POSTER ABSTRACTS

A CACHE WITHIN A CACHE: DESCRIPTION OF ARTIFACTS FOUND INSIDE AN ABALONE CONTAINER IN THE REDWOOD BOX CACHE, SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA.

Amira F. Ainis*1, Lisa Thomas-Barnett2, René L. Vellanoweth3, Jon M. Erlandson4, and Steven J. Schwartz2, 1Department of Anthropology, 308 Condon Hall, 1218 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 [email protected] 2NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California 3California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 4University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403

During the winter of 2010 two redwood boxes containing a large cache of shell, bone, lithic, and glass artifacts were found on the northwest coast of San Nicolas Island at CA-SNI-14. The boxes were discovered in association with two asphaltum covered water bottles with basketry impressions, a small sandstone bowl, and various ecofacts eroding from a notch on a cliff edge. An “abalone container” was found inside the West box and is the subject of this poster. The abalone container cache consists of 18 artifacts and two unmodified shells placed inside of two large black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) shells. Siphon holes of the larger H. cracherodii shell were plugged with asphaltum while the other H. cracherodii shell had the epidermis completely ground off. The plugged abalone shell was used as a container and the abalone shell lacking epidermis was placed on top as a cover. The artifacts found inside this shell container include: two eccentric red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) circular fishhooks, three shell pendants, an abalone (Haliotis sp.) button, two bird bone pendants, one soapstone bead, one steatite bead, a piece of chlorite displaying striations, and seven projectile points. The projectile points were crafted from local and non-local material types, including chert that has a rich and long history of use on the Channel Islands and glass from the historic era. This poster provides descriptions and preliminary analysis of the artifacts from the abalone container as a part of the varied collection of artifacts found in the redwood boxes. We address stylistic and functional attributes and explore how these items might relate to one another. The contents of this cache within a cache represent utilitarian and ornamental items from the long and rich Nicoleño culture of San Nicolas Island.

MODIFIED AND UNMODIFIED MAMMAL AND FISH BONE FROM A REDWOOD BOX CACHE ON SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA.

Jennie A. Allen*1, Thomas A. Wake2, Lisa Thomas-Barnett3, René L. Vellanoweth1, Jon M. Erlandson4, and Steven J. Schwartz3. 1Department of Anthropology, California State University, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 [email protected] 2UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, BOX 951510, A210 Fowler, Los Angeles, CA 90095 3NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California 4University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403

This poster presents preliminary analysis of modified and unmodified bone from a redwood box cache found eroding out of a ledge on the north coast of San Nicolas Island (CA-SNI-14). The cache contained two redwood plank boxes filled with over 200 artifacts alongside two intact asphaltum-lined water bottles with basketry impressions. The focus of this study includes 42 bone specimens comprised of formal artifacts, bone cores, and fragments in different stages of tool production. Bone types include imported land mammal such as cow (Bos primigenius), marine mammal such as cetacean and sea otter (Enhydra lutris), and fish. Many of these artifacts have been identified as technologies associated with otter hunting and are formed in an Aleutic style, giving a more precise time period to this cache deposit. Other items in this assemblage of modified bone represent California style artifacts likely fashioned by Nicoleño people. Our analysis includes identification of all bone elements, possibly material sourcing, and technological and stylistic interpretation of modifications. This collection of artifacts provides a unique opportunity to examine the interplay between Aleutic and Nicoleño cultures during the historic era on San Nicolas Island.

SEAFOOD FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAN WATERS: FEW AND FAR BETWEEN

Sean Anderson*, Pacific Institute for Restoration Ecology and Environmental Science and Resource Management Program, California State University Channel Islands, 1 University Drive, Camarillo, CA, 93012 [email protected]

The aggregate effects of increasing restrictions upon local fishing effort in California waters have melded with our now globalized seafood industry to produce a situation where seafood landed in California waters now makes up a small fraction of the seafood offerings available to California consumers. For the past six years, my students and I have canvassed purveyors of seafood across the southern California counties of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles. This database now contains the origin, pricing, estimated carbon footprint, etc. for more than 25,000 individual seafood items from hundreds of restaurants and markets from a cross-section of geographies. Despite being some of the world’s most productive fishing grounds, the waters of the Channel Islands and coastal California overall now provide scant offerings for the everyday consumer (<4% of items for sale). This partially explains why few sustainable seafood options exist for consumers and why they cost ~20% more than the average conventionally harvested item. Seafood travels an average 5,482 (± 97se) km to reach southern California tables. Transport of restaurant items utilized twice as much energy and produced at least double the emissions of carbon dioxide (2.1 ± 0.9se vs. 1.1 ± 0.5se kg lb-1), volatile organic compounds, and nitrous oxides relative to the average supermarket item. Restaurants consistently provided less detailed information about seafood items, had less knowledgeable staff, offered fewer sustainable seafood options, but drew more seafood from our local waters relative to supermarkets. Lack of detailed seafood information appears to currently be the biggest barrier to wider purchasing of sustainable seafood in southern California. Educational campaigns directed at point-of-sale staff may be the most efficacious way to improve consumer knowledge, foster sustainable seafood purchases, and responsibly boost the viability of our local working ports and harbors.

CALIFORNIA’S COASTWIDE STATE MARINE PROTECTED AREAS NETWORK

Susan Ashcraft1, Christine Pattison2, Elizabeth Pope3, and Mary Patyten4, 1California Department of Fish and Game, 1812 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811 [email protected] 2California Department of Fish and Game, 3196 South Higuera Street, Ste A, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 3California Department of Fish and Game, 619 2nd Street, Eureka, CA 95501 4California Department of Fish and Game, 32330 N. Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg, CA 95437

Redesign of California’s statewide network of marine protected areas (MPAs) has been completed: By 2013, the network will include 124 coastal MPAs covering about 16 percent of California’s state waters. Twenty-six of these MPAs are along California’s islands, with additional protections provided at offshore rocks through 15 special closures. In this informational presentation, we will provide an overview of the statewide network, with particular focus on MPAs established at the islands and rocks, including the Farallon Islands, Catalina Island, and Begg Rock, in addition to the longer-standing MPAs at the Northern Channel Islands. We will discuss how implementing and administering a statewide system of this magnitude requires specialized planning for outreach and education, enforcement, and research, particularly at initial implementation, and the absolute necessity of building strong partnerships. Specifically, we will describe how the Department of Fish and Game, as the lead agency named in statute for managing the new MPAs, has focused its initial efforts in MPA outreach and education and coordinating with partnering agencies and organizations to support compliance, and, finally, its approach to authorizing monitoring and other scientific research activities within MPAs. Emphasis will be placed on the Department’s efforts to responsibly manage scientific collecting within MPAs, including consideration of best practices for responsibly authorizing and conducting scientific research within California’s network of MPAs.

LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF FERAL SHEEP GRAZING ON HERBACEOUS COVER OF SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Roxanne Beltran1, Nissa Kreidler*1, Dirk Van Vuren2, and Don Croll1, 1University of California, Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, California, 95060 [email protected] 2University of California, Davis, Department of Wildlife, Fish & Conservation Biology, Davis, CA 95616

Understanding how insular ecosystems recover or are restructured after the eradication of an invasive species is crucial in prioritizing island conservation and restoration efforts. Invasive grazers, such as the feral sheep (Ovis aries) that occupied a large portion of Santa Cruz Island after the late 1800s, suppress plant growth and recruitment, perturb ecological succession, and alter competitive interactions between species, thereby reducing the overall biomass of certain flora while increasing the biomass of others. Sheep can alter entire ecosystems by suppressing woody growth and causing erosion through trampling. In the absence of sheep we anticipated an increase in woody plant cover and a subsequent decrease in other vegetation types. To examine vegetation recovery after the removal of sheep in 2001, we determined the floral cover before the eradication in 1980 and again after the eradication in 2012. We used a point-intercept method to assess percent cover of grasses, forbs, succulents, thatch, soil/rocks and outcrop in both grazed and non-grazed areas. Additionally we determined tree and shrub cover from landscapes photographed pre- and post-eradication. Before eradication grazed areas were characterized by decreased grass cover and increased exposure of bare ground due to consumption and erosion caused by the sheep. These data demonstrate the serious threats posed by feral sheep to insular plant communities. A decade after the removal of feral sheep our analysis showed a decrease in forbs and an increase in trees and shrubs, which highlights the transition from a predominantly grassland community to a coastal scrubland and suggests the ability of an island ecosystem to recover through passive restoration after release from invasive grazing pressures.

MONTROSE SETTLEMENTS RESTORATION PROGRAM-PHASE 2 BIRD RESTORATION ON THE CHANNEL AND BAJA CALIFORNIA PACIFIC ISLANDS

Jennifer Boyce*1, Laurie Harvey2, and Annie Little3, 1NOAA Restoration Center, Montrose Settlements Restoration Program, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4470, Long Beach, CA 90802 USA, [email protected], 2California Institute of Environmental Studies, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 USA, 3U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montrose Settlements Restoration Program, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

The Montrose Settlements Restoration Program (MSRP) finalized its Phase 2 Restoration Plan in June 2012. The plan summarizes restoration work that has been completed from the Phase 1 Restoration Plan and outlines the projects planned for Phase 2. The MSRP was developed in 2001 to oversee restoration of resources harmed by DDT and PCBs in the Southern California Bight. The six federal and state agencies that administer this program work to implement restoration projects and monitor recovery of resources that were harmed. Bird restoration projects in Phase 2 will focus on monitoring the recovery of Bald Eagles and Peregrine Falcons on the Channel Islands and seabird restoration on the Channel Islands and Baja California Islands. Seabird restoration efforts will focus on habitat restoration on Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands, in addition to a seabird disturbance outreach project on the Channel Islands. Seabird restoration efforts may also be conducted on Guadalupe and San Benito Islands in Baja California, Mexico.

CAN WE USE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE TO ESTIMATE FISHING PRESSURE AT REMOTE ISLAND LOCATIONS?

Sarah Carter*, Johnathan Centoni, Stacie Fejtek, Michael Civiello, Joshua Sprague, Kelly Moore, and David Kushner, National Park Service, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Fishermen often inadvertently leave behind hooks, fishing line, weights, etc., as a reminder of their activities. Channel Islands National Park’s Kelp Forest Monitoring Program monitors 33 sites located around all five park islands, both inside and outside the Marine Protected Areas. Since the establishment of the MPAs in 2003 the Kelp Forest Monitoring Program has collected miscellaneous fishing indicators (lures and weights) during annual SCUBA surveys at the sites. By documenting fishing indicators found inside and near the Marine Protected Areas this may give us insight into legal and illegal fishing activities. The number of fishing indicators is lower within the Marine Protected Areas, but these indicators are not entirely absent, possibly indicating illegal fishing.

THE USE OF ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE TO MONITOR LOW DENSITIES OF ABALONE AT PERMANENT SITES

Johnathan Centoni*, Sarah Carter, Stacie Fejtek, Michael Civiello, Joshua Sprague, Kelly Moore, and David Kushner, National Park Service, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Abalone (Haliotis spp.) were once abundant at all of the Channel Islands, but due to disease, environmental factors, and commercial and recreational fishing, populations have greatly decreased from historic numbers. Abalone are important and cryptic invertebrate herbivores that were once important to both modern and past human populations in Southern California. Small, less than 100 mm, abalone are often cryptic and not easily monitored. In addition, current abundances of abalone are typically so low, that they are difficult to monitor by most standardized monitoring protocol. The Channel Islands National Park Kelp Forest Monitoring Program has been monitoring abalone at permanent sites since 1982. By the early 1990s, the program had documented declines of red (Haliotis rufescens), pink (H. corrugata) and green abalone (H. fulgens) to zero or near zero densities at most of the monitoring sites. In 1992, the monitoring program began annually collecting, measuring, and removing shells from the permanent sites in an effort to monitor low abundances of abalone, presence of recruitment, and possibly an indication of mortality. Here we evaluate nearly 20 years of abalone shell data from permanent monitoring sites. Our data suggests that recruitment events have sporadically occurred within our sites which were not detected by the monitoring protocols. There is a time lag between these potential recruitment events and the appearance of these individuals in the size frequency data. These recruitment events could result in an increase in abalone densities throughout our sites and concurrently throughout the Channel Islands.

THE APPEARANCE, DOMINANCE, AND PERSISTENCE OF SPINY BRITTLE STAR (OPHIOTHRIX SPICULATA) THROUGHOUT THE CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK Michael Civiello*, Stacie Fejtek, David Kushner, Joshua Sprague, Johnathan Centoni, and Sarah Carter, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Kelp forests can rapidly turn to barren areas with low diversity, due to both biotic and abiotic factors that are influenced by natural and anthropogenic effects. The Channel Islands National Park has been monitoring kelp forests since 1982. While motile invertebrates are not usually included in assessing bottom cover, the spiny brittle star (Ophiothrix spiculata) has presented a unique phenomenon covering as much as 84% of the bottom in areas that were once a lush kelp forest. As a result of increasing abundance in the 1990s, the Kelp Forest Monitoring Program added O. spiculata to its list of monitored species in 2003. Despite often occurring along with high densities of urchins (Strongylocentrotus spp.), these brittle star barrens appear to be functionally different from traditional urchin barrens. In urchin barrens, urchins reduce kelp density through herbivory, while O. spiculata reduces recruitment of kelps by precluding settlement presumably through filter feeding, as well as substrate use. Additionally, while kelp forests normally fluctuate between urchin barrens and kelp forests, brittle star barrens appear to be more persistent. Here we evaluate the existing 9 years of O. spiculata data as well as review existing information known from other sources about this important and dominant species.

