John Piatt, Ph.D.
Seabirds, marine food webs and impact of climate change on marine ecosystems
My research has been conducted mostly in the north Pacific and Atlantic oceans, with a focus on studies of seabird biology at colonies and ecological factors that influence seabird populations and distribution at sea. Research topics also include feeding ecology of seabirds (especially Auks), forage fish (such as capelin and sand lance), groundfish, marine mammals, food webs, oceanography, marine ecosystems; and threats to seabirds from climate change, heatwaves, overfishing, net bycatch, and oil spills.
Professional Experience
1987-Present Sr Scientist, USGS Alaska Science Center, AK
1982-1987 Res. Assoc., Nfld. Inst. for Cold Ocean Sci., MUN, NL
1978-1981 Fish. Obs./Wildl. Biol., DFO Canada/MacLaren Marex, NL
1974-1977 Res. Asst., Chemistry & Biochemistry Departments, MUN, NL
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 1987 Marine Biology, Memorial Univ. of Newfoundland (MUN), Canada
B.Sc. (Honours) 1977 Biochemistry, MUN, Canada
Affiliations and Memberships*
Member (2021): Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci., Am. Ornith. Soc., Pac. Seabird Grp., Am. Fish. Soc.
Editorial, Boards, Panels and Offices
Editor, Marine Ecology Progress Series (2007-2021)
Assoc. Editor, The Auk (2006-2013)
Chairman (1993-1994), Pacific Seabird Group (Research and Conservation)
Board or Science Panel service to North Pacific Research Board (2004-2011), Sound Experience (2014-2018), CA Fish & Game Commission (2003-2006), NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center (2000-2002)
Board or Science Panel service to Steller Sea Lion Recovery Team Advisory Panel (1999-2001), Cook Inlet Keepers (1996-2003), Alaska Sea Life Center (1995-1999)
Affiliate Professor – U. Washington (UW, 2004-2020); Oregon State U. (OSU, 2011-2015), MUN (1992-1996)
Visiting Scholar – UW (1997-1998)
Invited Scholar - Norwegian Inst. Nature Res., Norway (1991)
Supervisor for 3 PhD, 13 MSc students at 9 univ. in the UK (Glasgow, Durham), Canada (MUN, U.Vic), & the U.S. (UW, U.Alaska, UCSC, OSU)
Ext. examiner for 6 PhD. & 2 MSc theses (CAN, US, AUS)
Honors and Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award (2016), Pacific Seabird Group
US DOI, Secretary, Award for Exceptional Service (1990)
US DOI, Secretary, Award for Extraordinary Contributions (2011)
USGS, Director, Certificate of Appreciation (2011)
USGS, Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Contributions (2006)
USGS, Special Act Service Award (1997)
USFS, Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Service (1997)
USGS Quality (Step) Awards (2) for Exceptional Performance
USGS/NBS/FWS Performance/Star Awards (24 during 1987-2020) for Outstanding Achievement
USFWS, Regional Director, Special Action Award (1990)
Science and Products
Modeled distribution and abundance of a pelagic seabird reveal trends in relation to fisheries
Effects of currents and tides on fine-scale use of marine bird habitats in a Southeast Alaska hotspot
Structure of marine predator and prey communities along environmental gradients in a glaciated fjord
Oceanographic gradients and seabird prey community dynamics in glacial fjords
Global seabird responses to forage fish depletion - One-third for the birds
Status and trend of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in Glacier Bay, Alaska
Status and distribution of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris along the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak and Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Status and distribution of the Kittlitz's murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in Kenai Fjords, Alaska
Genetic differentiation of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska
Distribution, population status and trends of Kittlitz's murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in Lower Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Kittlitz’s and Marbled Murrelets in Kenai Fjords National Park, south-central Alaska: At-sea distribution, abundance, and foraging habitat, 2006–08
At-sea observations of marine birds and their habitats before and after the 2008 eruption of Kasatochi volcano, Alaska
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 197
Modeled distribution and abundance of a pelagic seabird reveal trends in relation to fisheries
The northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis is one of the most visible and widespread seabirds in the eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. However, relatively little is known about its abundance, trends, or the factors that shape its distribution. We used a long-term pelagic dataset to model changes in fulmar at-sea distribution and abundance since the mid-1970s. We used an ensemble model, based onAuthorsMartin Renner, Julia K. Parrish, John F. Piatt, Kathy J. Kuletz, Ann E. Edwards, George L. HuntEffects of currents and tides on fine-scale use of marine bird habitats in a Southeast Alaska hotspot
Areas with high species richness have become focal points in the establishment of marine protected areas, but an understanding of the factors that support this diversity is still incomplete. In coastal areas, tidal currents—modulated by bathymetry and manifested in variable speeds—are a dominant physical feature of the environment. However, difficulties resolving tidally affected currents and deptAuthorsGary S. Drew, John F. Piatt, David J. HillStructure of marine predator and prey communities along environmental gradients in a glaciated fjord
Spatial patterns of marine predator communities are influenced to varying degrees by prey distribution and environmental gradients. We examined physical and biological attributes of an estuarine fjord with strong glacier influence to determine the factors that most influence the structure of predator and prey communities. Our results suggest that some species, such as walleye pollock (Theragra chaAuthorsMartin Renner, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. PiattOceanographic gradients and seabird prey community dynamics in glacial fjords
