CARIBBEAN ISLANDS NATIONAL WI LDI FE REFUGES CULEBRA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE DESECHEO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CABO ROJO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BUCK ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE GREEN CAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SANDY POINT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE VIEQUES FIELD STATION ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calendar Year 1986 U. S . Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM REVIEW AND APPROVALS CARIBBEAN ISLANDS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES CULEBRA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE DESECHEO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CABO ROJO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BUCK ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE GREEN CAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE I SANDY POINT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE VIEQUES FIELD STATION ANNUAL NARRATIVE REPORT Calender Year 1986 RefugeId-4A, Sup rvisor4A,Review Date 1 0 face Date 0 Caribbean Islands NWR's 0 INTRODUCTION The Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuges began its administrative existence as the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge in 1978 and was named with its present title in 1981 . The complex functions over an area estimated to cover about 20,000 sq. miles and every unit of the complex has a different animal and plant species composition . Depending upon the° refuge, the. individual emphasis of units are : seabirds, endangered sea turtles, endangered ground lizards, endangered blackbirds, native waterfowl, and endangered plants . In Puerto Rico and the U .S. Virgin Islands, the complex administers four distinct island units (Desecheo NWR ) Culebra NWR, Buck Island NWR, Green Cay NWR), a unit on the island of St . Croix (Sandy Point NWR), a unit on the island of Puerto Rico (Cabo Rojo NWR), and a technical assistance program for 30,661 acres of Navy land (Vieques Field Station) . Two additional units (Laguna Cartagena NWR, Laguana Tortugero NWR) on the island of Puerto Rico were authorized for acquisition in FY 1985. Additionally, since the complex represents the entire Refuges and Wildlife Resources program rather than representing only Refuges, the staff provides resource management assistance for land management, migratory game bird management and endangered species management activities to a variety of Federal, Commonwealth and Territorial agencies . The complex also provides support functions for the Law Enforcement, Research and Fish and Wildlife Enhancement programs on an as requested basis . CRB PAGE 1 INTRODUCTION Page TABLE OF CONTENTS i A. HIGHLIGHTS 1 B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS 1 C . LAND ACQUISITION. D. PLANNING Master Plan (NTR) 1 . Mana ement Plan 2 Public Participation (NTR) Compliance with Environmental and Cultural Resource Mandates .(NTR) 2. Research and Investigations 3 3 . Other (NTR) E . ADMINISTRATION 1, Personnel 5 2. Youth Pro rams 6 Other Manpower Programs :(NTR) 3 . Volunteer Programs 7 4. Safety 7 5 . Technical Assistance (NTR) F . HABITAT MANAGEMENT 7 2. Fire Management 8 G . WILDLIFE Wildlife Diversity (NTR) 1 . Endangered and/or Threatened Species 9 2 . Waterfowl (NTR) Marsh and Water Birds (NTR) 4. Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns and Allied Species (NTR) CRB Page i i G. WILDLIFE (Cont .) Page 5. Raptors 11 Other Migratory Birds (NTR) Game Mammals (NTR) 6. Other Resident Wildlife 11 7. Marine Mammals (NTR) Fisheries Wildlife Propagation and Stocking (NTR) Surplus Animal Disposal (NTR) Scientific Collections (NTR) 8. Animal Control 9. Marking and Banding I ... .. .. (NTR) H. PUBL I C USE 1 . General 13 2 . Law Enforcement 13 I . EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES 14 J . OTHER ITEMS 14 K. FEEDBACK 18 CRB PAGE 1 A. HIGHLIGHTS The in- the-water capture and release sea turtle project started . (Culebra NWR Section 'D.1) Louisiana State University awarded research project contracts . (Desecheo NWR Summary, Culebra NWR Section D .2, Green Cay NWR Summary) Sea Turtle work continues at Sandy Point . (Sandy Point NWR Section G) Monkey business continues at Desecheo . (Desecheo NWR Summary) Navy terminates Memorandum of Understanding . (Vieques Field Station Section E .5) B. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS Weather data for Cabo Ro jo, Culebra, Vieques and St . Croix are provided in the respective narrative sections and give an overview of the climatic differences between the various areas . All areas administered by the refuge are classified as subtropical dry forest but do vary from one another In subtle .ways. No major storms occurred in our area in 1986 . C. LAND ACQUISITION No progress was made with the acquisition of lands at either Laguna Cartagena • or Laguna Tortugero . Talks with the U .S. Navy continued in an effort to speed up • the license agreements for Laguna Flamenco and the Punta Flamenco Observation Post at Culebra Island. The Commonwealth has not yet begun the process of adjudicating water rights which were filed in November 1985 . D. PLANNING, 1 . Management Plan During 1986 