HISTORIC ARTIFACTS RECOVERED FROM THE REDWOOD TOOLBOX CACHE ON SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Jessica F. Colston*1, Lisa Thomas-Barnett2,René Vellanoweth1, Jon Erlandson3 and Steve Schwartz2, 1California State University Los Angeles, 5151 State University Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90032 [email protected], 2NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California, 3 c/o Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Street, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403

The Redwood Toolbox Cache contains over 200 artifacts with stylistic origins ranging from Alaska to Southern California. This poster describes the artifacts from the Redwood Toolbox Cache with non-native origins of manufacture. The 21 artifacts made in a non-native context include 8 glass projectile points, 2 glass bifaces, 1 silverware fragment, 4 nails, 1 metal fragment, 1 brass nail pressure flaker, 2 metal hoop fragments, and 2 pressure flaked sea glass pendants. This subset of the cache represents a very interesting interaction between the Nicoleño and other cultures.

CHANGING LANDSCAPES OF SANTA ROSA ISLAND

Trey Demmond*1, and Kathryn McEachern2, 1TreyD Music, 84 Wild Oak St., Ojai CA 93023, 2 U.S. Geological Survey-Western Ecological Research Center, Channel Islands Field Station, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Santa Rosa Island is on the cusp of rapid vegetation change as island management transitions from a working ranch to a National Park for conservation of natural flora and fauna. In fact, the island has experienced great change in the past as Pleistocene mammoths gave way to Native American habitation, and as ranching took over in the 1800s. No doubt, these historic changes were visible in the landscape, much as their traces are visible in the archaeological record. Now, we have the benefit of modern photography to document change. We searched local archives for landscape photographs that reach back into the 1920s, and photographed those same scenes in 2012. As this series of repeat images shows, change has been rapid already in some sites. The pace of change is influenced by the setting – whether the location is in a canyon bottom or on a hilltop, for instance. Change has been punctuated by drought over the decades – change appears slower during dry spells and faster during rainy years. Global climate change will undoubtedly influence the rate of vegetation change into the future regardless of new paradigms in landscape management. We expect that these photo-points will provide interesting documentation of Santa Rosa Island landscapes for many years to come.

RESPONSE OF STIPA PULCHRA TO REMOVAL OF FERAL PIGS ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

Mark DiMaggio*, and Devon Lambert, Science Department, Paso Robles High School, 801 Niblick Rd., Paso Robles, CA, 93446 [email protected]

The Stipa pulchra monitoring project was initiated by Rob Klinger in 1992 to measure the response of S. pulchra to a prescribed burn. Anecdotal observations indicated the plant was in decline due to pressure from invasive exotic grasses, and possibly from disturbance caused by feral pigs. Beginning in 1994, students from Paso Robles High School have been collecting data on the frequency and density of S. pulchra in accordance with this initial study set up by Klinger. Fifty plots were established, and each has been visited once per year. Data are gathered at each plot by establishing a 30 m transect, and randomly placing 1 sq. m pvc quadrats at five intercepts along the transect. Data reflect the number of rooted individuals (frequency), and the percent cover (density) within each quadrat. This paper analyzes the results of this study over the last 4 years only. Initial indications are that S. pulchra frequency and density appear to have changed very little over the last four years, and has been unaffected by the removal of the pigs from our study area. After an initial spike in average count values from month 0 (summer 2007) to month 8 (fall 2008), average count values of S. pulchra remained roughly steady for the following 40 months at approximately 5 plants per one square meter quadrat. Median Dobenmier values (DOB, measuring plant density) have roughly paralleled count values over the 4 years of this study. In the four years following the extirpation of feral pigs, median DOB values have risen slightly, fallen the same amount, and risen again to the current (June 2011) value of 15% coverage per sq. m quadrat. Since 1992, more than 500 students from Paso Robles High School have visited Santa Cruz Island and volunteered on this project.

ROMANCE WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITIES: THE USE OF THE IMMUNOCONTRACEPTION VACCINE PORCINE ZONA PELLUCIDA TO MANAGE FREE RANGING BISON ON CATALINA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA.

Calvin Duncan*1,3, Julie King1, Jay Kirkpatrick2, and Paul Stapp3, 1Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704 [email protected] 2The Science and Conservation Center, 2100 South Shiloh Road Billings, MT 59106, 3California State University Fullerton, P.O. Box 6850, Fullerton, CA 92834.

Prior to 2010, the introduced population of American bison (Bison bison) on Santa Catalina Island, California, was managed through the shipment of surplus bison to private ranches, Native American reservations, and livestock auctions on the mainland. Because of escalating costs, transport-induced stress to the animals, and ecological impacts associated with high bison numbers on-island between shipments, we investigated the use of the immunocontraceptive vaccine porcine zona pellucida (PZP) as a fertility control option. We evaluated administration efforts and efficacy of PZP in decreasing calving rates in free ranging bison cows on Catalina Island. In 2009, 31 of the estimated 41 breeding-age (>2 yrs old) cows were temporarily restrained in a squeeze chute, ear tagged, and given an intramuscular inoculation of 100 µg PZP mixed with 0.5 ml of Freund's Modified Adjuvant (FMA) as a primer. We administered the same PZP-FMA emulsion primer via field darting to an additional 10 unmarked cows in February and March 2010. Subsequently, a pre-rut booster dose of 100 µg PZP mixed with 0.5 ml of Freund's Incomplete Adjuvant (FIA) was administered intramuscularly via field darting to all 41 breeding-age cows between April-July 2010. Pre-rut darting was completed opportunistically during 12 daily attempts, which required ~45 hours of field time. The 2010 pre-treatment calving rate (calves born/cow) determined via direct observation was 68% (28 calves/41 cows). The 2011 post-treatment calving rate decreased to 4.8% (2 calves/41 cows). One of the 2 calves produced in 2011 was born to a marked cow, whereas the other was born to an unmarked cow. Our results demonstrate that the immunocontraceptive PZP successfully decreased calving rates in marked cows and suggest that PZP can be an effective non-lethal tool for controlling population growth in free-ranging bison.

DISPLACEMENT OF NATIVE ANTS BY THE ARGENTINE ANT (LINEPITHEMA HUMILE) ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

Bryson Edgar*1, Cause Hanna1, Ida Naughton1, and David Holway2, 1University of California Berkeley, ESPM, Berkeley, CA 94720 [email protected] 2University of California at San Diego, Division of Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA 92093

A survey to assess the effects of Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) invasions on the native ants of Santa Cruz Island was conducted in 2011. Eight pairs of invaded and uninvaded plots in island scrub oak (Quercus pacifica) habitat were sampled in part to quantify how native ants respond to L. humile. Each plot consisted of a 10-m radius circle centered in Quercus pacifica woodland; other perennial plants present on most plots included Rhus integrilfolia, Eriogonum arborescens, Heteromeles arbutifolia, and Cercocarpus betuloides. We sampled each plot from 3-12 June and 2-15 September and employed the following standardized sampling techniques: pitfall traps, leaf litter samples, Quercus pacifica beating samples, and under rock surveys. We detected 14 native ant species across all plots; this total represents 42% of the 33 native ant species known from the island. Temnothorax nitens, a species previously unrecorded on Santa Cruz Island, was found in leaf litter samples at two sites. Importantly, our sampling revealed a conspicuous pattern of native ant displacement: invaded plots supported 3.3 ± 0.60 (mean (±SE)) native ant species, whereas uninvaded plots supported 7.4 ± 0.45 native ant species. Ants persisting in invaded plots almost entirely consisted of tiny, below-ground foraging ant species (e.g., Temnothorax andrei, Solenopsis molesta), which are known to co-occur with L. humile on the mainland. Estimates of native ant richness at invaded sites were inflated by stray workers that presumably wandered onto invaded plots from nearby areas without L. humile. Reductions in ant diversity closely resemble the well-documented and widespread displacement of native ants from ecosystems in mainland California. Management and, if possible, eradication of the Argentine ant on Santa Cruz Island should be given high priority given the known ability of this species to disrupt ecosystems, the likelihood of continued expansion, and the irreplaceable biological resources of this island.

PATTERNS OF TEMPERATURE VARIABILITY ON SANTA CRUZ AND SANTA ROSA ISLANDS

Kate Roney Faulkner1, Scott Morrison2, and Mike Tercek3 ,1Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2The Nature Conservancy, 201 Mission Street 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 3Walking Shadow Ecology. PO Box 1085, Gardiner, Montana

Ambient temperatures are important drivers of many biological processes and affect the distribution of plants and animals. The Channel Islands provide habitat for numerous endemic species, many of which, because they are on islands, have very limited ability to alter their distribution. Current and predicted climate change may threaten the extirpation of species that are already rare or occur in highly restricted or fragmented habitats. The vegetation communities of both islands were highly impacted by non-native grazing animals introduced during the ranching era from the late 19th century through the 20th century. This further restricted or reduced populations of many native species. The grazers have been removed and various ecological restoration projects are underway. In an effort to better understand the temperature landscape on the two largest Channel Islands, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa, and to guide restoration actions, the Nature Conservancy and National Park Service deployed 95 data loggers across the islands for the purpose of better understanding patterns of temperature variability in relation to elevation, aspect, proximity to the ocean, and surrounding vegetation. The loggers were in place for up to 26 months between 2009 and 2011. Initial data analysis shows very diverse temperature patterns within and between the two islands. The temperature logger data supplement a small number of long-term manual and automatic weather stations on each island that provide information on additional weather parameters.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: ISLA GUADALUPE, MEXICO AND CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, USA BECOME “SISTER PARKS”

Kate Faulkner1, and Nadia Citlali Olivares-Bañuelos2, 1Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, Avenida del Puerto No. 375, Ensenada 22880, México.

Stewardship of biological diversity requires working across geographical and legal boundaries, including international borders. The California Islands of Mexico and the United States (U.S.), long recognized for their high percentage of endemic species due to isolation from other lands, are increasingly valued for their ecological connectivity within the California current ecosystem and their critical role in the conservation of migratory or rare plants and animals. In February 2012, the governments of Mexico and the U.S. signed a Joint Declaration recognizing the mutual interest of the Mexican Commission of Protected Natural Areas and the U.S. National Park Service in conservation of our shared migratory wildlife species and similar ecosystems. The Joint Declaration is flexible to allow inclusion of additional protected areas within this ecosystem. Through this Sister Park relationship we hope to share information on management issues such as ecological monitoring, resource stewardship, invasive species control, wildland fire management, visitor enjoyment and management, interpretation, and environmental education. The Joint Declaration formalized our relationship which began in 2008. Participation in the 8th California Islands Symposium by scientists and managers from both organizations will support the continued growth of our collaboration.

SEA OTTER SURVEYS AT SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, 1990 TO THE PRESENT

Brian B. Hatfield*, USGS-BRD-Western Ecological Research Center, Piedras Blancas Office, Santa Cruz Field Station, P.O. Box 70, San Simeon, CA 93452 [email protected]

From August 1987 to June 1990, 140 southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) were translocated to San Nicolas Island (SNI) in an effort to establish a separate population. Soon after being translocated, the majority of these animals had either returned to the mainland or had disappeared, but a small remnant population numbering in the mid-teens persisted through most of the 1990s without evidence of growth. Beginning in the late 1990s, the small population began to slowly increase. It was not until 2002 that surveys yielded more than 30 animals (including pups) and until 2006 that over 40 sea otters were counted. In late 2010, 51 animals were seen. A total count of 58 sea otters was obtained in early 2012. As of June 2012, a minimum of 170 sea otters had been born at San Nicolas Island since the beginning of the translocation. The majority of the animals occur off the west end, but they have been seen in most areas around the island. This translocated population has grown much slower than the one off the outer coast of Washington State. PATTERNS OF GENETIC VARIATION IN ISLAND AND MAINLAND POPULATIONS OF CEANOTHUS CHAPARRAL

Rodney L. Honeycutt*1, David P. Perrault1, Caitlin D. Ishibashi1, Sarah R. Ratay2, Peter J. Dixon2, and Stephen D. Davis1, 1Division of Natural Science, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90263 [email protected] 2Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704

A panel of molecular markers (nuclear DNA microsatellite loci) was used to examine patterns of genetic variation among populations of Ceanothus megacarpus located on Santa Catalina Island and in the Santa Monica Mountains. Additionally, patterns of genetic variation in Cenothus arboreus on Santa Catalina were compared to island populations of C. megacarpus. Neither island population revealed levels of among population genetic divergence observed for mainland populations of C. megacarpus, even though the distance between individuals sampled on the mainland was considerably less than for individuals sampled on the island. Moreover, evidence of interspecific hybridization between C. megacarpus and C. arboreus, members of different subgenera, assumed to rarely if ever hybridize, was observed on Santa Catalina. In contrast, there was no evidence of interspecific hybridization in sympatric populations of C. megacarpus, C. cuneatus, and C. crassifolius, all members of the same subgenus and assumed to frequently hybridize. The observed contrasting patterns of genetic variation and levels of genetic interactions among species may reflect historical differences in both demography and ecology of these island and mainland forms. Some of these differences may relate to degree of population subdivision, possibly as a consequence of fire frequency, and patterns of recruitment subsequent to fire.

