Sooty Shearwater Migration on Display in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Research by seabird ecologists Josh Adams of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), James Harvey of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML), and their colleagues is on display at a new boating-instruction and safety center at the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard, California.
Research by seabird ecologists Josh Adams of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), James Harvey of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML), and their colleagues is on display at a new boating-instruction and safety center at the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard, California. The display was designed in part by seabird ecologist Bill Henry (USGS and MLML), who is working with Adams on additional outreach, including a California Current Seabird Telemetry Atlas. The new display is part of a "Crossroads of the Underwater World" exhibit, highlighting the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary's role as a global destination for foraging whales and seabirds.
Adams and colleagues tracked Sooty Shearwaters (Puffinus griseus) with miniature satellite transmitters. Their goal was to identify the birds' critical at-sea feeding grounds and residence times within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (from the coastline out to 200 nautical miles) and within the U.S. west coast's five National Marine Sanctuaries. The results of their research were reported in the November–December 2012 issue of Biological Conservation. Wildlife and resource managers may use their tracking data to selectively protect key habitat areas from harm.
Funded in part by California Sea Grant, the satellite-tracking study documents the important foraging hotspots within the California Current ecosystem. Sooty Shearwaters travel tens of thousands of miles a year, one of the longest animal migrations ever documented. The birds are also famous for forming flocks so massive they turn the sky dark.
"We see all these birds coming from so far away to our local waters," said Julie Bursek, an education and outreach coordinator with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "The science helps us develop our message of why the Channel Islands are such a special and important area for marine life."
The Channel Islands Boating Center, which officially opened April 3, 2012, is operated by California State University Channel Islands as a center for boating, kayaking, rowing, and other water sports. NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary will lead marine education and outreach programs in collaboration with its many partners.
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