no new management plans were approved for the Caribbean Refuges. The Fire Plan and the Reforestation Plan for Cabo Rojo NWR were updated. The draft sign plan for Desecheo NWR was prepared for Regional Office review . CRB PAGE 2 CRB PAGE 3 2. Research and Investigation A general summary of the various refuge studies is provided in this section, details of individual refuge studies will be found in the appropriate refuge narrative reports . Doctoral student Cynthia Staicer completed the third year of her three year project on Adelaide's warbler ecology at Cabo Ro jo NWR, Doctoral student Fred Schaffner completed the third year of his three year project on the white-tailed tropicbird at Culebra NWR. The third year of the Earthwatch sea turtle program for Culebra was undertaken in 1986 and the fifth year of the Earthwatch leatherback sea turtle program at . Sandy Point was completed . Canadian seabird biologists Drs, John Chardine and Ralph Morris finished the second year of a three year project on noddy terns and bridled terns . Jorge Saliva of Rutgers completed the first of his three years of research on sooty I terns at Culebra NWR . Caribbean Islands NWR's NR86 - "Shorebird survey of the Cabo Rojo salt flats ." (41520-01) This project was initiated by Biologist Collazo -in October 1985 . The objectives of the study were to : 1) obtain an estimate of shorebird abundance and ascertain species composition, 2) document seasonal fluctuations in abundance and species composition, and 3) monitor nesting activities of snowy plovers. From October, 1985 to the same period of time in 1 .986, a total of 41, 404 shorebird observations represented by 24 species were entered in our data sheets, Sixty-seven percent (67%) were comprised of peeps (i .e., western, semipalmated, least, and white-rump sandpipers) . Yellowlegs followed peeps in cumulative sightings throughout the period of observations . Peak shorebird numbers occurred during fall . An initial influx of shorebirds was recorded during late-July and early-August, and was presumed to be juveniles . Numbers remained high in the salt flats until a crash was recorded towards late December. It is believed that shorebirds continue to their final destination in different parts of South America . Nesting activities of the snowy plover started In February, 1986 and continued until July . This project will continue into 1987 with emphasis on turnover rates and habitat utilization patterns . Earthwatch volunteers will be used to assist in mist-netting and monitoring color-marked shorebirds in the salt flats area . CRB PAGE 4 Caribbean Islands NWR's NR86 - "Shorebird powerline mortalities at the Cabo Rojo salt flats ." (41520- 2) This project was started in late August of 1986 when large numbers of shorebirds were being found dead by a powerline that crossed a salt pond area south of the Cabo Ro jo NWR . The objectives of the study are to : i) obtain an estimate of the shorebird kill and ascertain species composition, and 2) document seasonal fluctuations in the kill and species composition . Preliminary review of the data indicates that the kill rate depends upon the population levels and species composition of the overall population using the salt flats, i .e. it is species and density dependent . The vast majority of the dead birds encountered are semipalmated sandpipers and the peak of the mortality occurs in September when the largest numbers of migrant birds are present. 3 . Other The third and final year of island wide waterfowl surveys was completed, As in previous years, peak migratory waterfowl numbers were recorded during September-October. The majority of migratory waterfowl was comprised of blue-winged teal (total of 1,713 observed individuals) although lesser scaup, American wigeon, and ring-necked duck were recorded as well . The most common resident waterfowl were the common moorhen and West Indian ruddy duck . The numbers of white-cheeked pintails were higher than in previous years. High numbers of coots were recorded during winter and it is believed that most- were the migratory American coot . Helicopter flights were conducted this year to evaluate their feasibility for future monitoring efforts . Numbers collected from helicopter were invariably higher than those collected from fixed-winged aircraft . Highest differences were noted in closed-canopy wetland areas (i .e., mangroves). Despite these differences, fluctuations were similar in direction for both types of aircraft . The latter fact indicates that data sets generated from either aircraft are adequate to calculate population trends and that fixed-winged aircraft provide the most cost/effective means of collecting such information . CRB PAGE 5 E. ADMINISTRATION 1 . Personnel 1, Sean Furniss, Refuge Manager, GS-1 1, EOD 7/78, PFT 2. Roger Di Rosa, Refuge Manager, GS-9, EOD 1 1 /84, PFT 3, Jaime Collazo, Biologist, GS-9, EOD 7/85, PFT 4. Bud Oliveira, Refuge Manager, GS -9, EOD 3/86, PFT, Transferred 9/86 5. Marc Weitzel, Refuge Manager, GS-9, EOD 9/84, PFT 6. Carmen Mendez -Santoni, Secretary, GS-5, EOD 12/82, PPT 7, Mariano Rodriguez-Fl ores, Maintenance Worker, WG-7, EOD 12/84, PFT . 8. Henry Morales, Maintenance Worker, WG-7, EOD 8/85, PFT 9. Jose Velez-Carrero, Laborer, WG-3, EOD 1/85, Terminated 9/86, Temp .