Alicia Berlin is a Research Wildlife Biologist at the Eastern Ecological Science Center in Laurel, MD.
Her background is in physiological ecology (the science of linking the physiology of an animal with on the ground management actions) and ornithology. Her research interests include bioenergetics modeling of waterbirds, habitat utilization of Atlantic seabirds using state of the art tracking technologies and developing innovative techniques to determine underwater noise impacts and potential deterrents on seabirds.
New Research:
- Impacts of prey resources, weather, and time of day on habitat use for wintering lesser scaup in the Chesapeake Bay. Collaborators: University of Delaware (UDEL) and Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDDNR)
- Improving and field-testing solar-powered GPS/GSM transmitter design and attachment techniques to increase effectiveness of the technology for tracking marine and coastal birds. Collaborators: USFWS
- In-air and underwater hearing thresholds and assessment of auditory deterrents on diving birds. Collaborators: USFWS, University of Delaware (UDEL), Naval Undersea Warfare Center
- Understanding visual stimuli aversive to diving birds to inform fisheries bycatch mitigation development. Collaborators: Royal Holloway University of London, Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC), Birdlife Europe and Birdlife International, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
- Habitat Vulnerability Assessment for Wintering American Black Ducks in the Chesapeake Bay Refuge System in the Face of Impending Sea-Level Rise and Land Use Change Scenarios. Collaborators: USFWS refuges, Black Duck joint Venture (BDJV), Ducks Unlimited (DU), Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV)
Previous Research:
- Captured surf scoters and long-tailed ducks using mist-nets, net gun, and night lighting techniques to implant with satellite transmitters in the Chesapeake Bay, Pamlico Sound, and coastal waters of Rhode Island and Nantucket the delineate the Atlantic flyway populations. Collaborators: USFWS, SDJV, CWS, MDDNR, VADGIF, URI, MA Audubon
- Captured surf scoters, red-throated loons, and northern gannets to implant with satellite transmitters to determine potential impacts of offshore wind energy development on migratory seabirds. Collaborators: USFWS, SDJV, MDDNR, BOEM, VADGIF, BRI, Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Testing the use of newly created GMT solar powered backpack transmitters on seabirds to reduce mortality, increase transmission time and quality, and reduce handling stress on seabirds. Collaborators: USFWS, BOEM
- Running a clinical trial comparing the epizootology of our current manual feeder system to a more computerized enclosed feeding system. Collaborators: UMD, UMUC
- Determined the electrosensory foraging capabilities of ruddy ducks. Collaborators: University of Lethbridge, Smithsonian
- Determine the impact of corticosterone levels on reproductive effort of common eiders. Collaborators: University of Windsor, CWS
Science and Products
Fish and Aquatic Animal Health Publications, 2021 – 2022
Below are journal articles about fish and aquatic animal health from the Eastern Ecological Science Center published in 2021 and 2022.
USGS Conducts Assessment to Inform Black Duck Habitat Decisions
Issue: The Chesapeake Bay is along the Atlantic Flyway and has over 1 million migratory birds winter each year. Black ducks are one of 30 species that depends on habitats along Chesapeake Bay for their annual migration. Managing the black duck population at time when land use and sea-level rise pose a recognized peril to this species and their habitats require a strategic approach. The Chesapeake...
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Seaduck Challenge Study
This project seeks to improve our understanding of the susceptibility and pathogenesis of pertinent strains of avian influenza viruses in diving duck species.
Enhance science on coastal ecosystem structure, function, and resiliency to manage waterbirds
The Chesapeake Bay lies in the Atlantic Flyway and is home to almost 1 million waterfowl each winter. The waterfowl depend on coastal wetlands and shallow waters for habitat and food. These habitats are being lost to sea-level rise and development.
Migration and Habitat Use by Seabirds in the Atlantic Flyway: Evaluation of Potential Impacts of Proposed Wind Farms
Overall, this study tracked movements of over 400 individuals of three species over the course of five years; one of the most comprehensive satellite tracking studies of marine birds ever conducted in Atlantic North America. Results provide a better understanding of how diving birds use offshore areas of the mid-Atlantic U.S. and beyond, and, in combination with results from other types of...
