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Research Technical Report

Minutes

California Seabird Coordination Meeting

Tuesday, 19 December 2000 (0845 -1700)

Minutes compiled by Erica Burton

Minutes edited by Andrew DeVogelaere, William Sydeman, and Meredith Elliott

HOSTED BY: MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY AND

MOSS LANDING MARINE LABORATORIES

MEETING LOCATION:

Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Seminar Room

8272 Moss Landing Road

Moss Landing, CA 95039-9647

SCHEDULE

0845 - 0915: Coffee, tea, etc.

0915 - 0930: WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

Andrew DeVogelaere (MBNMS)

Jim Harvey (MLML)

Scott Benson (MLML): Rationale

At last year's meeting there was a desire for more coordination

Therefore, we coordinated Group Leaders to organize topics and speakers

We'll see how this goes today, and comment at the end

0930 - 1015: Seabird Restoration & Seabirds and Oil (45 minutes)

Group Leader: Paul Kelly (OSPR/CDFG)

Included in discussion

Jan Roletto (GFNMS)

Steve Hampton (OSPR)

Scott Newman (UC Davis)

Bernie Tershy (UCSC)

Jennifer Boyce (NOAA)

Mike Parker (USFWS-SFBNWRC)

RESTORATION

Paul Kelly:

  • Various settlements of damage assessment for oil spills
  • Primary funding sources for seabirds in California
  • Never consistent funding sources
  • Trust funds set up for Restoration (no $ for research)
  • Can build monitoring projects around Restoration and Research

Case updates:

1997 Humboldt Bay Oil Spill (M/V Kure)

  • 5000 gallons of oil in Fall
  • 1000 debilitated birds which translates into a larger number of birds
  • Hot bed for biologists, therefore tap into efforts
  • 15,000 oiled birds (from direct observations)
  • Aerial surveys every day for 2 weeks [Breck Tyler and Scott Newman involved]
  • One of the most sophisticated responses for oil spill of this size
  • Therefore, receive substantial money from this; maybe 10 yrs to settle
  • Alcids
  • Marbled Murrelets - 10 bodies

1999 Stuyvesant Oil Spill, Humboldt Bay

  • 5000 gallons
  • 2000 oiled birds (including 24 Marbled Murrelets)
  • Look at scavenging rates
  • More sophisticated looking at oiled birds/spills
  • Cooperative assessments with guilty party

Jan Roletto:

Pt. Reyes Tar Ball Case, Series of spills (4 months, starting in winter 1997)

  • Harry Carter & crew compiled a review of dead birds
  • Glenn Ford worked on Rehabilitation data and Beach survey
  • Damage Assessment Report next summer
  • Who claim money from? Oil came from different sources
  • Collected 2000 birds (85-90% Common Murres)

Steve Hampton:

  • Oil liability trust fund, which Oil Companies contribute to, used for
    • Response activities
    • Damage assessment
    • Compensatory projects
  • Coast Guard Fund has 2 main liaisons; and developing relationships
  • This may be the first time someone has gone to this fund for such a large claim amount

Common Murre Project money

  • Human disturbance reduction (ie., Reduce disturbance to Common Murres)
  • One idea: Comprehensive chronic oil pollution reduction (modeled after New Foundland, Canada and Baltic Sea)

Q: Michael Fry & Bill Sydeman - Isn't this illegal (dumping oil from ships)?

A: Steve Hampton - Yes

  • Major components of project
    • Enforcement: Radar detection from satellite and Radar (Norway)
    • Incentives to ship owners
    • Host of Monitoring Activities (beach bird monitoring; primary target at Gulf of the Farallones)
    • Seasonal drift experiments in major shipping lanes
    • Live bird monitoring to track greatest risk colonies in Gulf of the Farallones
    • Tar Ball finger printing

Paul Kelly:

Trust funds & Seabird Restoration

  • Command Case - illegal dumping at Golden Gate Bridge
  • U.S. Attorney against Pearl Shipping ($9-10 million)
  • Trust Fund - $4.1 million (NRDA account)
    • Majority to Common Murres (>1/2)
    • Marbled Murrelets
    • Shoreline habitats
  • Council has not yet met formally
  • When they do, will consider projects
  • Proposed projects will be considered for seabird restoration
  • Penalty funds will go to Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Michael Fry - NRDA funds not for research but Restoration and Spills

Will basic biology be done?

How can you do baseline work between spills?

A: Steve Hampton - Legal Rational (NRDA) is to Restore

Physical restoration with measurable benefit to increase bird numbers

Planning component

Squeeze in some restoration money

Q: Michael Fry - How get more money for monitoring?

