Research Technical Report

Restoration of Common Murre colonies in central California: annual report 2007

McChesney, G.J., L.E. Eigner, P.J. Kappes, T.B. Poitras, D.N. Lontoh, S.J. Rhoades, N.J. Metheny, R.T. Golightly, P.J. Capitolo, H.R. Carter, S.W. Kress, and M.W. Parker (December 2008)

Unpublished report, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (partial)

This report summarizes the twelfth year of seabird restoration and associated monitoring in central California conducted by the Common Murre Restoration Project (CMRP) in 2007. These efforts began in 1995 to restore breeding colonies of seabirds, especially Common Murres (Uria aalge), harmed by the 1986 Apex Houston oil spill, gill net fishing, and other factors. Our initial primary goal was to restore the extirpated Devil's Slide Rock murre colony, as well as to restore and assess other colonies impacted by the spill or other historical anthropogenic factors. In addition to direct restoration efforts, the CMRP has gathered baseline data on population size, reproductive success, and factors affecting seabird populations in central California. In 2005-07, the CMRP also gathered baseline data for assessing 1) impacts of human disturbance and 2) expected improvements in population size and reproductive success at breeding colonies resulting from reductions in human disturbances with restoration funds from the 1998 Command oil spill. The goal of this program is to restore affected breeding colonies mainly through reduction of human disturbance.

Citation: McChesney, G.J., L.E. Eigner, P.J. Kappes, T.B. Poitras, D.N. Lontoh, S.J. Rhoades, N.J. Metheny, R.T. Golightly, P.J. Capitolo, H.R. Carter, S.W. Kress, and M.W. Parker. 2008. Restoration of Common Murre colonies in central California: annual report 2007. Unpublished report, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Newark, California.