Publications

In the months following the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS), 994 sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from oil-spill-affected areas died (Doroff et al. 1993). Carcasses collected from these areas and otters that died in rehabilitation centers are included in this number. The actual number that died was probably much greater. Within days of the spill, the Exxon Company (USA) funded an effort to...

In his introduction to the 1979 Symposium proceedings entitled “Shorebirds in Marine Environments," Frank Pitelka stressed the need for studies and conservation programs that spanned the western hemisphere (Pitelka 1979). In the 15 years since Pitelka's call to arms, the locations of many important migratory and wintering sites for shorebirds have been identified in the Americas (Senner...

This collection of 19 papers continues the annual series of U.S. Geological Survey reports on geologic investigations in Alaska. Contributions include 14 Articles and 5 shorter Geologic Notes that report results from all corners of the State. USGS activities in Alaska cover a broad spectrum of earth science topics, including the environment, hazards, resources, and geologic framework...

ound, Alaska, spilling approximately 11 million barrels of crude oil. Oil was deposited on beaches nearly 700 km from the spill site (Galt and Payton 1990, Piatt et al. 1990), affecting thousands of hectares of sea otter (Enhydra lutris) habitat. Two of the principal limitations in determining the initial effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on sea

The North Pacific Rim harbors breeding populations of many unique wildlife resources, of which waterfowl are among the most abundant and taxonomically diverse. Arctic nesting geese in particular are wide-spread in distribution (Figure 1), and though only seasons residents, they have evolved many unique adaptations for breeding in northern latitudes. This diversity has been recognized and...

No abstract available.

Seabird monitoring is the accumulation of time series data on any aspect of seabird distribution, abundance, demography, or behavior. Typical studies include annual or less frequent measures of numbers or productivity; less commonly, the focus is on marine habitat use, phenology, food habits, or survival. The key requirement is that observations are replicated over time and made with...

No abstract available.

Tundra vegetation in the Teshekpuk Lake area of the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain was mapped to assess distribution and abundance of waterfowl habitats. Three SPOT satellite scenes were acquired and registered to a 20 m Universal Transverse Mercator grid. Two clustering techniques were used to develop statistical parameters by which the SPOT data were spectrally classified. A maximum...

I compared distribution and range of brown bears (Ursus arctos middendorffi) with temporal and spatial distribution of Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) hunting activity on westside Kodiak Island, Alaska, to examine impacts of deer hunting on bears. Mean number of bears that annually ranged ≤5 km from the coast, >5 km inland from the coast, or in both areas was 10...

I quantified ovarian rapid follicle growth (RFG) and regression of postovulatory follicles of Northern Pintails (Anas acuta), American Wigeon (A. americana), and Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) by a method that accounted for within-day variation in follicle size. Objective methods for identifying onset of RFG also are presented; this is crucial for accurate classification of breeding...

Leadership in ecological research on north-temperate-zone seabirds has long been associated with the region of the northeastern Atlantic, which enjoys a tradition of detailed, innovative work spanning several decades. Although the temperate North Pacific is home to several of the same species that figure prominently in the Atlantic and also has a host of interesting species found nowhere...