A: Paul Kelly - Everyone probably agrees with the government, settlements with responsible party

Q: Don Croll - Get money, with not much flexibility with funds. Can we inform legislature to be more flexible with funds?

A: Paul Kelly - Partly the number of dollars and Restoration guidelines (law)

A: Karin Forney - For long term restoration, need monitoring money; therefore provide wording in context

A: Don Croll - You can't fix bird deaths, therefore provide mitigation money for flexible projects

A: Jan Roletto - Money over long-term basis not there, therefore need funds for comprehensive restoration and monitoring

A: Paul Kelly - Significant restraints

Paul Kelly:

Cape Mohican, San Francisco,1996

  • 4000 birds impacted, most shorebirds
  • Number of projects (eelgrass, rocky shores, seabirds, etc)
  • $800k for seabirds
  • Restoration and colonization of island in SF Bay (Red Rock, privately owned)
    • Double-crested Cormorant
    • Roost sites for Brown Pelican
    • Oyster Catchers
    • Black-crowned Night Heron
  • Is this feasible?
  • Birds in south Bay
    • Caspian Terns
    • Least Terns
  • Eradicate House Mouse at Farallon Islands

 Mike Parker:

APEX Houston, 1986

  • 9000 seabirds killed
  • 6300 Common Murres
  • Surveyed 3 sights
    • Pt Reyes Headleads (PRH) - reference site to compare to Devil's Slide
    • Devil's Slide Rock (DSR) - attraction
    • Castle & Hurricaine Rocks, Big Sur (CRM/HPR)
  • 1996-2000
  • At Devil's Slide
  • Breeding sites increased (6 pairs - 98 pairs)
  • Territorial sites increased (5 pairs - 25 pairs)
  • Disturbances at 3 colonies (1997-2000)
    • Aircraft
    • Vessel
  • Monitored either: Murres flushed or head-bobbed
  • Major flushing by
    • Coast Guard/Military aircraft
    • Big Sur Marathon aircraft (April)

Bernie Tershy (Island Conservation Group)

American Trader Trust (1989: 3 million)

  • Spill at Huntington Beach
  • Restore Pelicans and others
  • Restoration Plan at CDFG web site
  • Distributed next couple of weeks
  • Anacapa Island
  • All permits in place, including EPA, to eradicate rats using an airborne poison
  • Killed all rats that were tagged and ear-marked in trial error
  • Using half the concentration of poison available in "Safeway Supermarkets"
  • Planned eradication
    • East island (Nov/Dec 2001)
    • West island (Nov/Dec 2002)
  • Possible model project for others

Mexico

  • No seabird management money
  • 5 islands, 3 planned for next year, mainly cat eradication

American Trader money

Frank Gress - Monitor Pelicans at Anacapa Island

Gerry McChesney & Harry Carter - Monitor Xantus's Murrelet, therefore measure benefits of rat eradication

Craig Strong - Pelican roost site monitored at CA mainland, southern CA

International component - Western Grebe component, council will put out RP

Other Seabird Restoration

Bill Sydeman:

  • Ano Nuevo - Restoration management
  • 1993 - Michelle Hester and Sydeman looked at Rhinoceros Auklet
  • Julie Thayer later became part of project
  • Basic components
    • Nest boxes augment habitat
    • Install boardwalks
    • Work with UCSC to coordinate
  • Population doubled from 1993-1997
  • Dietary studies - ocean productivity
  • Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary contributed in past

OIL STUDIES

Leah Culp (GFNMS): Beach watch program

  • Monitor 16 beaches since 1993
  • 100 volunteers
  • Count beach cast organisms
  • Collect tar ball samples
  • Peak every year in Aug-Sept for Murres (after Murre fledging period), highly deposited
  • Less overall dead birds last year (~20%)
  • Included: Murres, other, tar balls
  • Live counts the same

Scott Newman (UC Davis):

  • Update of OSPR
  • OWCN
  • 2 premier facilities opening in March, each with 1000 bird capacities
    • San Pedro
    • Cordelia
  • Goals
    • Determine where spilled birds are coming from
    • GIS: live and dead animals
    • Newletter - "Network News"
      • Download off web
      • Mailing list
  • RFP discussion made on projects funded
  • Evaluate health related issues
  • Animals affected by oil
  • Ecosystem projects
  • You may receive survey of program
  • May/June 2001 - Symposium in Sacramento
    • Projects funded by Network
  • Next RFP in March, funded in Oct