SANTA CRUZ ISLAND’S CHRISTY RANCH: AN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY

Ann Huston*, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Santa Cruz Island’s west end ranch, known as Christy Ranch, is one of the oldest ranches on the island. The adobe ranch house known as the casa vieja has the date of 1864 painted on a mural inside the building, along with the initials M. C. The adobe bunkhouse across the creek was built about 1889, and is one of three island ranch houses built on the same plan, the others being located at Scorpion Harbor and Smugglers Cove. Architectural examination of the two Christy ranch houses provides information about the construction of the buildings and how they were altered over time. This presentation will focus on the results of archival research into the history of Christy ranch and how the architectural examination of the ranch houses expands our understanding of them.

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION: ASSESSMENT OF pH IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK AND ITS AFFECT ON SEA URCHIN FERTILIZATION

Lydia Kapsenberg*, and Gretchen E. Hofmann, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected]

Ocean acidification, the decline of seawater pH as a direct result of anthropogenic CO2 dissolving into surface oceans, is expected to affect the marine ecosystem of the Channel Islands National Park. The objectives of this project were two-fold: (1) to deploy two autonomous pH sensors to characterize near- shore pH at Anacapa Island and Santa Cruz Island and, using pH sensor data, (2) to conduct laboratory based experiments testing fertilization of two sea urchin species (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) and (S. franciscanus) at two pH levels (8.0, 7.6) and temperatures (14, 18 °C) from both sites. Here we present the first record of a pH time series in this National Park in order to establish baseline pH levels in the face of future ocean acidification. Over a three-month deployment period, pH ranged from 7.83-8.09 and 7.55 to 8.15 at Anacapa Island and Santa Cruz Island, respectively. Additionally, there was no clear trend of an effect of pH and temperature on the fertilization success. Both species exhibited high fertilization success in all experimental treatments. Although the Channel Islands marine ecosystem already experiences low levels of pH, it appears that sea urchin fertilization is robust to current and future levels of ocean acidification.

NATIONAL SYSTEM OF PROTECTED AREAS IN CHILE: TRADE OFF ASSOCIATED WITH ITS MANAGEMENT

Eduardo Katz, Richard Torres, Claudio Cunnazza, Pedro Araya, and Víctor Lagos San Martín.

The 104 year old Chilean National Park system is facing important management and budgetary challenges. An increasing importance of ecoturism and public opinion involvement in conservation of biodiversity and natural landscapes is demanding more from the park system management. This presentation shows the major challenges, strategies and plans that are being put in place to meet the demands of the country.

MONITORING SHIP GROUNDINGS IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY AND NATIONAL PARK

Brandon Douglas Keedy*,Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary113 Harbor Way, Suite 150, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 [email protected]

I analyzed 10 years of vessel groundings that threaten the sensitive ecosystems of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and National Park (sanctuary and park). Mapping and analyzing vessel groundings in the sanctuary and park is essential to better-management practices of public use and marine resource protection. Spatial and temporal relationships of groundings can be drawn by: improving upon data collection at the source of the incident; organizing data into detailed databases; and conducting thorough analysis of the incidents using interpretive software. The available vessel grounding data shows a need for a more collaborative and structured incident reporting system of essential information to facilitate better analysis of the cause and effect of groundings. Interagency cooperation relating to vessel groundings data collection and analysis by the sanctuary, park, and the United States Coast Guard can yield benefits to marine ecosystems and public safety. Further analysis will increase the breadth of knowledge and experience involved in streamlining response to vessel grounding and tailoring education and outreach to avoid groundings in the future.

ABUNDANCE OF RODENTS IN THREE HABITATS ON SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND: IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING

Shauna King*, Erick Lundgren, Taylor Higgins, and Andrew Bridges, Institute for Wildlife Studies, 2327 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego, CA, 92101 [email protected]

Rodent populations are often characterized by dramatic seasonal and annual fluctuations. On San Clemente Island, three species of rodents are known to currently exist. These include the endemic San Clemente Island deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus clementis), the invasive house mouse (Mus musculus), and the invasive black rat (Rattus rattus). These species function as both predators and prey, and their abundance patterns may affect the population dynamics of other endemic species including San Clemente loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi), sage sparrows (Amphispiza belli clementeae), and island foxes (Urocyon littoralis clementae). To learn more about their seasonal abundance and habitat relationships, we estimated or indexed population sizes for these rodents in 3 different habitat types (grassland, coastal sage scrub, and canyon) on San Clemente Island during the autumn of 2011 and again during the summer of 2012. We conducted capture-recapture trapping on nine grids (three per habitat type) and used several arrays that incorporated a 6x6 trap configuration with one or more traps at each site. Each grid was run for 3 to 6 trap nights with two checks per day. House mice were the most abundant species on eight of nine grids and reached densities as high as 289 (95% CI = 206-371) per hectare. Deer mice were more abundant in grassland habitats than coastal sage scrub or canyon and reached densities as high as 157 (95% CI = 102-213) per hectare. Although an insufficient number of rats were captured to produce population estimates, we documented their presence in coastal sage scrub and canyon habitat types, but not in grasslands. These data, combined with additional planned trapping efforts, will help inform management regarding invasive mammals, population modeling efforts for other island endemics, and may provide a foundation for developing long-term data on rodent abundance patterns.

THE DIVERSITY OF LICHENS, LICHENICOUS FUNGI, AND ALLIED FUNGI IN CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Kerry Knudsen1, and Jana Kocourková2 1 Herbarium, Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside CA, 9252–0124, [email protected] 2Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Kamýcká 129, Praha 6 - Suchdol, CZ–165 21, Czech Republic

A total of 500 taxa of lichens, lichenicolous fungi, and allied fungi are recognized in The Official Annotated Checklist of Lichens, Lichenicolous and Allied Fungi of Channel Islands National Park by Kerry Knudsen and Jana Kocourková (in press). Lichens are a fungus in a symbiotic relationship with an alga or cyanobacterium. In Channel Islands National Park we recognize 445 lichens, all native and occurring on rock, soil, and plants. It is almost one third of the total species reported for California. Lichenicolous fungi are parasites which have co-evolved with lichens and occur only on lichens. We recognize 47 species from the park. It is one fourth of the species reported for California. Allied fungi are non-lichenized fungi that occur in lichenized genera and families and usually form symbiotic relationships with plants. We recognize 8 species from the park. Seven species of lichens and lichenicolous fungi are endemic to Channel Islands National Park. Fifty-four species, many of which occur in Mexico, are only known in California from Channel Islands National Park. The most important biogeographic unit of the lichen flora represented in the park are species endemic to the southwestern coast of North America which are distributed from Point Reyes south to Baja Sur, with some taxa only occurring in California, others occurring in both California and Mexico. This biogeographic unit contains 104 species in Channel Islands National Park. Many of these species are rare. Channel Islands National Park is only about 20 per cent explored for lichens and lichenicolous fungi. Discoveries are made every field trip, including species new to science. Our ultimate aim is to write a flora of the lichens, lichenicolous and allied fungi of Channel Islands National Park.

STEATITE EFFIGIES AND A STONE PIPE FROM THE REDWOOD BOX CACHE, SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA. Queeny Lapeña*1, Brendon Greenaway2, Lisa Thomas-Barnett3, René L. Vellanoweth4, Jon M. Erlandson5, and Steven J. Schwartz6, 1Department of Anthropology, California State University Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 [email protected] 2Department of Anthropology, California State University Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 3NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California 4Department of Anthropology, California State University Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 5University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403 6Senior Archaeologist, NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California

During the winter of 2010 a cache of two redwood boxes containing a variety of artifacts was found eroding out of a cliff face at CA-SNI-14. These boxes were found in association with two asphaltum lined water bottles with basketry impressions and other ecofacts. Approximately 200 artifacts crafted from a variety of materials were found inside and surrounding the redwood boxes. This poster focuses on three of the lithic artifacts namely, two steatite effigies and a stone pipe. Comparative analysis suggests that both of the effigies are representations of animals found on San Nicolas Island. One of the effigies resembles a sea mammal, possibly a pinniped, and the other effigy appears to represent the inferior portion of a pelican. The sea mammal effigy and the stone pipe display a triple X pattern while the anterior and posterior surface of the pelican effigy exhibits vertical and horizontal incised lines. The triple X pattern has been observed on several San Nicolas Island artifacts. The stone pipe included a bird bone stem adhered with asphaltum, and the chamber of the pipe held a smoked wad. This poster provides illustrations and detailed descriptions of the two zoomorphic steatite effigies and the stone pipe as part of the artifact assemblage of the redwood boxes. Stylistic attributes of these items suggest they were produced by a person of Nicoleño descent.

THE NEWEST VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE (THE ROV, THAT IS): BASELINE CHARACTERIZATION AND MONITORING OF STATE MARINE PROTECTED AREAS ALONG THE SOUTH COAST

James Lindholm*1, Dirk Rosen2, Ashley Knight1, Jessica Watson1, Allison Cramer1, and Rhiannon McCollough1, 1Institute for Applied Marine Ecology, California State University Monterey Bay,100 Campus Center, Seaside, CA 93955, [email protected] 2Marine Applied Research and Exploration, 1230 Brickyard Cove Road #101, Richmond, CA 94801

The primary goal of this project is to characterize the distribution, abundance, and community composition of fishes, invertebrates, and seafloor microhabitats in 10 of the newly-designated Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the California Marine Life Protection Act’s South Coast Study region. The four study sites, ranging from north to south along the mainland, include Point Vicente State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA), Abalone Cove SMCA, Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve (SMR), Laguna Beach SMCA, Crystal Cove SMCA, Dana Point SMCA, San Diego-Scripps Coastal SMCA, and Matlahuayl SMR. Additional sampling was conducted at Catalina Island’s Farnsworth Bank SMCAs (offshore and onshore), and new sites at San Clemente Island will be added in late 2012. ROV sampling is stratified by MPA type (SMR, SMCA, or adjacent reference area), substrate type (hard substrate, unconsolidated soft sediment, and submarine canyon), and bottom depth. Data on all fishes and selected invertebrates are extracted from still photographic and videographic imagery. Fauna are identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and sized to the nearest 5 cm, and the seafloor habitats over which they occur are characterized. Ultimately, these data will provide a baseline against which change within and adjacent to the MPAs can be evaluated, and the imagery will provide a permanent archive that can be mined for additional projects in the future. SCORPION ROCK SEABIRD HABITAT RESTORATION: NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITY RESTORATION TO ENHANCE NESTING HABITAT FOR CASSIN’S AUKLETS (PTYCHORAMPHUS ALEUTICUS)

David Mazurkiewicz1, Josh Adams2, and A. Laurie Harvey*1, 1Channel Islands National Park-Montrose Settlements Restoration Program, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2USGS Western Ecological Research Center c/o Pacific Coastal &Marine Science Center, 400 Natural Bridges Dr. Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

Introduced non-native plant species on California’s Channel Islands can greatly affect seabird nesting habitat quality. Scorpion Rock, located off the north-east end of Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park, is an important seabird nesting location. The presence of invasive non-native plant species on Scorpion Rock has resulted in decreased abundance and quality of nesting habitat for burrow nesters such as Cassin’s Auklets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) as well as other seabirds. The plant community structure prior to restoration efforts was comprised of approximately 90% exotic, annual species, primarily crystalline ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum), cheeseweed (Malva parviflora) and nettle-leafed goosefoot (Chenopodium murale). Removal of non-native, invasive vegetation and the restoration of a native perennial Coastal Sage Scrub community on Scorpion Rock is helping to provide better soil structure, nesting conditions, and cover for seabirds utilizing this location. The outplanting and maintenance of over 8,000 plants on Scorpion Rock from 2008 to present has resulted in the reestablishment of a native plant community and significant perennial vegetative cover. Examination and testing of control methods for the invasive species present on Scorpion Rock as well as the development of remote site restoration techniques has been helpful for other habitat restoration projects on the Channel Islands.

