The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon mobile drilling platform on April 20, 2010, caused a massive oil spill and injury to natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico. Gavia immer (common loon) were negatively affected from the spill. The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group funded the project “Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota” to restore common loons lost to the spill. Here, we report on activities conducted for this project in an eight-county region in Minnesota in calendar year 2022. We identified a subset of territories that were monitored in 2021 as focal territories (n=99) from which multiyear study inferences can ultimately be made. We monitored nonfocal territories on all study lakes as well. We conducted surveys from May 9 to August 12, 2022. At least 1 nest attempt was observed in 68 of 99 focal territories, and a second nest attempt after a failed initial attempt was observed in 19 focal territories. Chicks or other evidence of hatching was observed in 33 of 99 territories. Data collected in 2021 and 2022 for this project are presented in a U.S. Geological Survey data release (https://doi.org/10.5066/P9LA536E). We present no formal data analysis in this report.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Title | Restoration of Gavia immer (common loon) in Minnesota—2022 annual report |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20231062 |
| Authors | William S. Beatty, Luke J. Fara, Steven C. Houdek, Robert Rabasco, Spencer Rettler, Elizabeth Rasmussen, Kevin P. Kenow, Brian R. Gray, Steven Yang, Kelly Amoth |
| Publication Type | Report |
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Series Title | Open-File Report |
| Series Number | 2023-1062 |
| Index ID | ofr20231062 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center |
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Summary of Detection Data for Breeding Common Loons in North-central Minnesota (2021-2022)
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused extensive injury to natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico, and Gavia immer (common loon) were negatively affected from the spill. The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group funded the project Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota to restore common loons lost to the spill. In 2020–21, study lakes in an eight-county region in north-central Minnesota were - Connect
William Beatty, PhD
Research Wildlife BiologistEmailPhoneSteven C Houdek
Biological Science TechnicianEmailPhoneKevin P Kenow
Scientist EmeritusEmailPhoneBrian Gray, PhD
Research StatisticianEmailPhone