A Tufted Puffin on the water
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology Active
Alaska's coastal and offshore waters provide foraging habitat for an estimated 100 million birds comprising more than 90 different species; from loons and seaducks that nest inland, to petrels and puffins that breed on islands off shore. All these birds depend on the sea to provide a wide variety of food types— from clams, crabs and urchins nearshore— to krill, forage fish, and squid offshore. The availability of nesting habitat and suitable prey are important natural factors that regulate the distribution and abundance of marine birds. But seabird populations are also affected by human activities that have direct impacts (pollution, bycatch in fishing gear) and indirect effects (global warming alters food availability) on birds.
Return to Ecosystems >> Marine Ecosystems
Roles and responsibilities of USGS and DOI in conservation of marine birds and mammals
The Department of Interior (DOI) is mandated by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act to conserve and protect all seabirds in U.S. waters up to 200 miles offshore. Additionally, the DOI is mandated to manage subsistence resources, including birds, under the Federal Subsistence Management Program. The DOI, through the NPS, has shared responsibility for Humpback Whales and other marine mammals mandated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972) and the Endangered Species Act (1973), and specific regulatory and conservation authority within Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park and Monument, one of a few marine sanctuaries managed by DOI. Within DOI, the USGS has a responsibility to assist those DOI agencies with marine jurisdictions (NPS, USFWS, BOEM) by gathering and interpreting data on seabirds and other marine waterfowl, humpback whales and other marine mammals, and relevant components of their marine environments (such as forage fish, zooplankton, oceanography, toxins, etc.) that influence the status and trends of these protected marine animals.
Seabirds also serve as practical indicators of change in the marine environment— natural or human induced— because they can be readily monitored at colonies and at sea. For all these reasons, marine bird research is a vital part of the DOI mission in Alaska and the North Pacific. We study population biology and feeding ecology of a variety of seabird species, including threatened and endangered species. We use a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates study of marine habitats and food webs so that we can better understand why seabird populations fluctuate over time. This website highlights some of the research conducted by the Seabird, Forage Fish and Marine Ecology Project at the Alaska Science Center.
Projects
- Tidewater Glacier Influence on Marine Ecosystems
- Cook Inlet Seabird and Forage Fish Study
- Detecting Long-term Changes in Forage Fish Populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska (Exxon Valdez Oil Spill)
- Harmful algal bloom toxins in Alaska seabirds
- North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database
- Pacific Marine Heatwave
- Seabird Die-offs in Alaska
- USGS Research Vessel Alaskan Gyre
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Two Least Auklets sitting on rocks on Kasatochi Volcano four years after the catastrophic eruption in 2008.
Two Least Auklets sitting on rocks on Kasatochi Volcano four years after the catastrophic eruption in 2008.
A Least and Crested Auklet on Kasatochi Volcano in 2012
A Least and Crested Auklet on Kasatochi Volcano in 2012
Short-tailed Albatross taking off
A Short-tailed Albatross on the water
A Short-tailed Albatross on the water
Mayumi Arimitsu sorting through fish caught in the mid-water trawl on the R/V Alaskan Gyre
Mayumi Arimitsu sorting through fish caught in the mid-water trawl on the R/V Alaskan Gyre
Black-footed Albatross flying near Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Black-footed Albatross flying near Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Least and Crested Auklet on a steep slope on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Least and Crested Auklet on a steep slope on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Three Least Auklets standing in the ash mud on Kasatochi Volcano one year after the eruption of August 2008.
Three Least Auklets standing in the ash mud on Kasatochi Volcano one year after the eruption of August 2008.
Least and Crested Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Least and Crested Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Least and Crested Auklet panorama on Kasatochi Volcano one year after the catastrophic eruption of August 7, 2008.
Least and Crested Auklet panorama on Kasatochi Volcano one year after the catastrophic eruption of August 7, 2008.
Four Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Four Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Auklets on the slope of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009. They are standing on the ash mud from the 2008 eruption.
Auklets on the slope of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009. They are standing on the ash mud from the 2008 eruption.
Large flock of auklets flying over the R/V Tiglax near Kasatochi Volcano
Large flock of auklets flying over the R/V Tiglax near Kasatochi Volcano
Crested and Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested and Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Mostly Crested Auklet on a steep slope of ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Mostly Crested Auklet on a steep slope of ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Laysan Albatross floating in the waters near the Kasatochi Volcano one year after the catastrophic eruption.
Laysan Albatross floating in the waters near the Kasatochi Volcano one year after the catastrophic eruption.
Laysan Albatross swimming in the water near Kasatochi Volcano
Laysan Albatross swimming in the water near Kasatochi Volcano
Below are the publications associated with this project.