RESTORATION OF ASHY STORM-PETRELS AT ORIZABA ROCK, SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CALIFORNIA, IN 2008-11

William R. McIver1, Annie L. Harvey2, and Harry R. Carter3, 1U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office, 1655 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA 95521 [email protected] 2California Institute of Environmental Studies, 3804 Whaler Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 3Carter Biological Consulting, 1015 Hampshire Road, Victoria, BC V8S 4S8

In 2008-11, the Montrose Settlements Restoration Program funded restoration actions to benefit Ashy Storm-Petrels (Oceanodroma homochroa) breeding at Orizaba Rock, off Santa Cruz Island, California. Eggshell thinning, organochlorine pollutants, low hatching success, and reduced numbers at colonies had been documented at Santa Cruz Island in 1991-97. The Orizaba Rock colony had declined, apparently due mainly to impacts from bright lights from squid-fishing boats. To help prevent colony loss, assist recovery of colony size, and reduce potential future impacts, social attraction (using vocalization broadcast) and artificial nest sites were deployed at Orizaba Rock in 2008-11, to attract more birds to breed there, with a greater proportion in protected sites. In 2008-09, 30 artificial nest sites (i.e., cement roof tiles, enclosed with rocks and small boards with gravel and sand floors) were placed in small caverns near natural nest sites and social attraction speakers. In 2010, Common Ravens (Corvus corax) dismantled at least nine artificial nest sites, and likely preyed on a few adults and chicks. In 2011, 12 roof tile nest sites were replaced with newly-designed ceramic chamber nest sites which effectively discouraged raven activities. The average number of active nest sites doubled from 12/yr pre-restoration in 2005-07 (natural sites) to 23/yr post-restoration in 2008-11 (natural and artificial sites). By 2011, this colony had reached a similar size as found in 1995-97, mainly through increased use of natural nest sites, but it may grow further in the future through greater use of artificial nest sites. Eggs were laid in 4-7 artificial nest sites each year in 2008-11. Reproductive success (i.e., proportion of egglaying sites that fledged chick) was 37% (1995-97) and 59% (2005-07) pre-restoration versus 43% (2008-09) and 56% (2010-11) post-restoration. Continued monitoring is needed to determine maximum restoration benefits and to detect and adaptively manage for future impacts.

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF NATURAL (NON-HUMAN) WILDFIRES ON SAN NICOLAS ISLAND DURING THE LATE PLEISTOCENE

Jeffrey S. Pigati*1, John P. McGeehin2, and Daniel R. Muhs1, 1U.S. Geological Survey, Denver CO 80225 [email protected] 2 U.S. Geological Survey, Reston VA 20192

The frequency and origin of fires in the geologic record of the Channel Islands have been debated for decades, with recent studies adopting the view that fires were relatively rare during the late Pleistocene until the arrival of humans. An alluvial sedimentary sequence located in a canyon adjacent to the NAVFAC facility on the north side of San Nicolas Island challenges this view. At this locality, which we refer to as “Chukar Canyon”, we found evidence of at least 24 different fire events that date to between ~25 and 38 ka (thousands of calendar years before present). Evidence for repeated episodes of fire comes from the presence of charcoal within and adjacent to reddish-brown sediments similar in appearance to the “fire areas” first described on Santa Rosa Island by Orr (1968, Prehistory of Santa Rosa Island). Charcoal-rich sediments at Chukar Canyon are interbedded with poorly-sorted, matrix-supported sediments that we interpret as debris flows, suggesting that the catchment area above the canyon underwent multiple cycles of fire followed by slope instability and mass wasting events throughout this period. Extensive testing of pretreatment methods of the charcoal provided a robust validation of our radiocarbon-based chronology, and securely places the fire events in time well before the arrival of humans on the Channel Islands.

CONTROLLING INVASIVE OFFSPRING OF THE HISTORIC OLIVE (OLEA EUROPA) GROVE ON EAST SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Paula Power*, Clark Cowan, Jim Roberts, and Rocky Rudolph, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Santa Cruz Island, the largest island in Channel Islands National Park supports no fewer than 11 plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world. Past management actions included planting European olives (Olea europaea) on 6.2 acres at Smugglers Ranch. The orchard was abandoned within a few decades but the trees continued to produce fruit and have persisted to the present time. The trees now are part of the Cultural Landscape. Vectors for the spread of olives from the historic grove included feral sheep and pigs. Feral sheep browsed feral olives keeping them in check while pigs disturbed the soil which stimulated olive germination. With the removal of feral sheep in 1999, browsed olive trees were released from browsing pressure, increasing in size and visibility. Feral olives now have the potential to significantly impact recovery of native vegetation and convert the landscape from grassland to non-native olive woodland. Between 2005 and 2009, park staff removed more than 11,000 feral olive trees. The park now is evaluating a range of options for managing the spread of feral olives originating from the historic grove. A GIS analysis will identify geographic and vegetation patterns and relationships found island- wide which are similar to those found in the historic grove. The analysis, coupled with a six-year survey of fruit producing trees in the grove will inform management decisions with the goal of eliminating the island-wide spread of feral olives.

CHARACTERISING SPATIAL PATTERNS OF CLOUD COVER AND FOG INUNDATION IN THE NORTHERN CHANNEL ISLANDS USING SATELLITE DATASETS Bharat Rastogi*1, Christopher Still1,2, Douglas T. Fischer1,3, Sam Iacobellis4, Michael Toomey5, Burke Greer1, Sara Baguskas1, A. Park Williams6, and Kathryn McEachern7, 1Department of Geography, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected] 2Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, 321 Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331 3Strategic Environmental Consulting, ARCADIS, 2411 Selrose Ln, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 4Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla CA, 92093 5Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University 6Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory 7U.S. Geological Survey-Western Ecological Research Center, Channel Islands Field Station, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001

Coastal forests in Mediterranean climates are frequently covered by clouds or immersed in fog. Previous studies suggest that clouds strongly modulate forest distributions as well as carbon budgets in these semi-arid environments. Both low level stratocumulus cloud cover and fog can enhance the water status of vegetation along the Californian coast and the Channel Islands by reducing solar insolation, raising relative humidity and supplying water directly to the landscape during otherwise warm and rainless summers. While summertime fog and stratus cover in California’s Channel Islands can ameliorate summer drought stress and enhance soil water budgets, they have different spatial patterns. These differing spatial patterns and the resulting shifts in relative ecological importance of fog and stratus are largely unknown. The overall objective of this project was to map spatial distributions of daytime cloud cover frequency for the California Channel Islands, and to predict probabilities of surface cloud (fog) contact and immersion for these islands. Daytime cloud cover maps were generated for the Channel Islands using data from GOES satellite imagery. Cloud frequency maps were compared and found to be in agreement with solar insolation data collected at several sites on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands for the summer of 2005. These cloud frequency maps were then combined with airport cloud height data and topographic data to map estimated weekly and monthly fog inundation. The fog inundation maps were then compared to fog drip data collected at several sites on the two islands. Correlation between fog inundation and fog drip accumulation enabled spatial and temporal extrapolation to understand seasonal and inter-annual variations in cloud cover frequency and fog inundation and drip. Future studies will use these cloud and fog distributions for water balance modeling and studies of plant geography and forest distributions.

PATTERNS OF PLANT ENDANGERMENT ON CALIFORNIA’S CHANNEL ISLANDS

Sarah Ratay*, and Philip Rundel, University of California, Los Angeles, Hershey Hall, 612 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095 [email protected]

The conservation status of individual plant species in the Channel Islands flora has been dictated to a major part by historic and current land use impacts as well as differing management policies between islands. These impacts together with traits of plant life history, growth form, and morphology characteristic of the island floras have produced patterns of endangerment that differ from those on the mainland. Island species require special attention to vulnerabilities related to introduced ungulate grazers and invasive plant species, as well as the potential for significant impacts from climate change with few available mitigation options. A review of listed status, lifeform type, and noted threats for Channel Island endemic or listed plant species has been conducted to highlight informative patterns. With over seven hundred native plant taxa, nearly one hundred of which are endemic, the California Channel Islands comprise a significant component of diversity within the California Floristic Province. Despite a relatively small total area (908 km2), these taxa include more than 10% of the known flora of the state of California. The California Rare Plant Ranking (CRPR, formerly CNPS ranking) contains 148 listed taxa occurring on the Channel Islands. Twenty-two plant species occurring on the islands are listed as endangered or threatened federally. Differing from the mainland, nearly one third of the CRPR listed taxa and more than half of the federally listed taxa are woody shrubs, consistent with patterns on other oceanic island systems. Of the 148 CRPR island taxa, threats from introduced herbivores are highlighted in 53 instances, and 28 taxa have had recovery subsequent to herbivore removal. As of this year, only one island remains with a population of introduced ungulates. Species not responding favorably since ungulate removal may be more sensitive to other threats such as competition with invasive plants, climate change, and other human caused impacts, despite the preserved status of the majority of area of this island chain.

TECTONICS, SHORELINE CHANGE, AND THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD OF THE NORTHERN CHANNEL ISLANDS

Leslie Reeder-Myers*, Department of Anthropology, Heroy Hall Room 408, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275-0336 [email protected]

The timing of the breakup of Santarosae has important implications for both the search for early archaeological sites on the Northern Channel Islands and the interpretation of those that we have already found. Previous studies have only taken into account eustatic sea level rise in reconstructing shoreline change during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. This study combines recent models of sea level rise with models for regional tectonic uplift and isostatic subsidence to reconstruct shoreline change on the Northern Channel Islands and adjacent mainland. It also compares the results when different sea level rise curves are used. Estimates derived from studies of marine terraces suggest uplift of as much as 32 meters on the southern side of the Northern Channel Islands platform during the past 20,000 years, with the platform tilting towards the north. Results of this study suggest that, when tectonic uplift is taken into account, island breakup occurred between 13,000 and 11,000 cal BP, up to two millennia earlier than recent estimates. Archaeological sites dating to this period are located as much as 7 km from the contemporary shoreline, further than any other sites during the Early and Middle Holocene.

PRISONERS WETLAND PROJECT: EUCALYPTUS REMOVAL ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA.

James R. Roberts*, Clark Cowan, and Paula Power, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Channel Islands National Park is restoring the wetland and riparian corridor at Prisoners Harbor and Cañada del Puerto on Santa Cruz Island. The wetland was filled in the 1880s to make way for ranching operations. Simultaneously, blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) and red river gum (E. camaldulensis) were introduced to the wetland area and riparian corridor for horticultural and utilitarian purposes and over time spread through the riparian corridor. This resulted in degradation of habitat for Southern Coastal Oak Woodland plant and animal species. Removing invasive eucalyptus is a priority goal for this restoration project. An inventory of eucalyptus trees in the project area was taken in 2008. All trees over 6 inches diameter-at-breast-height were mapped using a Trimble XT GPS unit and the diameter was recorded. A total of 1737 trees ranging in diameter from 6 to 114 inches were recorded in the project area. A total of 36 invasive eucalyptus trees ranging in diameter from 6 to 114 inches were removed in 2010 and 2011 to make way for the wetland restoration. Trees were felled using a chain saw. The size of some trees required specially trained fallers recruited from other NPS units and the Los Padres National Forest. Downed material and slash were chipped, burned, or masticated. Chipped and masticated material was placed on roads and used as material to cap an archeological site. Low cut stump method followed quickly by herbicide application of 25% Garlon 4 Ultra to the cambium reduced visual impact and prevented stump sprouting while reducing soil disturbance. The next phase of this project is restoration of the riparian corridor in Canada del Puerto by removing all invasive eucalyptus trees in the project area. This phase is ongoing using methods described above.

SUCCESSFULLY CONTROLLING FENNEL ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA: LESSONS LEARNED

James R. Roberts*, Clark Cowan, and Paula Power, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the Channel Islands, is home to many rare and endemic species. The introduction of invasive plants and animals reduced habitat quality in many parts of the island. Channel Islands National Park, in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and other partners, are reversing habitat degradation caused by invasive plants. In September 2007 the Channel Islands NP field staff began treatment of all known populations of invasive fennel occurring east of the Montañon Ridge. The target area extends from Scorpion Harbor to Potato Harbor and Smugglers Anchorage. In the course of treating these populations it became clear that seasonal timing and some plant preparation gave the best treatment results. Plants produce a leafy rosette in spring followed by up to 2 m tall, reproductive stalks in early summer. The stalks die back in fall but remain erect for several years. Removing old stalks before treatment encouraged new growth during the rosette phase and the rosette was more accessible to spraying. A solution of 1% Garlon 4 Ultra could be used for early season treatment with >95% effectiveness, while late season treatment before the plants bolted required a 2% solution of Garlon 4 Ultra. Late season herbicide effectiveness was less (50% - 90% effectiveness). With high effectiveness of early season treatment very little follow-up treatment is required. However, prompt treatment of seedlings emerging from the seed bank each year is required. As a result of effective treatment strategy year to year there was a dramatic drop in fennel cover, an increase in native plant cover, and a reduction in the amount of herbicide applied between 2008 and 2012.