Glacial fjord habitats are undergoing rapid change as a result of contemporary global warming, yet little is known about how glaciers influence marine ecosystems. These ecosystems provide important feeding, breeding and rearing grounds for a wide variety of marine organisms, including seabirds of management concern. To characterize ocean conditions and marine food webs near tidewater glaciers, weAuthorsMayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Erica N. Madison, Jeffrey S. Conaway, N. HillgruberGlobal seabird responses to forage fish depletion - One-third for the birds
Determining the form of key predator-prey relationships is critical for understanding marine ecosystem dynamics. Using a comprehensive global database, we quantified the effect of fluctuations in food abundance on seabird breeding success. We identified a threshold in prey (fish and krill, termed “forage fish”) abundance below which seabirds experience consistently reduced and more variable producAuthorsPhilippe M. Cury, Ian L. Boyd, Sylvain Bonhommeau, Tycho Anker-Nilssen, Robert J.M. Crawford, Robert W. Furness, James A. Mills, Eugene J. Murphy, Henrik Österblom, Michelle Paleczny, John F. Piatt, Jean-Paul Roux, Lynne Shannon, William J. SydemanStatus and trend of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in Glacier Bay, Alaska
We conducted standardized surveys for marine birds in Glacier Bay in seven years between 1991 and 2008. From our most recent survey, a combination of line- and strip-transect methods completed in 2008, we estimated that 4981 (95% CI 1293–8670) Kittlitz’s Murrelets Brachyramphus brevirostris resided in Glacier Bay during the month of June, together with 12 195 (5607–18 783) Marbled Murrelets B. marAuthorsJohn F. Piatt, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Gary S. Drew, Erica N. Madison, James L. Bodkin, Marc D. RomanoStatus and distribution of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris along the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak and Aleutian Islands, Alaska
The Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris is adapted for life in glacial-marine ecosystems, being concentrated in the belt of glaciated fjords in the northern Gulf of Alaska from Glacier Bay to Cook Inlet. Most of the remaining birds are scattered along coasts of the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands, where they reside in protected bays and inlets, often in proximity to remnant glacieAuthorsErica N. Madison, John F. Piatt, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Marc D. Romano, Thomas I. van Pelt, S. Kim Nelson, Jeffrey C. Williams, Anthony R. DeGangeStatus and distribution of the Kittlitz's murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in Kenai Fjords, Alaska
The Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris is a candidate species for listing under the US Endangered Species Act because of its apparent declines within core population areas of coastal Alaska. During the summers of 2006-2008, we conducted surveys in marine waters adjacent to Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska, to estimate the current population size of Kittlitz's and Marbled murrelets B.AuthorsMayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Marc D. Romano, Thomas I. van PeltGenetic differentiation of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska
Information about the distribution of genetic variation within and among local populations of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris is needed for effective conservation of this rare and declining species. We compared variation in a 429 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial control region and 11 microsatellite loci among 53 Kittlitz's Murrelets from three sites in the western AleutiaAuthorsT.P. Birt, D. Mackinnon, John F. Piatt, Vicki L. FriesenDistribution, population status and trends of Kittlitz's murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in Lower Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Lower Cook Inlet (LCI) in south-central Alaska is unusual among the breeding areas of Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris because of human impacts on the marine and terrestrial environments and because of the lack of tidewater glaciers. In LCI the Kittlitz's Murrelet co-exists with the more abundant Marbled Murrelet, which complicates abundance estimates because of the difficulty of speAuthorsKathy J. Kuletz, Suzann G. Speckman, John F. Piatt, E.A. LabunskiKittlitz’s and Marbled Murrelets in Kenai Fjords National Park, south-central Alaska: At-sea distribution, abundance, and foraging habitat, 2006–08
Kittlitz’s murrelets (Brachyramphus brevirostris) and marbled murrelets (B. marmoratus) are small diving seabirds and are of management concern because of population declines in coastal Alaska. In 2006–08, we conducted a study in Kenai Fjords National Park, south-central Alaska, to estimate the recent population size of Brachyramphus murrelets, to evaluate productivity based on juvenile to adult rAuthorsMayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, Marc D. Romano, E.N. Madison, Jeffrey S. ConawayAt-sea observations of marine birds and their habitats before and after the 2008 eruption of Kasatochi volcano, Alaska
Kasatochi volcano, an island volcano in the Aleutian chain, erupted on 7-8 August 2008. The resulting ash and pyroclastic flows blanketed the island, covering terrestrial habitats. We surveyed the marine environment surrounding Kasatochi Island in June and July of 2009 to document changes in abundance or distribution of nutrients, fish, and marine birds near the island when compared to patterns obAuthorsG.S. Drew, Donald E. Dragoo, M. Renner, John F. Piatt - News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government