (925) 837-0467, E-mail: ktbriggs@hotmail.com

PSG DELEGATES TO THE AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY

Craig S. Harrison, 4001 North 9th Street, Arlington, VA 22203 USA^ Telephone 323-93’42,

mail: charreon@erols.com, and Malcolm C. Coulter, P.O. Box 48, Choconia, NH 03817 USA. elephone. t

E-mail: coultermc@aol.com

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 63

PSG LIFE MEMBERS 2000

David G. Ainley

Lisa Haggblom

David R. Nysewander

Sarah G. Allen

Judith Latta Hand

Harou Ogi

Daniel W. Anderson

Craig S. Harrison

Koji Ono

Pat H. Baird

Scott A. Hatch

Julia K. Parrish

Lisa Ballance

Monica Herzig Ziircher

C. John Ralph

Kenneth T. Briggs

Joel D. Hubbard

William P. Ritchie

Joanna Burger

David B. Irons

Chad Roberts

Ellen W. Chu

Karl W. Kenyon

Palmer C. Sekora

Roger B. Clapp

James G. King

Nanette Seto

Sheila Conant

Kathy Kuletz

Kouzi Shiomi

Cheryl Conel

James Kushlan

Douglas Siegel-Causey

Malcolm C. Coulter

Lora Leschner

William E. Southern

Theodore L. Cross

David B. Lewis

Arthur L. Sowls

Robert H. Day

Peter Major

Jeffrey A. Spendelow

Tony DeGange

Eugene Y. Makishima

Takaki Terasawa

Jan Dierks

Vivian Mendenhall

W. Breck Tyler

George J. Divoky

Gayle Merlen

Enriquetta Velarde Gonzalez

Stewart Fefer

Godfrey Merlen

Kees Vermeer

Lloyd C. Fitzpatrick

Pat Mock

John S. Warriner

Elizabeth Flint

Edward C. Murphy

Yutaka Watanuki

Douglas J. Forsell

Maura Naughton

Jeff Williams

Michael Fry

S. Kim Nelson

RECIPIENTS OF PSG’s LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

James C. Bartonek
W.R.P. Bourne
Charles Guiguet^

Thomas R. Howell
Karl W. Kenyon
James G. King

Miklos D.F. Udvardy^
John Warham
Richard G.B. Brown

RECIPIENTS OF PSG’s SPECIAL
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

George J. Divoky
Craig S. Harrison

Arthur L. Sowls
Steven M. Speich

Malcolm Coulter
Hiroshi Hasegawa

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 • Spring 2001 • Page 64

Pacific Seabird Group

Membership Application/Publication Order Form

(Please copy)

Membership (includes subscription to Pacific Seabirds)

Individual and Family $20.00

Student (undergraduate and graduate) $13.00

Life Membership* (optional payment plan, five $120 installments) $600.00

Sponsored Membership $20.00

Contributions^

To (he Endowment Fund^

Other (please specify)

Back issues of Pacific Seabirds

Vols. 1-8 (1974-1981) @ $2.50/issue (two issues/year)

Specify Volume(s) and Number(s) x $2.50

Vols. 9-present @ $5.00/issue (two issues/year)

Specify Volume(s) and Number(s) x $5 .00

PSG Symposia

Ecology and Behavior of Gulls x $1 8.50

Auks at Sea ^x $16.00 ^

Status, Ecology, and Conservation of Marine Birds of the North Pacific: Free of charge

Status and Conservation of the Marbled Murrelet in North America x $20.00

Biology of Marbled Murrelets; Inland and at Sea ^x $12.00

Behaviour and Ecology of Sea Ducks; Free of charge^

PSG Technical Publications

Number 1, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Seabird Restoration Workshop

Books

The Ancient Murrelet x30.00

X $18.00

TOTAL ENCLOSED (U.S. Dollars)

Prices include postage (surface rate) and handling.

SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER (in U.S. Dollars, made payable to the Pacific Seabird Group) TO:
Breck Tyler, Treasurer, Pacific Seabird Group

Long Marine Laboratory, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA.