MANAGING WILDERNESS ACCESS ON SANTA CATALINA ISLAND: FINDING THE BALANCE OF CONSERVATION, EDUCATION, AND RECREATION

Kevin Ryan*, Linda Farley, and Ben Coleman, Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704 [email protected]

Santa Catalina Island is home to rare endemic species of plants and animals, important archeological sites, and sensitive, high conservation value habitat types such as riparian and native grasslands. The Island receives over 1 million visitors from the mainland annually, and many of them come to hike and camp, making use of the Island’s 191 miles of unpaved roads and trails. Others travel to Catalina to participate in organized events, such as marathons, mountain biking, and equestrian trail rides. The impacts on the Island’s ecosystem are continually measured and monitored, and trail maintenance is a significant expense for the Catalina Island Conservancy. A recent assessment of the impact on trails utilized by the “Gran Fondo” mountain bike race, indicated that while some trails exhibited little to no impact, others were damaged by the over 600 bikers who rode in the event. The assessment produced data which will enable more effective management of future events to conserve habitats and species. Significant challenges in managing wilderness access lie ahead: increased visitorship, the ongoing impact of non-native browsers and grazers, and the potential for the introduction of new, non-native species and pathogens to the interior of the Island. However, trailside interpretive education provided to the public by the Conservancy, and the conservation awareness and appreciation that visitors gain through their own experiences while visiting Catalina’s wildlands, is a significant, positive contribution towards increasing citizens’ access to wilderness, which may in turn increase support for conservation efforts on Catalina and other California Islands. INCUBATION PATTERNS OF A PAIR OF SCRIPPS’S MURRELETS

Molly Shallman*1, Kevin Barnes2, Sasha Auer2, A. Laurie Harvey3, and Nina J. Karnovsky1, 1Pomona College, Department of Biology, 175 W. 6th St. Claremont, CA 91711 [email protected] 2Ball State University, Department of Biology Muncie, IN 47306 3Institute of Environmental Studies 3408 Whaler Avenue, Davis, CA 95616

Using a video camera, we investigated incubation patterns of one pair of Scripps’s Murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi) at Santa Barbara Island, California, in 2010. Typically, two eggs are laid per clutch (about 8 days apart) and chicks remain in the nest for only two days before departing for further rearing at sea often by both parents. We hypothesized that females should spend less time incubating than males, after laying two relatively large eggs (~24% adult mass each). We analyzed video from inside the nest chamber and recorded the number of egg-turnings, housekeeping behaviors, incubation bout lengths, and any egg neglect. We found no difference between mates in responsibility distribution or nest attendance, possibly due to high prey abundance or older, experienced pair members. More work is needed to examine a larger sample of nests under various environmental conditions and with adults of known age and experience.

GENETIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION IN ISLAND AND MAINLAND POPULATIONS OF THE CHAPARRAL SPECIES, CEANOTHUS MEGACARPUS

Brett A. Smith*, Stephen D. Davis, Rodney L. Honeycutt, and Thomas L. Vandergon, Natural Science Division, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California 90263 [email protected]

Island-mainland comparisons are ideal for investigation of divergent conspecific lineages. We assessed genetic variation and differences in leaf morphology of the dominant chaparral shrub Ceanothus megacarpus, a non-sprouting chaparral species from Santa Catalina Island and the adjacent coastal Santa Monica Mountains. In 2007, fires occurred on Catalina Island and the mainland causing new generations of C. megacarpus to germinate at both locales. We used AFLP markers covering 142 loci to analyze genomic variation within and between two Catalina and one Santa Monica Mountain sites. Our analyses revealed three genetically distinct populations, one mainland Santa Monica Mountains population and two on Catalina Island. Rather than grouping by geographic locality, both Catalina Island genetic types were distributed at both island sampling sites. The two island genetic types also did not correspond to either of the two varieties of C. megacarpus (insularis vs. megacarpus) known to exist on the island. Another unusual finding was a higher level of genetic variation in the island populations relative to the mainland. Additionally, morphological comparisons showed significant differences only between island and mainland genetic types but showed no correlation between any morphological character from island specimens to C. megacarpus variety, genetic type or site location on the island.

EXAMINING LITHIC ARTIFACTS FROM THE REDWOOD BOX CACHE, SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA.

Chelsea M. Smith*1, Kevin N. Smith1, Lisa Thomas-Barnett2, René L. Vellanoweth1, Jon M. Erlandson3, and Steven J. Schwartz4, 1Department of Anthropology, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 [email protected] 2NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California 3University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403 4Senior Archaeologist, NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California. This poster examines the ten lithic artifacts associated with a redwood box cache found during the winter of 2010 on San Nicolas Island. An examination of stylistic variation contained in this assemblage exhibit both ground and flaked lithic bifaces indicative of Pacific Northwest Coast and Southern California coast technologies. Identified lithic types include sandstone, siliceous shale, schist, and Monterey banded chert; the latter two stones do not naturally occur on San Nicolas Island and are evidence of imported materials. Replicative studies were employed to discern whether lithic artifacts underwent heat treatment, and to better understand ground indurated sandstone biface production. These studies provide evidence for 1) the use of heat treatment on Monterey banded chert present within this assemblage and 2) the production sequence linked with sandstone bifaces. Present within this assemblage are a wide array of artifact types representing an amalgamation of material cultures between Aleutiq peoples and Native Nicoleños stemming from the time of contact.

ESTIMATING THE POPULATION SIZE OF ISLAND LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES ON SANTA ROSA AND SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS, CALIFORNIA.

Thomas R. Stanley1, Susan Teel2, Linnea S. Hall3, Linda C. Dye*4, and Lyndal L. Laughrin5, 1U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, 80526 [email protected] 2U.S. National Park Service, Southern California Research Learning Center, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360 3Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Camarillo, CA, 93012 4U.S. National Park Service, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, CA, 93003 5University of California Santa Barbara, Natural Reserve System, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106

Island loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus anthonyi) are an endemic, genetically distinct subspecies of loggerhead shrike on California’s Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands. This subspecies is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the California Department of Fish and Game and has been petitioned for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. Because of suspected low numbers and the possibility of federal listing, there was an urgent need to rigorously estimate the number of remaining individuals and their locations on the Islands. In 2009 and 2010 we surveyed sample units on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands using a double observer method with independent observers, where units were selected under a stratified random sampling design. For Santa Rosa Island we estimated shrike abundance was 169 in 2009 and 240 in 2010, and for Santa Cruz Island we estimated shrike abundance was 35 in 2009 and 42 in 2010. These numbers, especially for Santa Rosa Island, are higher than previously reported but nevertheless are still low. Rapid vegetation change on both islands due to recent removal of non-native herbivores may threaten the habitat and status of this subspecies, and so we suggest that intensive demographic and habitat use projects be initiated immediately to obtain additional information for the successful perpetuation of this subspecies.

BREEDING BIOLOGY AND HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS OF BARN OWLS ON SANTA BARBARA ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Sarah K. Thomsen*1,3, Peter Bloom2, and A. Laurie Harvey3, 1Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, [email protected] 2Bloom Biological, 13611 Hewes Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92705 3California Institute of Environmental Studies, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

Barn Owls (Tyto alba) occur on many islands worldwide, including Santa Barbara Island, which at 2.6 square km is the smallest of five islands comprising the Channel Islands National Park. Although they occur on all of the Channel Islands, little is known of their breeding biology and habitat associations on these islands. We summarize observations that were collected as part of a larger study of the interactions between Barn Owls and their seabird and rodent prey on Santa Barbara Island from 2010-2012. Nests were often located in sea caves and rocky crevices in steep cliffs and canyons, although some diurnal roosts were located in large native shrubs (Artemisia spp. and Baccharis spp.). During a year with high mouse density, nests were found containing up to eight eggs in a single clutch, and breeding activity was noted in almost all months of the year. Adult Barn Owls were captured and banded with unique color band combinations and reflective tape, so that re-sight locations could be collected with a GPS during standardized and incidental surveys at night. Most locations of marked owls were within a 1km radius, indicating that owls did not generally range over the entire island, despite the island’s small size. These observations will be compared to Barn Owls in mainland coastal Southern California.

“ISLA GRANDE DE ATACAMA” GETTING ALLIES FOR MARINE CONSERVATION

Katerina Varas-Belemmi*, Coordinator marine protected area “Isla Grande de Atacama”, Ministry of Environment, Chile

Marine conservation has been a difficult issue to address in Chile, especially within marine protected areas of multiple uses. Making the community see the benefits of a protected area rather than just the negative externalities is a permanent job that managers have to face. Working with students and local actors, and promoting environmental education and extension with different stakeholders is critical to the success of management.

DEVELOPING A FIELD RESEARCH FACILITY ON SANTA ROSA ISLAND: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION

Daniel Wakelee 1, and Russell Galipeau 2, 1California State University Channel Islands, One University Drive, Camarillo, CA 93001 [email protected] 2Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

With the drafting of a new general management plan for Channel Islands National Park new opportunities are emerging for research activities on the islands, more specifically Santa Rosa Island. This is a strategic opportunity to integrate the park with the academic community, to strengthen the park as an education institution and park as a place and to collaborate with partners and education institutions to expand NPS education programs and the use of parks as places of learning. California State University Channel Islands has agreed to lead the development of a shared use research field station. This facility will be available for researchers from various disciplines and institutions. Symposium participants are invited to explore options and opportunities associated with this new facility. Participants will have opportunities to provide comments and respond to a survey to inform the development of this new resource.

NOCTURNAL SPOTLIGHT SURVEYS FOR MONITORING SCRIPPS’S MURRELETS IN AT-SEA CONGREGATIONS ADJACENT TO ANACAPA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Darrell L. Whitworth*1,2, and Harry R. Carter2,3, 1California Institute of Environmental Studies, 3408 Whaler Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 [email protected] 2Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, CA 95521 3Current Address: Carter Biological Consulting, 1015 Hampshire Road, Victoria, BC V8S4S8 With funding from the American Trader Trustee Council, we developed and implemented a boat-based nocturnal spotlight survey technique to monitor the expected population increase of Scripps’s Murrelets (Synthliboramphus scrippsi) following the eradication of Black Rats (Rattus rattus) at Anacapa Island, California, in 2001-02. Inaccessible breeding habitats hampered traditional colony-based monitoring at Anacapa, but conspicuous and seasonally predictable at-sea congregations near breeding areas encouraged development of a technique for counting murrelets on the water at night. The three-person crew used a high intensity spotlight to count all murrelets within ~100 m of the vessel on parallel standard transects (2-km) located 150-250 m (inshore) and 450-550 m (offshore) from shore. Surveys were conducted during three periods (22:00-0:00; 01:00-03:00; and 04:00-06:00). Round-island spotlight surveys were conducted along a 19-km transect at 200-400 m from shore. Indexes of population size included raw counts, strip transect densities and distance sampling densities. From 2001-06, we conducted 132 standard spotlight surveys over 59 nights, with counts ranging from 0-470 murrelets. Difficulties determining murrelet position in relation to the transect line caused problems estimating distance sampling and strip transect densities. Standard counts were significantly higher inshore (94 ± 75 murrelets) compared to offshore (43 ± 30). Round-island counts (n = 12) were strongly correlated with concurrent standard survey counts. No temporal trends were observed within nights, although standard counts were relatively consistent on consecutive surveys within nights and consecutive nights. Seasonal trends appeared to be related to nesting phenology, with decreases in early nesting years (2001-03) and increases in late nesting years (2004-05). Annual increases occurred in standard survey counts, but 7 years of data were insufficient to detect significant trends. Periodic spotlight surveys are needed in the future to best measure the full extent of Scripps’s Murrelet population increase, which may not occur for several decades.

IMPROVED REPRODUCTION FOR SCRIPPS’S MURRELET AFTER THE ERADICATION OF BLACK RATS FROM ANACAPA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Darrell L. Whitworth*1, Harry R. Carter2,3, and Franklin Gress1, 1California Institute of Environmental Studies, 3408 Whaler Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 [email protected] 2Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, CA 95521 3Current Address: Carter Biological Consulting, 1015 Hampshire Road, Victoria, BC V8S4S8

After over a century of impacts on many breeding colonies, non-native mammal eradication has become an important conservation action for Scripps’s Murrelets (Synthliboramphus scrippsi). Despite successful eradications on 6 murrelet breeding islands in California and Baja California since 1994, only one study has been conducted to demonstrate or quantify the benefits of eradications to murrelet populations. From 2000-10, the American Trader Trustee Council funded an assessment of Scripps’s Murrelets before and after the eradication of black rats (Rattus rattus) from Anacapa Island, California. Pre-eradication assessment focused on limited nest searches (2000) and standardized nest monitoring (2001-02) in 10 sea caves, the only accessible murrelet breeding areas in those years. Rat eradication was successfully completed in fall 2002. Post-eradication (2003-10) monitoring in sea caves was augmented with non-cave plots on the shoreline, cliffs, and offshore rocks to document reoccupation of historic but vacated breeding habitats. We recorded a near 3-fold increase in hatching success in sea caves (30% pre- vs. 85% post-eradication) due almost entirely to a drastic reduction in rodent-depredated eggs. Reoccupation of non-cave plots began within 1-2 years of rat eradication. Extensive nest searches of apparently suitable habitats on the upper island in fall 2009 failed to find evidence of breeding, although the degree of historic nesting in these habitats is unclear. Per annum growth of occupied nests was 10% in sea caves, 24-36% in non-cave plots and 14-16% overall. Recruitment of larger local cohorts was likely a major factor contributing to colony growth. However, decreases in the number of occupied sites in some post- eradication years indicated that other environmental factors also influenced murrelet population dynamics. Continued monitoring at Anacapa is needed to document long-term benefits which may not be achieved for several decades.

