Determining carcass scavenging rates on major rivers for oil spill response and NRDAR
We are conducting avian carcass detection and persistence trials to generate an estimator to correct for the avian injuries that are not found after a oil spill on inland rivers.
The Challenge: Oil spills on rivers often result in bird mortalities and to assess the magnitude of injury to birds following an oil spill, searches are usually conducted for debilitated and dead birds. However these searches underestimate the total number of affected birds because dead or oiled birds can be overlooked by searchers and they can also be missed by searchers because the birds are removed by scavengers.
The Science: Overall objective is to establish pre-disaster carcass detection and persistence rates that can serve as baselines for estimating the magnitude of avian injury following future oil spills along two major rivers. Carcass detection and persistence rates will be determined for the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers with respect to fluvial geography, transect location, season, year and river. Our results will allow the USFWS and other natural resource agencies to be more prepared to accurately evaluate impacts to birds following a spill in a riparian environment.
The Future: Scavenging and detection rate trials will be conducted from below and above the high water mark on river banks and islands. Trials will be conducted in early spring and late summer for two years on both rivers.
We are conducting avian carcass detection and persistence trials to generate an estimator to correct for the avian injuries that are not found after a oil spill on inland rivers.
The Challenge: Oil spills on rivers often result in bird mortalities and to assess the magnitude of injury to birds following an oil spill, searches are usually conducted for debilitated and dead birds. However these searches underestimate the total number of affected birds because dead or oiled birds can be overlooked by searchers and they can also be missed by searchers because the birds are removed by scavengers.
The Science: Overall objective is to establish pre-disaster carcass detection and persistence rates that can serve as baselines for estimating the magnitude of avian injury following future oil spills along two major rivers. Carcass detection and persistence rates will be determined for the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers with respect to fluvial geography, transect location, season, year and river. Our results will allow the USFWS and other natural resource agencies to be more prepared to accurately evaluate impacts to birds following a spill in a riparian environment.
The Future: Scavenging and detection rate trials will be conducted from below and above the high water mark on river banks and islands. Trials will be conducted in early spring and late summer for two years on both rivers.