Jennifer Boyce:

Final version of the NOAA Guidelines for Marine Bird Damage Assessment will be available in March, for a copy of the Guidelines ask Jen

Bill Sydeman:

1994 Oiled Wildlife Response Team (OWRT)

  • Collect evidence in event of spill
  • Ran out of money within 1 year
  • Recently developed new contract with Wildlife Processing Group
    • Team = PRBO and those throughout state who agreed to respond within 24 - 48 hours
  • Full-time deal once contacted
  • Training workshop coming up

Mark Rauzon:

  • Need environmental education
  • At next seabird coordination meeting include topic in agenda
    • Seabird biology
    • Marine education
    • Disturbance
    • CA seabird education
  • Ask Trustee Council

Comments:

Jennifer Boyce - American Trader includes education

Scott Newman - Public and Children's education with 2 projects spoke of

Bernie Tershy - Brought island education materials here from Mexico (passed around room)

 

1015 -1055: Seabird-Fisheries Interactions (40 minutes)

Group Leader: Jennifer Boyce (NOAA, Damage Assessment SW Region)

Nearshore Live-Fish Rockfish Fishery

Mike Parker:

  • Vessel Disturbance of Common Murres (3 colonies)
  • Flushing at CHCC, PRCC, DSCC (central CA, 4/97-8/00
  • 10 m from rocks
  • On calm days put out traps and lines with multi-hooks

Dave Jessup:

  • Closed 6 months / Open 6 months
  • Patty Wolfe said Marine Reserves Design Program may result in more reserves; designed to benefit fish and birds

Bill Sydeman:

  • Good time to make comments and contact Patty Wolfe, because CDFG making Nearshore Fishery Management plan within next 2 years

Monterey Bay halibut gill-net fishery

Karin Forney:

  • Hand-out: Summary of NMFS Observer Program, Monterey Bay region, 1999 & 2000
    • 1999: 2357 Murres taken (not including chicks)
    • 2000: 2840 Murres taken; stopped in September when 120-day moratorium began (emergency response from a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit)
  • Fishery moved to 60 fathoms, Pt Reyes to Yankee Pt., but too deep to fish for halibut
  • January 9, 2001, new regulations expire; may extend another 120 days
  • South of Yankee Pt. Still at 30 fathoms; maybe vulnerable area for bycatch
  • 8 inch mesh for halibut, 6.75 inch mesh for soupfin shark and sea bass; fishermen may switch fisheries; therefore may be a problem for common murres

Scott Newman:

  • 10% of fishery in Monterey Bay

Karin Forney - But, large amount of the bycatch from Monterey Bay

  • Ventura to Anacapa Island, half of halibut gill-netting

Paul Kelly:

  • This isn't a done deal, but emergency closure got department's attention
  • Lawsuit forced response from CDFG
  • Department may extend 30 fm to 60 fm along Big Sur Coast
  • Department will work with legislature with regulation changes
  • Another public hearing for 120 day extension
  • There may be financial help for fishermen
  • MMS - Glenn Ford
    • CD ROM data (beta version)
    • aerial photos of Murre distribution used for informed decision (closure)

Squid Fishery

Gerry McChesney:

  • In southern California, fishery primarily around Channel Islands
  • Fishery has grown exponentially over the last 10 yrs
  • Fish at night with light boat (~30,000-100,000 watts/boat) and auxiliary boat (seiner)
  • In nearshore waters
  • Fishing heaviest off Santa Cruz Island and Santa Rosa Island
  • Primarily a fall fishery (some spring/summer)
  • Also off Santa Barbara Island & Anacapa Island
  • Mortality of:
    • Xantus's Murrelet
    • Brown Pelican chick mortality
    • Storm-Petrels (primarily)
  • Recommendation to CDFG for closures around Islands considered but not applied
  • But at end of May regulations
    • Wattage limits (30,000 watts)
    • Light Shields that direct light downward
  • Follow-up meeting in October
    • Esther Burkett and Maura Naughton - to convince CDFG for closure
  • CDFG - anecdotal info

Esther Burkett:

  • Looking at
    • Xantus's Murrelet
    • Storm-Petrel (primarily)
    • Brown Pelican (State & Federally listed: fully protected, no take; CDFG's take = attempt to take is not considered harassment)
  • Squid Activity (?) is a project under CEQA (law 1976)
  • Not sure yet how to deal with pelican problem
  • No actual data on impact, just observation
  • CDFG is supposed to pay for monitoring, but are they the correct agency for this?