STATUS AND MONITORING OF SYNTHLIBORAMPHUS MURRELETS AT SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Darrell L. Whitworth*1,3, Harry R. Carter1,3, Franklin Gress1, Melissa Booker2, 1California Institute of Environmental Studies, 3408 Whaler Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 [email protected] 2Department of the Navy, Environmental Division, N-45, Naval Base Coronado PWO Bldg. #3, P.O. Box 357088, San Diego, CA, 92135 3Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, CA 95521

One of the smallest populations (<50 pairs) of the California state-listed Scripps’s Murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi) breeds on the U.S. Navy Base, San Clemente Island, California. Concealed nests, nocturnal colony visitation and inaccessible breeding habitats have long hindered knowledge of the status and distribution of murrelets at San Clemente. A nest with hatched eggshells found in a crevice above Seal Cove in 1977 was the first definitive evidence of murrelets breeding, although previous collections and sightings near the island (including downy chicks in 1968 and 1975) had long suggested breeding. Vocal detection counts, at-sea captures, and limited nest searches in 1994-96 documented small numbers of murrelets attending nocturnal at-sea congregations in nearshore waters, mainly in the Seal Cove area, and a single nest was found on an offshore rock in Seal Cove. In 2008, the first spotlight surveys recorded just 15 birds (0.2 km-1) along the 80 km round-island transect. Replicate spotlight surveys in the Seal Cove area in 2012 documented consistently small numbers in at-sea congregations (range = 1-12 murrelets survey-1). Most murrelets captured in Seal Cove in 1994, 1996, 2008 and 2012 were S. scrippsi, including several breeding birds with defeathered brood patches. However the annual presence of the congeneric Guadalupe Murrelet (S. hypoleucus) (including one with defeathered brood patches in 2012) suggests possible nesting. Other than one nest at Santa Barbara Island in 1977, the Guadalupe Murrelet is known to nest almost entirely in Baja California at Guadalupe Island and the San Benito Islands. Long-term monitoring at San Clemente was initiated by the U.S. Navy in 2012 to gather baseline data for determining trends and to best protect this small murrelet population. Additional studies are needed to better assess breeding success and conservation issues for Scripps’s Murrelet, as well as investigate possible breeding by Guadalupe Murrelets.

ORAL ABSTRACTS

MEXICO’S ISLAND STRATEGY: PROGRESS TO DATE IN CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, AND THE WAY FORWARD

Alfonso Aguirre-Muñoz*, Ana E. Marichal González, and Federico Méndez-Sánchez, Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C., Avenida Moctezuma 836, Zona Centro, Ensenada, Baja California, México 22880 [email protected]

Mexico has 1,664 islands, islets, cays and reefs that comprise a total surface of 5,127 km2. While the total insular area is a small fraction of the landmass, 8% of the country’s vertebrate and plant biodiversity is restricted to its islands, providing habitat to over 350 endemic species and subspecies. Islands are also strategic territories in terms of sovereignty because they represent the country’s outmost frontiers. It is thanks to the location of its remote islands that Mexico has the world’s 13th largest Exclusive Economic Zone. The islands are also home to 250,000 inhabitants whose main economic activities are tourism, especially on islands in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, and artisanal fishing. Following a collaborative approach —federal government agencies, academia, local communities and artisanal fishers’ cooperatives, NGOs, and national and international donors— Mexico has conducted relevant actions in favor of its islands during the last two decades, including: (a) The legal protection of islands; (b) The restoration of island ecosystems and protection of biodiversity through the eradication of invasive alien species and active seabird restoration; (c) The adoption of sustainable practices by fishing cooperatives with exclusive rights; and (d) The creation of permanent naval bases and the construction of basic infrastructure to effectively exercise sovereignty. To consolidate this positive trajectory, the Mexican government, through the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and other federal agencies, in collaboration with NGOs, economic sectors and academic institutions, formulated the “National Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Mexican Insular Territory”. This Strategy aims to achieve the conservation and sustainable development of the country’s islands using a framework for coordinated action that integrates projects, strengthens sovereignty, induces synergies, and generates knowledge about the natural, cultural, social, and economic values of the islands, and disseminates it to society.

MODIFIED AND UNMODIFIED MAMMAL AND FISH BONE FROM A REDWOOD BOX CACHE ON SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA.

Jennie A. Allen*1, Thomas A. Wake2, Lisa Thomas-Barnett3, René L. Vellanoweth1, Jon M. Erlandson4, and Steven J. Schwartz3. 1Department of Anthropology, California State University, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 [email protected] 2UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, BOX 951510, A210 Fowler, Los Angeles, CA 90095 3NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California 4University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403

This poster presents preliminary analysis of modified and unmodified bone from a redwood box cache found eroding out of a ledge on the north coast of San Nicolas Island (CA-SNI-14). The cache contained two redwood plank boxes filled with over 200 artifacts alongside two intact asphaltum-lined water bottles with basketry impressions. The focus of this study includes 42 bone specimens comprised of formal artifacts, bone cores, and fragments in different stages of tool production. Bone types include imported land mammal such as cow (Bos primigenius), marine mammal such as cetacean and sea otter (Enhydra lutris), and fish. Many of these artifacts have been identified as technologies associated with otter hunting and are formed in an Aleutic style, giving a more precise time period to this cache deposit. Other items in this assemblage of modified bone represent California style artifacts likely fashioned by Nicoleño people. Our analysis includes identification of all bone elements, possibly material sourcing, and technological and stylistic interpretation of modifications. This collection of artifacts provides a unique opportunity to examine the interplay between Aleutic and Nicoleño cultures during the historic era on San Nicolas Island.

EELGRASS RESTORATION AT FRENCHY’S COVE, ANACAPA ISLAND: RECOVERY TEN YEARS AFTER SUCCESSFUL TRANSPLANTATION

Jessica Altstatt*1, Richard Ambrose2, James Coyer3, John Engle4 and Joseph Wible5, 1102 Orange Ave, Goleta, CA 93117 [email protected] 2Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Box 951772, Room 46-078 CHS, University of California Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772 3Shoals Marine Laboratory, Cornell University, 400 Little Harbor Rd., Portsmouth, NH 03801 4Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-6150 5Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950-3094

Ten years after a small (~300 m2 area ) 2002 experimental transplantation of ~500 eelgrass (Zostera pacifica) shoots from two large meadows at Santa Cruz Island (Smugglers, Prisoners) to Frenchy's Cove, Anacapa Island, eelgrass has gradually recovered at Frenchy’s and expanded along nearly 3 km of near- shore sandy habitat. The transplantation and first five years’ survival were described at the 2003 and 2008 California Islands Symposium. Yearly surveys at Frenchy’s began in 1990 along a 60 m transect (12 m depth) established in the historic center of the extinct bed. Eelgrass had apparently been extensively grazed by white urchins (Lytechinus anamesus) in the late 1980’s, and was completely gone by 1990, with no natural recovery from 1990-2002. Surveys were continued after the 2002 transplantation along the original transect and a new transect (8 m depth), with a third transect established in 2004. The extent, shoot density and reproductive condition of eelgrass and the density and species abundance of benthic invertebrates and fishes were surveyed annually along each transect. Densities of white urchins have remained low, allowing surviving eelgrass to expand via vegetative growth and seedling recruitment. Increased diversity and abundance of invertebrates and fishes were evident, with 3 (2002), 14 (2008) and 27 (2011) fish species recorded qualitatively and 8 (2008) and 10 species (2011) quantitatively; both levels comparable to natural meadows around Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands. In 10 years, a diverse biotic assemblage has returned to Frenchy’s and to the shallow sandy habitat along the north side of Middle Anacapa Island.

ROCKY INTERTIDAL AND SAND BEACH CITIZEN SCIENCE FOR K12 STUDENTS: LONG TERM MONITORING PROGRAM AND EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING FOR STUDENTS (LiMPETS) AT FRENCHY’S COE, ANACAPA ISLAND

Jessica Altstatt*, and Julie Bursek, NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, 113 Harbor Way, Suite 150, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 [email protected]

LiMPETS is an environmental monitoring and education program that involves teachers, students, and local communities as citizen scientists in a network of long-term data collection of the sand beach and rocky intertidal communities. Approximately 3,500 teachers and students along the coast of California collect data from rocky intertidal and sand beach habitats as part of the LiMPETS network in our national marine sanctuaries. More than twenty monitoring sites are established throughout the west coast sanctuaries from the Gulf of the Farallones in the north to the Channel Islands in the south. Although much of the sanctuary’s rocky intertidal is inaccessible, Frenchy’s Cove is open to the public. A LiMPETS site was established there in 2004, making Frenchy’s the only LiMPETS site monitored on the Channel Islands. In 2009, a NOAA B-Wet grant between CINMS (Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary), the National Park Service and the Ventura County Office of Education provided an opportunity for engaging teachers and students in the LiMPETS program. Teachers received training in protocols, students received classroom lectures and a video presentation and CINMS staff assisted with methodology in the field. In all, 400 students from 6 schools (4 elementary, 1 junior high, 1 high school) participated in the program. Students and teachers responded to pre and post experience surveys as part of program evaluation. Post surveys showed an increase in understanding of marine ecosystems and a better feel for the scientific method. Teachers reported that this was an extremely valuable experience because it was one of the first opportunities students had to participate in authentic data collection in the field. Most of the students had never been to any of the Channel Islands before and the field trip was a highlight of their school year. The process of preparing for the data collection, the actual collection and then the analysis of the data provided students with a full picture of monitoring and a taste of ocean stewardship.

PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF OUR COASTAL RESOURCES

Sean Anderson*, Alaina Benham, Lauren Boross, Molly Case, Courtney Condon, Jillian Craig, Dylan Ellis, Zachery Geist, Stefan Goehring, Les Hansen, Megan Hines, Colin Jonason, Lindsay Jones, Evan Lashly, Jesse McCandless, Matt Migdali, Kyle O'Malley, John Ota, Keith Posekian, Daniel Rodriguez, Peter Vegos, Shannon Walker, and Tyler Wilson. Pacific Institute for Restoration Ecology and Environmental Science and Resource Management Program, California State University Channel Islands, .1 University Drive, Camarillo, 93012 [email protected]

Understanding the public’s perceptions and valuation of various resources is key to shaping effective policy, conducting truly community-based conservation efforts, and effectively targeting scarce public dollars. The California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) Survey of Public Opinion of Coastal Resources has sampled such public perceptions annually for the past seven years (700 – 1,500 polls conducted each September) to better understand where the public currently stands on various issues and to provide a long-term baseline with which to compare the efficacy of various future management efforts. As with most such efforts to take the pulse of the general population, this ongoing effort shows a multifaceted populace. We enjoy our coastal resources, engaging in both consumptive and non- consumptive uses of them, but rarely venture forth to the Channel Islands; people are equally likely to have been to an island within the past year, more than a year ago, or never. Island visits correlate with distance from mainland. Most attitudes have remained consistent across the years; however some have shown marked changes recently. These include decreased support for offshore oil drilling post-Deepwater Horizon and decreased concern about Climate Change since 2008. We are aware of many high profile or contentious management efforts, but generally not the main entities or agencies engaged in that management. A robust and holistic understanding of the state of those resources being managed is lacking. Our coastal resources are understood to have degraded over time and most are dissatisfied with the current trajectory of our stewardship.

GENETIC ANALYSIS OF CALIFORNIA ISLAND LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES

Mary V. Ashley*, and Isabel C. Caballero, Dept. Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60607 [email protected]

The loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a passerine bird that hunts like a small raptor. Breeding populations of loggerhead shrikes have been found historically on seven of the eight Channel Islands, and two subspecies have been recognized on the islands. We conducted a genetic study of the island loggerhead shrike (L. l. anthonyi), which has been considered a distinct subspecies endemic to the northern California Channel Islands. Because contemporary samples were unavailable, we used 96 museum specimens (mostly toepads) that had been collected over a century, from both island and mainland shrikes. This allowed us to evaluate both spatial and temporal genetic patterns. We used mtDNA control region sequences and microsatellite genotyping to compare loggerhead shrikes from the Southern California mainland (L. l. gambeli), San Clemente Island (L. l. mearnsi), and the northern islands (L. l. anthonyi). Habitats on the islands are recovering due to the removal of non-native ungulates on the islands, but may be transitioning to habitats less supportive of loggerhead shrikes, so this evaluation comes at a critical time. Analysis of multilocus microsatellite genotypes indicated that historical specimens of loggerhead shrikes (collected between 1897 and 1986) from the two northern islands of Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz are genetically distinct from adjacent mainland and island shrikes. Birds from Santa Catalina Island showed mixed ancestry and did not cluster with the northern island birds. Historical specimens of L. l. mearnsi from San Clemente Island also showed mixed ancestry. Our study provides evidence that a genetically distinct form of loggerhead shrikes, L. l. anthonyi, occurred on the islands of Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz.

