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
Biological effects of the 1997/98 ENSO in Cook Inlet, Alaska
Marine birds and mammals of the Pacific Subarctic Gyres
Annotated bibliography
Community reorganization in the Gulf of Alaska following ocean climate regime shift
Temporal and geographic variation in fish communities of lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Dynamics of food availability, body condition and physiological stress response in breeding Black-legged Kittiwakes
Vocalizations of the Kittlitz's Murrelet
Time-budgets of Common Murres at a declining and increasing colony in Alaska
The adrenocorical stress-response of Black-legged Kittiwake chicks in relation to dietary restrictions
Changes in proximate composition and somatic energy content for Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) from Kachemak Bay, Alaska relative to maturity and season
Discovery of a new Kittlitz's murrelet nest: Clues to habitat selection and nest-site fidelity
Juvenile Marbled Murrelet nurseries and the productivity index
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
Filter Total Items: 14No Result Found
- Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 197
Biological effects of the 1997/98 ENSO in Cook Inlet, Alaska
We have been conducting detailed studies of the biology of seabirds in relation to oceanography and forage fish ecology in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska, since 1995. This fortuitously allowed us to document biological effects of the 1997/98 ENSO in this region. Anomalously warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were observed in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) beginning in June of 1997, but not in Cook Inlet untAuthorsJohn F. Piatt, Gary S. Drew, Thomas I. van Pelt, Alisa A. Abookire, April Nielsen, Michael T. Shultz, Alexander S. KitayskyMarine birds and mammals of the Pacific Subarctic Gyres
The importance of the subarctic gyres of the North Pacific Ocean to marine birds and mammals is poorly known because of a paucity of data spanning appropriate scales of time and space. The little information that is available indicates the western subarctic gyre (WSAG) is more productive than the eastern subarctic gyre (ESAG). In summer the WSAG supports a greater density and higher biomass of seaAuthorsA.M. Springer, John F. Piatt, V.P. Shuntov, Gus B. Van Vliet, V.L. Vladimirov, A.E. Kuzin, A.S. PerlovAnnotated bibliography
This bibliography contains over 1,700 published and unpublished references on the family Ammodytidae with an emphasis on the genus Ammodytes. The references are alphabetical by author and then by year of publication.Abstracts and summaries are included for the references we have seen and those provided electronically by others. Abstracts written by the original authors are within quotation marks;AuthorsRobert H. Armstrong, Mary F. Willson, Martin D. Robards, John F. PiattCommunity reorganization in the Gulf of Alaska following ocean climate regime shift
A shift in ocean climate during the late 1970s triggered a reorganization of community structure in the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem, as evidenced in changing catch composition on long-term (1953 to 1997) small-mesh trawl surveys. Forage species such as pandalid shrimp and capelin declined because of recruitment failure and predation, and populations have not yet recovered. Total trawl catch biomass dAuthorsP.J. Anderson, John F. PiattTemporal and geographic variation in fish communities of lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Nearshore and shelf fish communities were studied in three areas of lower Cook Inlet, Alaska: the Barren Islands (oceanic and well-mixed waters), Kachemak Bay (mixed oceanic waters with significant freshwater runoff), and Chisik Island (estuarine waters). Fish were sampled with beach seines (n=413 sets) and midwater trawls (n=39 sets). We found that lower Cook Inlet supported a diverse nearshore fAuthorsMartin D. Robards, John F. Piatt, Arthur B. Kettle, Alisa A. AbookireDynamics of food availability, body condition and physiological stress response in breeding Black-legged Kittiwakes
1. The seasonal dynamics of body condition (BC), circulating corticosterone levels (baseline, BL) and the adrenocortical response to acute stress (SR) were examined in long-lived Black-legged Kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla, breeding at Duck (food-poor colony) and Gull (food-rich colony) Islands in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska. It was tested whether the dynamics of corticosterone levels reflect a seasonaAuthorsA.S. Kitaysky, J.C. Wingfield, John F. PiattVocalizations of the Kittlitz's Murrelet
We present the first documentation of Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) vocalizations, based on recordings made in Glacier Bay, Alaska, in 1994. We identified two apparently related types of calls: groan and quack. The Kittlitz's Murrelet calls were markedly different from the most common calls of the congeneric Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), but shared characteristicsAuthorsThomas I. van Pelt, John F. Piatt, Gus B. Van VlietTime-budgets of Common Murres at a declining and increasing colony in Alaska
We observed Common Murres (Uria aalge) at two breeding sites in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska, to determine whether food availability was reflected in their time-budgets at each colony. Catches of forage fish in nets and relative biomass were greater around a murre colony that has been increasing for the past 25 years than around a colony that has been decreasing over the same time period. Murres spentAuthorsStephani Zador, John F. PiattThe adrenocorical stress-response of Black-legged Kittiwake chicks in relation to dietary restrictions
In this study we examined hormonal responses of Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissatridactyla) chicks to experimental variations in energy content and nutritional quality (low or high lipid to protein ratio, LPR) of their food. Starting at the age of 10 days, chicks were fed either high or low LPR fish at 30, 50, 70 and 100% of ad libitum energy intake. After 20 days of treatment, chicks were exposed toAuthorsA.S. Kitaysky, John F. Piatt, J.C. Wingfield, M. RomanoChanges in proximate composition and somatic energy content for Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) from Kachemak Bay, Alaska relative to maturity and season
Mean dry-weight energy values of adult Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) peaked in spring and early summer (20.91 kJg−1 for males, 21.08 kJg−1 for females), then declined by about 25% during late summer and fall (15.91 kJg−1 for males, 15.74 kJg−1 for females). Late summer declines in energy density paralleled gonadal development. Gender differences in energy density (males<females) were oAuthorsMartin D. Robards, Jill A. Anthony, George A. Rose, John F. PiattDiscovery of a new Kittlitz's murrelet nest: Clues to habitat selection and nest-site fidelity
On 13 June 1993, a new Kittlitz's murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) nest was discovered near Red Mountain on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. The nest was on a 22° slope at about 900 m elevation with a northeast aspect, and contained a 60.2 × 40.6 mm egg that weighed 49.0 g. Downy feathers and weathered fecal material found at the nest indicated re-use from a previous year, suggesting possible nesAuthorsJohn F. Piatt, Nancy L. Naslund, Thomas I. van PeltJuvenile Marbled Murrelet nurseries and the productivity index
Late summer counts of juveniles at sea are used as an index of Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) reproductive success, but little is known about juvenile dispersal or habitat use. Further, it is not known whether these counts accurately reflect absolute breeding success. To address these questions we conducted five boat surveys for Marbled Murrelets and Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columbaAuthorsKathy J. Kuletz, 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