Dave Jessup:

  • Fisheries need input on fisheries for management, therefore opportunity for input

Bill Sydeman:

  • Squid management plan draft is due in April 2001
  • 250,000 mt max sustainable yield (largest in CA, RE: vessels, economics)
  • But, cap at 100,000 mt during non-El Niño; 10,000 mt during El Niño
  • CDFG also need seabird yield estimate, therefore need input

Scott Newman:

  • In halibut fishery, CDFG weighed bycatch (high) with economics (low), therefore closure
  • But squid fishery may be more difficult

Michael Fry:

  • Money in fishery will pay for it

Scott Newman:

  • Pot of money for monitoring, but not used for environmental monitoring

Esther Burkett:

  • I don't think pot of money for bird impacts

Paul Kelly:

  • CDFG does not have history of financing monitoring projects
  • Interest group needed to advise CDFG on monitoring

Esther Burkett:

  • Send recommendations to Esther (email)

Karin Forney:

  • Squid is a category 2 fishery (Interactions with mammals)
  • Think about data needed to be taken by on-board observers

Maura Naughton (Pacific Fishery Management Council):

  • Management plan of highly migratory fishes (pelagic longline)
  • Increasingly more restricted in Hawaii and Pacific
  • Therefore may move to west coast
  • Taking Albatross and other seabirds
  • Therefore, where fishing now no indicator of where fishing next
  • Expected draft plan presented to Council in March 2001
  • Can put in mitigation measures, therefore need comments

 

1055-1140: Long-term Population/Demographic Monitoring (45 minutes)

Group Leader: Gerry McChesney (USGS)