USING MICROSATELLITE ANALYSIS TO ASSESS GENETIC VARIABILITY AND STRUCTURE OF AN ENDEMIC CHANNEL ISLAND OAK: QUERCUS PACIFICA K. NIXON & C.H. MULLER

Janet Rizner Backs*, and Mary V. Ashley, University of Illinois at Chicago, UIC Biological Sciences, M/C 066, 845 W. Taylor, Chicago, IL, 60607 [email protected]

Quercus pacifica K. Nixon & C.H. Muller is an endemic oak of the Channel Islands. Prior to 1994, this species was grouped with Q. dumosa Nutt., a scrub oak found on the California mainland. At that time the scrub oak growing on the Channel Islands was renamed Q. pacifica Nixon and C.H. Muller and designated an endemic species. Found on only three of the Channel Islands, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and Santa Catalina, it is a key component of the scrub oak chaparral. The species occurs in both a shrub and tree form up to 5 m in height. For our study, a total of 134 leaf samples were collected across the three islands. We used analysis of 8 DNA microsatellite loci to assess the genetic status of Q. pacifica. Small island populations such as these may be low in allelic variation and heterozygosity due to genetic drift and inbreeding. Our results show that genetic diversity is high and there is no indication of genetic bottlenecks or inbreeding. He, expected heterozygosity, and Na, number of alleles, are two measures of genetic diversity. Both of these are high for each of the islands: mean He is 0.856 for Santa Rosa, 0.877 for Santa Cruz, and 0.880 for Santa Catalina; mean Na is 19.500 for Santa Rosa, 19.250 for Santa Cruz, and 21.625 for Santa Catalina. Recruitment occurred through sexual reproduction; we found no evidence for clonal growth. Levels of differentiation (FST) among island populations were low but significantly different from zero. This low level of differentiation may be the result of relatively recent interaction with mainland species or of some gene flow between the islands.

TREE MORTALITY, DROUGHT STRESS, AND WATER RELATIONS IN A CALIFORNIA COASTAL FOG FOREST

Sara Baguskas*, and Christopher Still, University of California-Santa Barbara, Department of Geography, 1832 Ellison Hall, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4060 [email protected]

Following extreme drought in southern California in recent years (2007-2009), widespread tree mortality became evident in a Bishop pine (Pinus muricata) forest on Santa Cruz Island, which harbors the southernmost extent of this rare, endemic, and relictual species in California. Our ability to predict shifts in the distribution of this and other coastal tree species in a warmer and possibly less foggy future requires a mechanistic understanding of how this species responds to changes in available moisture, especially summertime fog water inputs that offset drought-like conditions. In this research, we addressed the following questions: Is the water status of Bishop pines affected by fog water inputs? If so, do adult and sapling trees respond differently? Xylem pressure potential (XPP) measurements were used to quantify the physiological response of trees to fog events throughout the rainless summer. We measured saplings and adults through fog events at two sites along a coastal-inland moisture gradient. To quantify fog events in terms of potential plant-available water, we measured fog-drip and shallow (0-10 cm) soil moisture content after fog events. We found that adults maintained a lower level of water stress throughout the summer compared to saplings (June XPP: -0.55, -0.54 MPa; September XPP: -0.96, -1.16 MPa, for adults and saplings, respectively). We also found that water stress of Bishop pines declined with increasing shallow soil moisture from fog-drip for both age classes, and this relationship was stronger for sapling (R2=0. 60, p<0.05) than for adult trees (n.s.). These results suggest that water stress in saplings is alleviated by summertime fog more than for adults, and that the mechanism is increased use of shallow soil moisture. These results will contribute to mechanistically-based predictions of how coastal forests may respond to a drier climate, which may also become less foggy.

LONG-TERM CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND LINKS BETWEEN PATTERNS OF COASTAL MARINE INVERTEBRATE RECRUITMENT AND ADULT ABUNDANCE AROUND SANTA CRUZ ISLAND FROM 1995-2010

Carol A. Blanchette*1, Daniel V. Richards2, Bernardo R. Broitman3, and C. Melissa Miner4, 1Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected] 2Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 3Facultad de Ciencias del Mar & CEAZA, Universidad Católica del Norte, Larrondo 1281, Coquimbo, Chile 4Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 Recent studies examining patterns of larval arrival have shown that oceanographic conditions can explain much of the spatial variability in recruitment of coastal marine invertebrates to rocky shores. Few studies have examined how spatial and temporal variability in recruitment over long time scales relates to abundances of sessile adults, and how large-scale climate variability influences temporal patterns of recruitment across species. To address these questions, we established an invertebrate recruitment sampling program in 1995 at 5 rocky intertidal sites around Santa Cruz Island. We measured barnacle recruitment as the arrival of larvae of several species of barnacles to roughened plexiglass tile settlement surfaces. We measured mussel recruitment as the arrival of mussels to spherical mesh recruitment collectors (Tuffys). All larval settlement collectors were exchanged every 2-3 months. We measured the abundances of adult barnacles and mussels in .375m2 plots that were photographed and scored every 6 months over the same time period (from 1995-2010). Recruitment of barnacles and mussels was extremely variable over time and space. Both barnacle and mussel recruitment tended to be lowest at the sites on the western portion of the island. Large-scale climate variability as indexed by the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) was significantly correlated with mussel recruitment and only partially correlated with barnacle recruitment, with little to no recruitment in La Niña (low MEI) phases. Recruitment of larvae was correlated with adult abundance in both barnacles and mussels at some, but not all island sites. These results suggest that large-scale climate variability in terms of ENSO phase can be used to predict periods of low larval arrival. However, larval arrival does not always predict adult abundance. Patterns of adult abundance vary widely across sites, and are likely to depend strongly on local ecological factors such as disturbance and predation.

EXPERIMENTAL ESTIMATION OF MINIMAL REQUIRED PROXIMITY FOR SUCCESSFUL FERTILIZATION IN SPAWNING MALE-FEMALE PAIRS OF THE ENDANGERED BLACK ABALONE (HALIOTIS CRACHERODII LEACH, 1814) BASED ON DISPERSAL OF SURROGATE GAMETE-SIZED PARTICLES

Brianna M. Blaud*1, Glenn R. VanBlaricom2, and Melissa J. Neuman3, 1School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 [email protected] 2US Geological Survey, Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, 3Office of Protected Resources, Southwest Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, 501 West Ocean Blvd, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802

Black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii Leach, 1814) are found in exposed rocky intertidal habitats from northern California, USA, southward into northern Baja California, Mexico. US populations were listed as “endangered” in 2009, largely due to mass mortalities associated with the bacterial disease known as withering syndrome. Because of the high turbulence and rapid dispersion of suspended particles in surf zone habitats, fertilization rate at spawning may limit the recovery of black abalone populations. We conducted field experiments in rocky intertidal habitats utilized by black abalones at San Nicolas Island to estimate the minimum required proximity of male-female pairs necessary for successful fertilization. We released gamete-sized particles at varying separation distances, and collected post-release water samples to measure densities of surrogate eggs and sperm in sea water at predetermined distances from release points, at predetermined times post-release. We tested two hypotheses: 1) Male and female black abalone must be in physical contact to achieve substantial fertilization rates at simultaneous spawning; and 2) Risks of excessive sperm densities and consequent polyspermy, known to facilitate larval malformation, are also likely to be high when male-female pairs spawn simultaneously. Samples were evaluated by enumeration of particles in water subsamples aided by microscopy. Optimal sperm densities for fertilization were assumed to be 104–106 per ml based on literature values. Experiments to date indicate that simulated spawning by single males does not produce adequate sperm densities to support fertilization even when males and females are in contact, nor does it produce adequate sperm densities to create significant risks of polyspermy. New experiments in winter 2012-2013 at San Nicolas Island will test similar hypotheses but will incorporate simulated simultaneous spawning of multiple males into our experimental design.

SANTA CRUZ ISLAND BIOSECURITY: DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAN TO PREVENT THE ESTABLISHMENT AND SPREAD OF INVASIVE ORGANISMS

Andrea Blue, Sean McKnight*, Christina Moore, Carrie Sanneman, and Emily Sheehan, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, 2400 Bren Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131 [email protected]

Santa Cruz Island (SCI) is a remarkably unique island ecosystem managed jointly by the National Park Service (NPS) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) with a common mission to protect native ecosystems and species diversity. A large part of protecting these resources relies on the management of invasive species, a biological threat to which island species tend to be particularly vulnerable. Managing this threat has been done in a largely reactive manner, through the eradication of invasive species. The purpose of this project is to inform the development of a proactive approach to invasive species management in the form of an island biosecurity plan. Biosecurity is the application of protocols and policies to protect an area or a population from biological harm, premised on the concept that preventative policies will be more cost effective than reactive ones. We developed a risk assessment framework to provide a logical structure for analyzing potential threats to SCI by selected species and a method for prioritizing management actions. The framework includes an assessment of the risks posed by species of concern, and an evaluation of the cost and effectiveness of potential management responses to those risks, including both prevention and reaction strategies. The framework was used to make a draft biosecurity plan with protocol recommendations based on an initial list of priority species supplied by TNC. Protocols were selected to address all high risks at the lowest available cost. By using a query-ready database of the cost, effectiveness, and risk addressed by prevention protocols, island managers are able to customize the biosecurity plan based on their preferences and budgetary constraints. The framework developed here can be used as part of an overarching passive adaptive management program for managing SCI biosecurity.

REEF FISH COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN GUADALUPE ISLAND, MEXICAN PACIFIC

Arturo Ayala Bocos*1, Saúl González Romero1, Héctor Reyes-Bonilla1, and Nadia C. Olivares Bañuelos2, 1Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, la Paz B.C.S. [email protected] 2Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, Ensenada B.C.2

The Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve is located in the Pacific Ocean, 280 km west from Ensenada, Baja California. The island has an ecological and biological relevance, but because of its geographic isolation there is a great lack of scientific studies for the marine area, as with the fish, which are of great importance and is the best represented group in the island. This study analyzed the Guadalupe Islands fish community structure. 25 x 4 m visual census were done (N=64) in September 2008 in 16 sites around the island in two different depths (0-10m, 11-20m). Ecological indexes were estimated per site (abundance, richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity and Pileou evenness), these were compared with Kruskal Wallis to determine if there were differences between sites. The results did not show significant differences between sites or depths for any of the indexes. In total 8,137 individuals were counted, with Campo Lima being the most abundant; the most abundant species was Chromis punctipinnis. In total 32 species were registered. The north and northwest regions of the island showed the highest richness, most likely given by the habitat heterogeneity and food resources. The site with most diversity was the North of the island. Finally, el Faro was the least uniform site probably given by a high dominance by Semicossyphus pulcher and C. punctipinnis. To conclude the fish structure and composition is similar all around the island, however the northern zone presented the highest richness and diversity.

INCREASING EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING NON-TARGET IMPACTS WHILE ERADICATING FERAL CATS FROM SAN NICOLAS ISLAND

Jake Bonham*1, Wesley Jolley1, David Will1, Grace Smith2, Chad Hanson1, Brad Keitt1, David Garcelon3, and Annie Little4, 1Island Conservation, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA, [email protected] ; 2U.S. Navy, NAWCWD Sustainability Office, Code 52F000 ME, Bldg. 53A, Point Mugu, CA 93042 USA; 3Institute for Wildlife Studies, P.O. Box 1104, Arcata, CA 95518 USA, 4U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

Padded leg-hold live traps were used as the primary removal method in the successful eradication of feral cats (Felis silvestris catus) from San Nicolas Island(SNI), California, USA. Trapping occurred primarily from June 2009-January 2010. Several mitigation measures were put in place to increase trapping efficiency and reduce the impact to endemic San Nicolas Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis dickey), a similarly sized and more abundant non-target species. A trap monitoring system with a web- based interface decreased the amount of time animals spent in traps; the average daytime response for captures was 43 minutes (± 31 minutes), and the average response time for nighttime captures was 6 hours (±3 hours). Trap modifications designed to reduce injury resulted in a serious injury rate of 4.8% in foxes, much lower than comparable trapping studies and well within established animal welfare standards. No serious injuries were observed in feral cats caught in the traps. The overall capture rate of SNI foxes was reduced by up to six fold through aversive conditioning, with capture events providing negative stimulus to prevent recaptures. The final cat was removed from SNI in June 2010, and after extensive monitoring the eradication was declared a success in February 2012. SNI is the largest island from which feral cats have been eradicated without the use of toxins and the success of this project is expected to result in significant benefits to native wildlife including the island fox, seabirds and the US threatened island night lizard (Xantusia riversiana riversiana).