Effects of Dorsally Mounted Solar-powered Cellular GPS Transmitters on Diving and Foraging in Surf Scoters and Red-throated Loons
Several types of experimental attachment techniques were tested on each study species (Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata), Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata), and Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)), including traditional Teflon-ribbon style harnesses, sutures, and harnesses made of silicone moulding. Silicone harnesses, which were deployed in 2014 and 2015, offered the best balance between high...
Vulnerability Assessment of Available Habitat for Wintering Black Ducks within the Refuge System in the Chesapeake Bay
American black duck (Anas rubripes) utilize inland and tidal freshwater and brackish marshes throughout the Chesapeake Bay and are considered to be an indicator species of the ecosystem’s health. Thus, conserving and increasing black duck habitats will subsequently benefit the general health of the bay. The goal of this study was to create a mechanistic model to determine the amount of...
In-Air and Underwater Hearing Abilities of Seabirds
As diving foragers, sea ducks are vulnerable to underwater anthropogenic activities, including naval sonar activity and gillnet fisheries. Bycatch in gillnets is a principle driver of mortality for sea ducks, killing hundreds of thousands of seabirds annually. To reduce gillnet bycatch, underwater hearing tests were conducted on affected sea duck species to assist with possible development of...
Patuxent Wildlife Refuge scientists study how wind farms affect sea ducks
The call for construction of wind farms presents a question scientists could not answer: Will the turbines affect the birds?
Science and Products
- Science
Fish and Aquatic Animal Health Publications, 2021 – 2022
Below are journal articles about fish and aquatic animal health from the Eastern Ecological Science Center published in 2021 and 2022.USGS Conducts Assessment to Inform Black Duck Habitat Decisions
Issue: The Chesapeake Bay is along the Atlantic Flyway and has over 1 million migratory birds winter each year. Black ducks are one of 30 species that depends on habitats along Chesapeake Bay for their annual migration. Managing the black duck population at time when land use and sea-level rise pose a recognized peril to this species and their habitats require a strategic approach. The Chesapeake...Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Seaduck Challenge Study
This project seeks to improve our understanding of the susceptibility and pathogenesis of pertinent strains of avian influenza viruses in diving duck species.Enhance science on coastal ecosystem structure, function, and resiliency to manage waterbirds
The Chesapeake Bay lies in the Atlantic Flyway and is home to almost 1 million waterfowl each winter. The waterfowl depend on coastal wetlands and shallow waters for habitat and food. These habitats are being lost to sea-level rise and development.Migration and Habitat Use by Seabirds in the Atlantic Flyway: Evaluation of Potential Impacts of Proposed Wind Farms
Overall, this study tracked movements of over 400 individuals of three species over the course of five years; one of the most comprehensive satellite tracking studies of marine birds ever conducted in Atlantic North America. Results provide a better understanding of how diving birds use offshore areas of the mid-Atlantic U.S. and beyond, and, in combination with results from other types of...Effects of Dorsally Mounted Solar-powered Cellular GPS Transmitters on Diving and Foraging in Surf Scoters and Red-throated Loons
Several types of experimental attachment techniques were tested on each study species (Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata), Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata), and Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)), including traditional Teflon-ribbon style harnesses, sutures, and harnesses made of silicone moulding. Silicone harnesses, which were deployed in 2014 and 2015, offered the best balance between high...Vulnerability Assessment of Available Habitat for Wintering Black Ducks within the Refuge System in the Chesapeake Bay
American black duck (Anas rubripes) utilize inland and tidal freshwater and brackish marshes throughout the Chesapeake Bay and are considered to be an indicator species of the ecosystem’s health. Thus, conserving and increasing black duck habitats will subsequently benefit the general health of the bay. The goal of this study was to create a mechanistic model to determine the amount of...In-Air and Underwater Hearing Abilities of Seabirds
As diving foragers, sea ducks are vulnerable to underwater anthropogenic activities, including naval sonar activity and gillnet fisheries. Bycatch in gillnets is a principle driver of mortality for sea ducks, killing hundreds of thousands of seabirds annually. To reduce gillnet bycatch, underwater hearing tests were conducted on affected sea duck species to assist with possible development of...Patuxent Wildlife Refuge scientists study how wind farms affect sea ducks
The call for construction of wind farms presents a question scientists could not answer: Will the turbines affect the birds? - Data
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