  • At-sea studies
    • U.S. Geological Survey/Humboldt State University (Gerry McChesney)
      • Southern California aerial at-sea surveys
        • Point Pedros Blancas to Mexican Border
        • 3 yr, seabirds and mammals in S. Cal
        • Progress Report of first year is out
        • Overall, numbers of seabirds lower than in old days, including Alcids (Common Murres), Sooty Shearwaters
      • Cassin's Auklet radio-telemetry (Harry Carter)
        • Finished field season off San Miquel Island
        • 30 radio tags
        • marking birds at nest sites
        • follow breeding success
        • followed some dispersal north
    • U.C. Santa Cruz/Moss Landing Marine Labs (Don Croll/Scott Benson)
      • Santa Barbara Channel shipboard surveys
        • Surveys in Aug-Oct, same method as below
        • Q: Croll - Contact Sarah Fangman with letters of support for Research in S. Cal (money for new boat)
      • Monterey Bay shipboard surveys
        • Monitored since 1996 off MLML
        • 16 miles offshore, 50 m depth
        • monthly
        • upwelling season (May-Nov)
        • count seabirds, mammals, CCD, temperature, characterize prey back scatter
        • patchwork funding
        • MBNMS helpful with ship time
    • Moss Landing Marine Labs (Laird Henkel)
      • Monterey Bay coastal boat surveys
        • Abundance of nearshore (500 m) seabirds for 2 yrs.
          • Western Grebes
          • Surf Scoters
          • Marbled Murrelets (winter)
        • Sandy shore, Capitola to Monterey
        • SST and water clarity also recorded
    • CalCOFI (Bill Sydeman)
      • Southern California shipboard surveys
        • 50 yr program, centered at S. Cal Bight, although conduct along CA coast last 30 yr
        • Result = decline in Sooty Shearwaters
        • Research taken over by David Hyrenbach (finishing PhD)
        • To keep program alive, 4 surveys/yr (1 per season)
        • Spun off into Marine Protected Areas project (to sell)
        • Stability of bird distribution thru time, connect to oceanography
        • If use birds as indicator of productive areas, protect birds for that cause
    • U.C. Santa Cruz/OSPR (Breck Tyler)
      • Monterey Bay aerial at-sea surveys
        • Mid 1990's, overseen by Mike Donnell
        • Inactive for ~1 yr
        • Start in January
        • Designed a team of observers for spills
        • 2 days (back-to-back, but flexible) per month for surveys
        • Fly at 200 ft in CDFG plane
        • Transects 2-4 miles apart
        • Pt. Sur to Gulf of Farallones
        • Open to surveying other parts of State
        • Q: Paul Kelly - Updates to MMS CD-ROM? Companion to shipboard surveys
        • A: Michael McCrary - plans on updating and funding to do so; maybe in 2-3 yr
        • Q: Michael Fry - Who is the best agency to act as the clearing house? MMS? NOAA?
        • A: Paul Kelly - Fines money, penalty money in the last 12 months
          • Pursue legislature for permanent funding
          • Letter from Pacific Seabird Group to MMS to use shipboard data in CD
    • H.T. Harvey and Associates (Carol Keiper)
      • Gulf of the Farallones shipboard surveys
        • Carol's thesis, 1985 data set
        • Dave Ainley, Sarah Allen, Cornelia Aldecova (thesis)
        • David Starr Jordon surveys in conjunction with NMFS assessment cruises
        • May-June (1-2 weeks)
        • Pt. Reyes to Cypress Pt. (from nearshore waters to 75 km offshore)
        • 7300 birds
          • 73% Sooty Shearwater (84% in Monterey Bay)
          • 18% Common Murre (42% in Monterey Bay, 53% N. coast, north of SF to Pt. Reyes)
    • Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (Sarah Fangman absent, per McChesney)
      • Vessel support
        • R/V Ballena capsized in November
          • Net tows
          • Seabird and mammal observations
      • Will rely on Channel Islands Reserve Boats
      • Use Sanctuary skippers to continue projects
      • Trying to get new vessel, Sanctuaries own or shared
  • Colony Monitoring
    • Channel Islands National Park/U.S. Geological Survey (Paige Martin absent, per Gerry McChesney)
      • Channel Islands
        • Started in 1985
        • Monitor several breeding seabirds
        • 1993-99, park contracting out to PRBO to monitor
        • 2000 funding dried-up
        • USGS part of Cassin's Auklet monitoring
        • At Prince Island (Josh Adams)
        • Once per month (weather and boat availability permitting)
        • Park Reviewing Program by statistician
        • Positive review with some changes and new monitoring protocol
    • Point Reyes Bird Observatory (Bill Sydeman)
      • South Farallon Islands (Kyra Mills)
        • Ashy Storm-Petrels (slightly below average)
        • Primarily look at long-term trends of populations, but also changes in oceanographic conditions and variability; also included diet provided to chicks
        • Next year (or long-term)
          • 6 species declining (Cassin's Auklet, Ashy Storm-Petrel, Pelagic Cormorant, Brandt's Cormorant, gulls)
            • Croll/Sydeman: land fill closures, decline in short belly rockfish
            • Kyra Mills: probably a combo of both
          • Continue mark-recapture of Ashy Storm-Petrels
          • Continue why declines on Farallones (examine data)
          • Big mouse population, therefore document predation & eradication
          • Sydeman - over-head: 1973-1999, change in diet from rockfish to anchovy/sardine (i.e. short belly rockfish disappeared from 1989 to present)
      • Año Nuevo Island (Sydeman)
        • Looking at other species (than Rhino Auklet): Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Western Gull, Cassin's Auklet
      • Vandenberg Air Force Base (Sydeman)
        • 2 years ago started at Vandenberg (partly a no take Reserve)
          • Pigeon Guillemot
          • Brandt's Cormorant
          • Pelagic Cormorant
        • Population size
        • Productivity
        • Foraging habitat within and without reserve
          • Forage more outside
    • Common Murre Restoration (Mike Parker)
      • 3 sites mentioned previously (CRM/HPR, PRH, DSR)
        • Common Murre: seasonal attendance patterns, anthropogenic, natural predation by common ravens
        • Productivity
          • Brandt's Cormorant
          • Pelagic Cormorant
          • Western Gull
          • Pigeon Guillemot
        • Annual Report every year
          • Contact/email Mike Parker, Ingrid Harrald, Martin Murphy
  • Aerial Photographic Surveys
    • U.S. Geological Survey/Humboldt State University (Gerry McChesney)
      • Southern California cormorant colony and seabird roost surveys
        • Paul Kelly, OSPR flight support
        • Since 1991, S Cal surveys every year
        • Colony survey
          • Brandt's Cormorant
          • Pelagic Cormorant
        • Seabird Roost survey to compliment at-sea surveys
        • Brown Pelican roost study
          • Harry Carter, Phil Cabidillo (sp?)
          • Triangular area: Channel Islands, S. Cal, Mugu Lagoon
          • Funded by Navy, in cooperation with MMS
        • 1999-2000: numbers below prior to 1998, particularly Brandt's Cormorants
        • Primarily Brandt's Cormorant, Northern Channel Islands
        • Why? Low adult survival from 1998 El Niño? Need to examine data more and oceanographic events
    • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Humboldt State University (Mike Parker)
      • Northern and central California murre and cormorant colony surveys
        • Survey breeding colonies since 1996, Pt. Conception to OR border
        • Big Sur murre colony has recovered ~35% of 1980's population
        • Q: Michael Fry: Can these data be made available via CD-ROM?
        • A: Parker: Yes
  • Beached Bird Surveys
    • Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary "Beachwatch" (Leah Culp, Jan Roletto)
      • 141 Common Murres, 12.5% oiled
      • 10 Western Grebes, 10% oiled
      • Jan Roletto - there are plans to implement data into GIS format
    • Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary/Moss Landing Marine Labs "Beach COMBERS" (Scott Benson)
      • Collecting data since May 1997
        • Volunteers
        • Monthly walks; except twice per month at Pebble Beach
        • Oiling: 0.5%; much less than Farallones
        • Bird numbers are greater than the Farallones
        • Third peak since 1997 in Spring of 2000 of Western Grebes (more so than Common Murres)
        • Necropsies on birds (Grebes)
          • Most young and emaciated
          • Young migrants arriving in large numbers and system couldn't support
        • GIS project in the works