GPS tracking devices reveal foraging strategies of black-legged kittiwakes
Timing of breeding and reproductive performance in murres and kittiwakes reflect mismatched seasonal prey dynamics
Murres, capelin and ocean climate: Inter-annual associations across a decadal shift
Stress hormones link food availability and population processes in seabirds
Below are news items associated with this research.
- Overview
Alaska's coastal and offshore waters provide foraging habitat for an estimated 100 million birds comprising more than 90 different species; from loons and seaducks that nest inland, to petrels and puffins that breed on islands off shore. All these birds depend on the sea to provide a wide variety of food types— from clams, crabs and urchins nearshore— to krill, forage fish, and squid offshore. The availability of nesting habitat and suitable prey are important natural factors that regulate the distribution and abundance of marine birds. But seabird populations are also affected by human activities that have direct impacts (pollution, bycatch in fishing gear) and indirect effects (global warming alters food availability) on birds.
Return to Ecosystems >> Marine Ecosystems
Roles and responsibilities of USGS and DOI in conservation of marine birds and mammals
The Department of Interior (DOI) is mandated by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act to conserve and protect all seabirds in U.S. waters up to 200 miles offshore. Additionally, the DOI is mandated to manage subsistence resources, including birds, under the Federal Subsistence Management Program. The DOI, through the NPS, has shared responsibility for Humpback Whales and other marine mammals mandated by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972) and the Endangered Species Act (1973), and specific regulatory and conservation authority within Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park and Monument, one of a few marine sanctuaries managed by DOI. Within DOI, the USGS has a responsibility to assist those DOI agencies with marine jurisdictions (NPS, USFWS, BOEM) by gathering and interpreting data on seabirds and other marine waterfowl, humpback whales and other marine mammals, and relevant components of their marine environments (such as forage fish, zooplankton, oceanography, toxins, etc.) that influence the status and trends of these protected marine animals.
Seabirds also serve as practical indicators of change in the marine environment— natural or human induced— because they can be readily monitored at colonies and at sea. For all these reasons, marine bird research is a vital part of the DOI mission in Alaska and the North Pacific. We study population biology and feeding ecology of a variety of seabird species, including threatened and endangered species. We use a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates study of marine habitats and food webs so that we can better understand why seabird populations fluctuate over time. This website highlights some of the research conducted by the Seabird, Forage Fish and Marine Ecology Project at the Alaska Science Center.
Projects
- Tidewater Glacier Influence on Marine Ecosystems
- Cook Inlet Seabird and Forage Fish Study
- Detecting Long-term Changes in Forage Fish Populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska (Exxon Valdez Oil Spill)
- Harmful algal bloom toxins in Alaska seabirds
- North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database
- Pacific Marine Heatwave
- Seabird Die-offs in Alaska
- USGS Research Vessel Alaskan Gyre
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
- Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 118A Tufted Puffin on the waterA Tufted Puffin on the water
Two Least Auklets sitting on a rock on Kasatochi VolcanoTwo Least Auklets sitting on a rock on Kasatochi VolcanoTwo Least Auklets sitting on rocks on Kasatochi Volcano four years after the catastrophic eruption in 2008.
Two Least Auklets sitting on rocks on Kasatochi Volcano four years after the catastrophic eruption in 2008.
A Least and Crested Auklet on Kasatochi Volcano in 2012A Least and Crested Auklet on Kasatochi Volcano in 2012A Least and Crested Auklet on Kasatochi Volcano in 2012
A Least and Crested Auklet on Kasatochi Volcano in 2012
Short-tailed Albatross taking offShort-tailed Albatross taking off
A Short-tailed Albatross on the waterA Short-tailed Albatross on the water
A Short-tailed Albatross on the water
Mayumi Arimitsu sorting forage fish on the R/V Alaskan GyreMayumi Arimitsu sorting forage fish on the R/V Alaskan GyreMayumi Arimitsu sorting through fish caught in the mid-water trawl on the R/V Alaskan Gyre
Mayumi Arimitsu sorting through fish caught in the mid-water trawl on the R/V Alaskan Gyre
Black-footed Albatross flying near Kasatochi Volcano in 2009Black-footed Albatross flying near Kasatochi Volcano in 2009Black-footed Albatross flying near Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Black-footed Albatross flying near Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Least and Crested Auklet on a steep slope on ash of Kasatochi VolcanoLeast and Crested Auklet on a steep slope on ash of Kasatochi VolcanoLeast and Crested Auklet on a steep slope on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Least and Crested Auklet on a steep slope on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Three Least Auklets on the ash mud on Kasatochi Volcano in 2009Three Least Auklets on the ash mud on Kasatochi Volcano in 2009Three Least Auklets standing in the ash mud on Kasatochi Volcano one year after the eruption of August 2008.