Telephone: (831) 426-5740, E-maii: ospr@cats.ucsc.edu

’ Contributions mayTe tax-deductible; see inside front cover for more information. . r’

2 Proceeds from life Memberships and contributions go to the Endowment Fund, which supports the publications of the Pacific Seabird Group.
^ To order, see information in “Published Proceedings of Symposia of the Pacific Seabird Group,” above.

Member/Sponsor or Order Deliver/Ship to (if different)

"Wfirne

Name

Address

T' A 1 A n p

Telephone

IvICpHV/Jliw

PuY

Fax

r oA

E-mail

F-mail

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 28, Number 1 * Spring 2001 • Page 65

IT'-

PSG EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 2001

Chair

Officers

Bill Sydeman, Point Reyes Bird Observatory, 4990 Shoreline High\vay, Stinson Beach,
CA 94970, USA. Telephone; (415) 868-1221, ext 19; Fax; (415) 868-1946; E-mail;
wjsydeman@prbo.org.

Chair Elect

Lisa Ballance, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service,
8604 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 94037, USA. Telephone: (858) 546-7173; Fax:
(858) 546-7003; E-mail: Lisa.Ballance@NOAA.gov.

Vice-Chair for Conservation

Craig S. Harrison, 4001 North 9th Street, Number 1801, Arlington, VA 22203, USA.
Telephone: (202) 778-2240; Fax: (202) 778-2201 ; E-mail: charrison@erols.com

Treasurer

W. Breck Tyler, Long Marine Laboratory, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060,
USA. Telephone: (831)426-5740; E-mail; ospr@cats.ucsc.edu

Secretary

Lora Leschner, Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife, 16018 Mill Creek Blvd., Mill
Creek, WA 98102, USA. Telephone: (425) 776-1311, ext 421; Fax: (425) 338-1066; E-
mail: leschlIl@dfw.wa.goy

Editor

Vivian Mendenhall, 4600 Rabbit Creek Rd., Anchorage, AK 99516, USA. Telephone:
(907) 345-7124; Fax (907) 345-0686; E-mail: fasgadair@att.net

Past Chair

Julia Parrish, Zoology Department, University of Washington, Box 351800, Seattle WA
98195, USA. Telephone; (206) 221-5787; E-mail: Jpairish@u. washington.edu

Alaska and Russia

Regional Representatives

Rob Suryan, Migratory Bird Management USFWS, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage,
AK 99503, USA. Telephone: (907) 786-3829; Fax: (907) 786-3641; E-mail:
robert_suryan@fws.gov

Canada

Ken Morgan, Canadian Wildlife Service, c/o Institute of Ocean Sciences, P.O. Box
6000, Sidney, BC V8L 4B2, Canada. Telephone: (250) 363-6537; Fax: (250) 363-6390,
E-mail: morgank@pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Washington and Oregon

Jan Hodder, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, University of Oregon, Charleston, OR
97420, USA. Telephone; (541) 888-2581, ext 215; Fax: (541) 888-03250; E-mail: jhod-
der@oimb.uoregon.edu.

Northern California

Kyra Mills, Point Reyes Bird Observatory, 4990 Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach, CA
94970, USA. Phone (415) 868-1221, ext 21; Fax (415) 868-1947; E-mail: kyra-
mills@prbo.org

Southern California

Pat Mock, Dames & Moore, Inc., 9665 Chesapeake Drive, Suite 201, San Diego, CA
92123, USA. Telephone: (858) 541-0833; Fax: (858) 541-0890; E-mail: sdopjm@
dames.com

Non-Pacific United States

Malcolm C. Coulter, P.O. Box 480, Chocorua, NH 03817, USA. Telephone: (603) 323-
9342; Fax: (603) 323-9342; E-mail: coultermc@aol.com.

Pacific Rim

Elizabeth Flint, USFWS, Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box
50167, Honolulu, HI 96850, USA. Telephone: (808) 541-1201; Fax: (808)

541-1216; E-mail: beth_flint@fws.gov

Old World

Mark Tasker, JNCC, Dunnet House, 7 Thistle Place, Aberdeen ABIO lUZ, Scotland,

UK. Telephone; Oil (from US/Canada) + 44-1224-642863, Fax: 011-44-1224-6214-88;