 

1140-1210: Seabird Environmental and Ecosystem Studies (30 minutes)

Group Leader: Dave Jessup (Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care & Research Center)

Melissa Chechowitz (absent; Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care & Research Center, CDFG):

  • Categorical list and number of Avian necropsies (e.g. list and # of birds released from oil spill)
  • Slides of oiled birds
    • Snowy Plover Research
    • Common Murre gill-net necropsy
      • Enlargement of spleen
      • Atrophied salt glands

Hannah Nevins's (absent) Results:

  • 40% Common Murres looked at had
    • air sac infection
    • probably would have died if not in set gill-net fishery
    • organism (bacterial?) has affinity with reproductive organs
  • Therefore, deaths may not be single cause

Scott Newman:

  • Demoic Acid (DA; neurotoxin)
    • Found up and down the coast
    • Seizuring animals
    • Diagnostic - urine tests & brain examination in mammals
    • Has anyone shown affecting birds?
  • Experiments on pigeons using 1/100 DA dose found in mammals
    • Tremors
    • High heart rate
    • High respiratory rates
    • Quick response (live or die)
  • Experimental DA doses in seabirds (0.3-4.9 mg/kg body weight)
    • One exposed to high concentration (4.9 mg/kg) resulted in death
    • At low dose (0.3 mg/kg), clinical symptoms
      • Lethargic, no minimal response to "harassment"
      • Body temperature monitoring (unable to thermoregulate)
      • Weakness in water, droopy wings syndrome
      • Isolated themselves from other birds
    • Future: find another surrogate seabird species (10-15 individuals), e.g. Cassin's Auklet
  • Oil Care Network - RFP
    • Oil spills
    • Another RFP, post-release survival studies, pre-qualified people on a list
  • Post-release survival study of adults (Humboldt Bay, Stuyvesant Spill)
    • September 6, 1999 - spill
    • Common Murre spill
    • Tracking duration: 142 days oiled, 145 days control
    • Do treated wildlife survive when released?
    • Murres survive much longer than reported, but possibly not as long as non-oiled Murres

Jen Parkin:

  • Caspian terns in Elkhorn Slough
  • Fencing to deter predators
  • Needs info on how to do

    A: Esther Burkett - in San Diego County contact Clark Mitchell and Slater Buck

 

1210-1330: Lunch Break and Report/Reprint Requests (1 hour, 20 minutes)

 

1330-1400: Contaminants/Dumping (30 minutes)

Group Leader: Bill Sydeman (PRBO)

Laird Henkel:

Nearshore dumping

  • Effects of natural landslide at Año Nuevo Bay
  • Oct 99 - Mar 00 surveys
    • Primarily Marbled Murrelets
    • Brown Pelican
    • Sea Otter
  • No independent control site
  • Marbled Murrelets move out at same time plume created, can't say causal
  • Probably negative impact anyway
  • If natural slide, the point is moot (co-evolved with natural landfall)

Q: Jan Roletto - Who determines if natural?

A: Esther Burkett, Laird Henkel, Gregg Erickson - Geologists; but not everyone in concensus

Michael Fry:

  • With contaminants look primarily at sediments and fish
  • Selenium and Mercury: In Sacramento Steve Schwartz looking at diving ducks which go elsewhere to breed, therefore we don't monitor
  • Longest standing pollutant problem in California (on trial)
  • Dec 15 2000, judge response
  • Defendants decided not to put on a good defense

Bill Sydeman:

Request: need more monitoring of contaminants (PCB, DDE) to look at changes over time

Q: Scott Newman

Set up monitoring for contaminants

How store?