Three Least Auklets standing in the ash mud on Kasatochi Volcano one year after the eruption of August 2008.
Least and Crested Auklets on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009Least and Crested Auklets on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009Least and Crested Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Least and Crested Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Auklet panorama on Kasatochi Volcano one year after the eruptionAuklet panorama on Kasatochi Volcano one year after the eruptionLeast and Crested Auklet panorama on Kasatochi Volcano one year after the catastrophic eruption of August 7, 2008.
Least and Crested Auklet panorama on Kasatochi Volcano one year after the catastrophic eruption of August 7, 2008.
Four Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009Four Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009Four Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Four Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009
Auklets on the slope of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009Auklets on the slope of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009. They are standing on the ash mud from the 2008 eruption.
Auklets on the slope of Kasatochi Volcano in 2009. They are standing on the ash mud from the 2008 eruption.
Large flock of auklets over the R/V Tiglax near Kasatochi VolcanoLarge flock of auklets over the R/V Tiglax near Kasatochi VolcanoLarge flock of auklets flying over the R/V Tiglax near Kasatochi Volcano
Large flock of auklets flying over the R/V Tiglax near Kasatochi Volcano
Crested and Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi VolcanoCrested and Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi VolcanoCrested and Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested and Least Auklets standing on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi VolcanoCrested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi VolcanoCrested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi VolcanoCrested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi VolcanoCrested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi VolcanoCrested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi VolcanoCrested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Crested Auklets standing in a line on ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Mostly Crested Auklet on a steep slope on ash of Kasatochi VolcanoMostly Crested Auklet on a steep slope on ash of Kasatochi VolcanoMostly Crested Auklet on a steep slope of ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Mostly Crested Auklet on a steep slope of ash mud of Kasatochi Volcano
Laysan Albatross sitting in the waters near Kasatochi VolcanoLaysan Albatross sitting in the waters near Kasatochi VolcanoLaysan Albatross floating in the waters near the Kasatochi Volcano one year after the catastrophic eruption.
Laysan Albatross floating in the waters near the Kasatochi Volcano one year after the catastrophic eruption.
Laysan Albatross in the water near Kasatochi VolcanoLaysan Albatross in the water near Kasatochi VolcanoLaysan Albatross swimming in the water near Kasatochi Volcano
Laysan Albatross swimming in the water near Kasatochi Volcano
- Publications
Below are the publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 52GPS tracking devices reveal foraging strategies of black-legged kittiwakes
The Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla is the most abundant gull species in the world, but some populations have declined in recent years, apparently due to food shortage. Kittiwakes are surface feeders and thus can compensate for low food availability only by increasing their foraging range and/or devoting more time to foraging. The species is widely studied in many respects, but long-distanAuthorsJana Kotzerka, Stefan Garthe, Scott A. HatchTiming of breeding and reproductive performance in murres and kittiwakes reflect mismatched seasonal prey dynamics
Seabirds are thought to time breeding to match the seasonal peak of food availability with peak chick energetic demands, but warming ocean temperatures have altered the timing of spring events, creating the potential for mismatches. The resilience of seabird populations to climate change depends on their ability to anticipate changes in the timing and magnitude of peak food availability and 'fine-AuthorsM.T. Shultz, John F. Piatt, A.M.A. Harding, Arthur B. Kettle, Thomas I. van PeltMurres, capelin and ocean climate: Inter-annual associations across a decadal shift
To ensure energy demands for reproduction are met, it is essential that marine birds breed during periods of peak food availability. We examined associations of the breeding chronology of common murres (Uria aalge) with the timing of the inshore arrival of their primary prey, capelin (Mallotus villosus) from 1980 to 2006 across a period of pervasive change in the Northwest Atlantic ecosystem. We aAuthorsP.M. Regular, F. Shuhood, T. Power, W.A. Montevecchi, G.J. Robertson, D. Ballam, John F. Piatt, B. NakashimaStress hormones link food availability and population processes in seabirds
Catastrophic population declines in marine top predators in the northern Pacific have been hypothesized to result from nutritional stress affecting reproduction and survival of individuals. However, empirical evidence for food-related stress in wild animals is frequently lacking or inconclusive. We used a field endocrinology approach to measure stress, identify its causes, and examine a link betweAuthorsA.S. Kitaysky, John F. Piatt, J.C. Wingfield - Web Tools
- News
Below are news items associated with this research.