Who's jurisdiction?

Q: Michael Fry

Even a survey once every 10 years would be beneficial

Q: Bill Sydeman

What would be the cost?

A: Michael Fry

373 eggs = 1.3 million dollars

A: Scott Newman

Cost depends on sample type and question

A: Andrew DeVogelaere

At the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary there is a new project called SIMoN (Sanctuary Integrated Monitoring Network) and it could be a possible framework to work on contaminant monitoring. Therefore, provide some input.

1400-1430: Inland Seabird Projects (30 minutes)

Group Leader: Mark Rauzon (Marine Endeavors)

Mark Rauzon:

Salton Sea (Sony Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge)

  • 1998: winter breeding Double-crested Cormorant (4500 pairs)
  • 1999: 1100 nests initiated, all failed
  • Cause? avian Cholera
  • 1500 Brown Pelicans affected by avian botulism, 600 survived
  • White Pelican: 12,500 affected ; 8,000 survived (?)

Contacted Dave Shuford

  • Not much going on at Mono Lake
  • California Gulls had good reproductive success in 2000
  • Lake stratification changes, mixing going on
  • This year, no inland cormorant or black tern monitoring
  • Tulle Lake? No info
  • Stone Lake (Sacramento): initiated and abandoned
  • SF Bay Bird Observatory (no specific numbers, Doug Bell moved to Sacramento)
    • California Gulls
    • Forster's Terns
    • Caspian Terns
  • PRBO - Least Tern work
  • SF Bird Observatory
  • Caspian Terns on Brooks Island -700 nests

Bridges

  • Richmond Bridge (Meredith Elliott)
    • Double-crested Cormorant
      • 12 surveys
        • boats used underneath bridge for nest surveys
        • road surveys
        • close lane(s) of traffic to look at lower deck of bridge
      • For CalTrans Retro-fit and upkeep
        • Timing of breeding
        • general population size
      • 669 Breeding pairs
      • 725 nesting attempts
      • 45% hatching success
      • 79% fledgling success
      • Change: More of colony on cords alongside bridge rather than underneath
      • 1572 eggs on cords; some collected by Jay Davis for contaminant work
  • Bay Bridge
    • Working on feasibility of building nesting platforms

Alcatraz

  • Pigeon Guillemots increasing
  • Cormorants
  • Despite extensive numbers of disturbance, Cormorants do well

Maura Naughton (USFWS - currently):

  • National EIS for Cormorant Management Plan due January 2001
  • Effort to remove from migratory bird list)
  • Huge increase in South U.S. & Great Lakes
  • Heads-up RE: Cormorants - Distinction must be made between marine systems and aquaculture (catfish)

Paul Kelly:

  • Encourage Cal Trans to move birds to SF Bay Islands
  • Because perhaps soon Cormorants may cause accidents and then a larger problem to rid Cormorants

 

1430-1500: Endangered Seabirds (30 minutes)

Group Leader: Esther Burkett (CDFG)

Least Terns (Pat Baird, absent; Lyann Comrack, absent)

  • No Demoic Acid (DA) work
  • Chick mortality speculated from Anchovy diet (DA)
  • 1969-2000 numbers increasing (graph)
  • But high maintenance cost
    • Man power
    • Fencing
  • Breeding pairs highest since monitoring

Q: Michael Fry - Island artificial?

A: Esther Burkett - Yes, mostly or all artificial

Info: contact Laurie Hayes - Carlsbad, USFWS(?)

Overall: Predation a problem

Pesticide contaminations in chicks at Pt Mugu

Brown Pelicans

  • Frank Gress's (absent) Research Ideas (and Dan Anderson's)
  • Satellite Radio tags on Brown Pelicans
  • Data to work up: aerial photos of Pelicans at new site on Anacapa (site he couldn't get to because birds moved)
  • Food problem for Brown Pelican in 1999, not squid fishery

Mexican Pelican

  • Put into MMS to work in Baja area
  • No one to Los Coronado since 1993
  • Wants to continue aerial photos of Brown Pelican

Redwood National Forest

  • People want access to beach
  • Brown Pelican roost there

2000 Breeding season (Frank Gress per Gerry McChesney)

  • 4500 pairs
  • Productivity Good
  • Low chick mortality
  • Not much squid fishery occurring near breeding site

Marbled Murrelet

  • Timber Company in northern Cal
    • Money received; not sure what to do with it
    • $200,000 per year for 5 years
    • $100,000 per year for next 5 years
    • Nasal saddles derive survival estimates
    • Q: Esther Burkett - Does anyone have info on behavioral effects on nasal saddles?
  • Redwood National Forest
    • $70,000 for 3 years
    • Disturbance study
  • Development of Corvid Impacts Project
    • Funding going through Humboldt State University (Luke George)
  • Radio tags of nesting Marbled Murrelets in 2000
    • What is radio tag success?

Xantus's Murrelet (Lyann Comrack, absent)

  • Re-draft marine bird species of special concern
  • Redeveloped ranking scheme/criteria
  • Stay tuned…
  • State would rather go through cooperative process than State listing

Scott Newman collecting blood

  • ~93 samples of Marbled Murrelet
    • Some differences (Statistically)
    • Health-wise, look fine
    • Females: 1997, 1998, Able to produce eggs
    • Able to mobilize Calcium
    • Therefore capable of physiological things to produce eggs

Gerry McChesney:

  • Xantus's Murrelet
    • A lot unknown, but declining, need more info
    • Last Pacific Seabird Group Meeting in Napa
    • Technical Committee
    • Decided on Petition to list under ESA
    • Therefore, working on Petition, got comments, now on review
    • Next meeting in February in Kauai to decide upon
    • Harry Carter heading project for better population-wide surveys on Anacapa Island
      • Funded through American Trader
      • Radar birds coming out of cliffs area
      • Transects at night
      • High counts at Santa Catalina and Anacapa Islands
    • Harry Carter and Bill Sydeman
      • Channel Islands National Parks
      • Nest monitor at Santa Barbara Island
      • Population trends
      • Sample size for monitoring

 

1500-1510: Update on North American Colonial Waterbird Conservation Plan

Speaker: Maura Naughton (USFWS)

  • At last year's Pacific Seabird Group Meeting
    • Decided on new name: North American Waterbird Conservation Plan
      • Includes seabirds, Egrets, loons, grebes, rails.
    • Other studies:
      • Water quality
      • Shorebird planning
      • Colonial waterbird plan
      • North American waterbird……
    • Unclear whether go through?
      • Egrets
      • Grebes
      • Rails
      • Others
    • Partnership plan
      • International
      • Government
      • Private
      • USGS first to draft
    • See info at web site: www.nacwcp.org
    • National Plan is general with East Coast bias, therefore West Coast needs to make comments
    • Nothing formalized

 

MISCELLANEOUS INFO/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Paul Kelly:

  • Italian aircraft Skymaster to replace plane in S. Cal
  • Governor announced new
  • Harlan Henderson (Coast Guard)
  • Document (Oil Spill, spill response, or) Habitat Restoration Plan
  • Coast Guard blessed
  • Available at CDFG web site
  • List of contacts - OWCN

Andrew DeVogelaere (MBNMS):

  • Maybe to MBNMS when update
  • Helpful habitat sensitivity map

In Paul Kelly's office, promote collection of baseline info

Bill Sydeman:

  • Pacific Seabird Group Meeting, February 5-11 in Kauai at Radisson
  • Abstracts due 25 December or 10 January
  • Web site

    www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/OWCN

    info OWCN RFP for Research and Post-release survival studies & OWCN Newsletter

 

1510-1540: Wrap-up (30 minutes)

Jim Harvey:

  • Meeting Evaluation - what worked, what didn't?
  • Did you like the one-day format? Yes
  • Group Leaders? Therefore, one person who is familiar with topics, and less burden on hosts
  • Topics?
  • Focus on Issues
  • Is presentation of data needed?
  • Rather than current research, get back to coordination
  • Plans for 2001 meeting
    • Where? Sacramento area?
    • Host(s)? Paul Kelly and Gerry McChesney
    • Date? mid-November, or earlier in December (not so close to the holidays)

 

1540-1700 Social Hour (1 hour, 20 minutes)

 

CALIFORNIA SEABIRD COORDINATION MEETING 2000

CONTACT LIST

HOSTS & ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (* Primary Contact)

 

Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

8272 Moss Landing Road

Moss Landing, CA 95039-9647

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

299 Foam Street

Monterey, CA 93940

*Scott Benson

benson@mlml.calstate.edu

Erica Burton

erica.burton@noaa.gov

Jim Harvey

harvey@mlml.calstate.edu

Andrew De Vogelaere

andrew.devogelaere@noaa.gov

Reviewed: September 08, 2023
Web Site Owner: National Ocean Service

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