FOG AND LOW CLOUDS INFLUENCE MICROBIAL DYNAMICS AND SOIL C AND N CYCLING ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

Claudia M. Boot*1, Sean M. Schaeffer2, Mariah S. Carbone3, Joshua P. Schimel4, and Christopher J. Still5, 1Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1499 [email protected] 2Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4514 3National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 4Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9620 5Forest Ecosystems and Society, Corvallis, OR 97331

In arid climates small water inputs, such as fog drip, can have large effects on microbial processing of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). In forests on California’s Channel Islands, fog and low stratus clouds can enhance tree growth during dry summers. However, little is known about how fog inputs affect belowground microbial dynamics. We measured soil moisture, microbial biomass C and N, soil inorganic N, and dissolved organic C and N in two Bishop pine stands on Santa Cruz Island that differed in summertime fog and low cloud cover. We also conducted a laboratory incubation of soils from the two sites to examine how microbial dynamics and decomposition responded to simulated summertime water inputs. In the observational study, seasonal C and N dynamics were similar in the litter layer, while the wetter forest mineral soils had lower C content than drier soils. This suggests that in wetter soils, C losses from microbial decomposition outpace C accumulation from tree growth, while in drier soils C accumulation is greater due to water-limitation of microbial decomposition. The laboratory incubation supported the wet-dry dynamics observed in the field study, and illustrated that multiple small vs. a single large pulses of moisture can result in greater C losses to the atmosphere in dry mineral soil. Climatic factors and substrate availability may be drivers of these patterns. In the C-rich litter layer microbial decomposition may be climatically (temperature and moisture) controlled as substrate supply is high. However, climatic effects are modulated in mineral soils whereas substrate can be limited through low C supply or via a lack of hydrologic connectivity. These results suggest shifts in summertime fog inputs alter microbial activity by influencing both climatic and substrate dynamics thus affecting the transformation rates of C and N in these ecosystems.

ENGAGING YOUTH IN PARK STEWARDSHIP

Lauren Boross1* and Kevin Flint2. 1National Park Service, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected], 2Oxnard High School, 3400 W Gonzalez Road, Oxnard, CA 93036

Channel Islands National Park has been working with several local high schools for over 10 years pursuing the active engagement of students as stewards of the land through a volunteer restoration project on Anacapa Island. High school and college-age students participate in a variety of activities including removing non-native plants, tending to the nursery, collecting native seeds, and planting native plants around the island. For the 2012-2013 school year, the program is expanding immensely by including science learning opportunities and increased participation by students. Once limited to four local high schools, expansion will reach two new Ventura County high schools, three local colleges, and Outward Bound Adventures, a group that reaches out to underserved youth from the Los Angeles community. This level of participation will aid in reaching the park’s goal of being iceplant-free by the year 2016. It has been shown that students who participate in the project acquire an interest in employment in the National Park Service as well as a better understanding and appreciation for the natural resources in their local environment. Students from Buena High School have gone on to become employees for Channel Islands National Park after contributing to the project. Other volunteers have moved on to seek science degrees at the college or university level or participate in other stewardship projects in and out of the park. This year efforts will be made to expose students to even more scientific disciplines including GIS, seabird biology and monitoring, and vegetation monitoring. This exposure is aimed to influence their higher education and career path.

THE PICNIC IS OVER: KILLING ARGENTINE ANTS ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

Christina L. Boser*1, Kate Faulkner2, Coleen Cory1, Lotus A. Vermeer1, John M. Randall1, and Scott A. Morrison1, 1The Nature Conservancy, Santa Cruz Island Project, 532 East Main Street, Suite #200, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2The National Park Service, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) are a highly invasive species that pose a serious threat to ecologically intact systems worldwide. Their aggressive interspecies interactions are linked to observed declines in the diversity and abundance of a wide variety of invertebrate species. Pollination success and seed dispersal may be reduced as native invertebrate activity declines, with ensuing negative repercussions for native plant reproduction and community composition. In the last decade the number of exotic insect introductions in the U.S. has increased and programs to prevent the spread of established pests have been largely unsuccessful. There is an urgent need to develop an effective field protocol to eliminate invasive ant colonies in ecologically sensitive areas before they become well established. Argentine ants were first discovered on Santa Cruz Island, California in 1996 at two sites centered at decommissioned structures. Thereafter, Argentine ants established at two additional locations in the island’s central watershed. The island managers, The Nature Conservancy and National Park Service, began a treatment protocol in 2012 targeting two of these infestations. We targeted 10 acres of site #1 and the entire infestation at site #2. This complete site treatment will eliminate the confounding variable present in most efficacy studies - Argentine ant re-infestation from untreated edges. Our treatment protocol consists of six applications of sucrose-attractant bait: two applications with S-Methoprene and four applications with Thiamethoxam. Prior to each treatment we will deploy pitfall traps and bait monitors to detect ant activity at 300 points in paired treatment and control sites. Bait monitors consist of a carbohydrate, a protein and a carbohydrate-protein mix which will be used to evaluate seasonal bait preference and inform future baiting and monitoring protocols. The treatment protocol will conclude in October 2012 and results will be presented at the symposium.

CAMERA TRAPS AND OTHER MONITORING TECHNIQUES USED TO SEARCH FOR INVASIVE SPECIES IN REMOTE AREAS OF SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

Christina L. Boser*1, John Knapp2, Coleen Cory1, 1The Nature Conservancy, Santa Cruz Island Project, 532 East Main Street, Suite #200, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2Native Range, Incorporated, 1746-F South Victoria Ave., #378, Ventura, CA 93003

The introduction and establishment of invasive species is considered to be a major threat to ecosystems and native species. The best predictor of the success of an invasive species eradication program is early detection, indicating that frequent monitoring may provide the best protection against the establishment of populations of invasive species that quickly become un-eradicable. Santa Cruz Island is located just 25 miles off the southern California coast. Proximity to the mainland and numerous anchorages make it a popular destination for private boaters, fisherman, and tourist groups. From 2010-2012 land owners, The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. National Park Service, trialed a program to search for evidence of invasive non-native ants, plants, and mammals. In 2010, the program detected no invasive mammals or ants; however, 10 outlier populations of invasive plants were detected. Following several unconfirmed rat (Rattus spp.) sightings on the island, the program was re-designed in 2011, to detect the world’s worst island invader, rats. Rats are neophobic, thus we searched remote areas using infrared camera traps baited with scent lures and waited long intervals (3-5 months) between trap checks to increase the probability of detection. Fifteen cameras were deployed in September 2011, checked and relocated in November 2011 and again in March 2012. After being deployed for four months, camera batteries were nearly fully charged and the 4 GB memory cards averaged only 1/8 full. It’s likely the cameras could be left on site to collect data for at least a year. The benefits of quickly detecting an incursion should be weighed against the cost of accessing and replacing the cameras. This program is ongoing, and to date no evidence of invasive mammals has been recorded. By 2014 we anticipate having monitored for at least 5475 total trap nights at 90 locations around Santa Cruz Island.

THE ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORICAL ECOLOGY OF QSHIWQSHIW

Todd J. Braje*, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-6040 [email protected]

The village of Qshiwqshiw, located on the eastern end of Santa Rosa Island near Skunk Point, is one of the most important archaeological sites on the Northern Channel Islands. Not only does it contain some of the largest and densest island shell midden deposits, four Chumash chiefs and 119 baptisms are recorded in the mission records. Outside of limited ethnographic records and one small column sample, however, we know very little about the occupational history. Here, I report on archaeological excavations to date, analyze, and quantify subsurface shell midden deposits and long-term efforts to combine these data with modern records from the adjacent Marine Protected Area.

EVALUATING (DOSINIA PONDEROSA) SHELL AS TOOL AT SITE J-17, ESPIRITU SANTO ISLAND. USE-WEAR ANALYSIS

Karim Bulhusen Muñoz*, Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia

A collection of shell fragments, including (Dosinia ponderosa), from the first occupation level at the site J17 Covacha Babisuri in the Espíritu Santo Island, B.C.S., has been dated between >47,500 and 35,500 B.P. Both the antiquity of the shell material which appears in a layer of human occupation dated between 11,000-8,000 B.P. and the presence of edge modifications suggest that these old shells were collected in order to transform them into tools. Based on ethnohistorical data we propose the shells were used in activities related to hide and fiber working. This study is based on experimental and use-wear analysis focused on both explaining the presence of old shell fragments in the site and answering questions related to shell use as raw material for manufacture of artifacts.

FLORISTICS AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF THE CHANNEL ISLAND BRYOPHYTES (MOSSES, LIVERWORTS & HORWORTS)

Benjamin Carter*, and John Clark, Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704 [email protected]

The Channel Islands are well known for their unique and charismatic flora. For several decades, botanists have employed the islands in developing an understanding of plant speciation, island biogeography and the assembly of the broader California flora. Very little attention, however, has been paid to the “non-vascular” plants: mosses, liverworts and hornworts (collectively the bryophytes). Results from two ongoing studies will be presented. The first is an attempt to document the diversity of bryophytes on all eight islands based on existing herbarium records and supplemented with extensive fieldwork. The second is a treatment of the bryophytes of Santa Catalina Island as a subset of the ongoing project to build a comprehensive database of that island’s flora, including taxonomic treatments, illustrations, photos, distributional data, management information and preserved tissue for future DNA studies. One outcome of this second project will be a manual of the bryophytes of the island, including keys, illustrations and full technical descriptions. Preliminary results from the ongoing survey of all the islands include well over 100 species documented, with the most biogeographically significant finds, including several substantial range extensions, centered on Santa Cruz Island. Correlates of diversity (e.g. island size, distance from mainland, topographic complexity, geological heterogeneity) for the bryophytes are in some cases strikingly different from patterns in the seed plants. These differences will be discussed in the context of the different dispersal mechanisms and physiological requirements of bryophytes.

FISH COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND MPA EVALUATION IN THE NORTHERN CHANNEL ISLANDS: A COMPARISON OF TWO LONG-TERM DATASETS. Jennifer Caselle1, Scott Hamilton2, and David Kushner*3, 1Marine Science Institute, U.C. Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected] 2Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Rd., Moss Landing, CA 95039, 3Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr. Ventura, CA 93001

We utilized two long-term kelp forest monitoring datasets to assess spatial variation in the structure of fish communities across the gradient of environmental conditions present in the northern Channel Islands. We also compared the ability of the two datasets to detect changes in size and density of fishes in response to Marine Protected Areas. The two programs are the Channel Islands National Park Service kelp forest monitoring program (KFM) and the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO). We found that both programs similarly characterize biogeographic changes in fish community structure from Eastern to Western sites. In addition, size frequency distributions were indistinguishable at paired sites. Differences in species size distributions between MPAs and reference sites were also similar for both programs. In contrast, we found large differences in the absolute density of species counted at paired locations, which may be a result of different sampling methodologies. Evaluations of the species that responded most strongly to MPAs (inside vs. outside response ratios) in terms of fish density also indicated that the two monitoring programs have qualitatively different results.

AN EXPLORITORY ANALYSIS OF THE LITHIC ASSEMBLAGE FROM THE COVACHA BABISURI SITE ON ESPIRITU SANTO ISLAND, SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO.

Jim Cassidy*1, and Harumi Fujita2, 1San Diego Maritime Museum, 1492 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101 [email protected] 2Harumi Fujita, Instituto Nacional de Anthropologia e Historia, Southern Baja California, Legaspy No. 1637 Col. Los Olivos, la Paz 23040, Mexico

Archaeological investigations into the origins and development of human occupations along the Pacific coast, and adjacent islands, have been the subject of major research interest for the past few decades. Work focused on these subjects along the Baja Peninsula has intensified in the last decade, especially in the area of La Paz, Mexico, bordering the Sea of Cortez. Excavations conducted in the Covacha Babisuri rock shelter, on Espiritu Santo Island have provided significant insights into the early peopling and ecological focus of this area, dating to the late Pleistocene/early Holocene transition, approximately 11,000-9000 radiocarbon years ago. An examination of the stone tool assemblage recovered during these excavations has provided significant insights into this early occupation and their possible affiliation with populations located to the north. This lithic assemblage includes large cryptocrystalline projectile points, an eccentric crescent, numerous end and side scrapers, and groundstone. It also incorporates a significant prismatic macroblades industry in the earliest layers, which may continue regionally through the middle and late period occupations. The implications of these diagnostic stone tool elements will be the subject of ongoing research throughout the La Paz area.

ON THE ORIGINS OF THE INSECT FAUNA OF CALIFORNIA’S CHANNEL ISLANDS: A COMPARATIVE PHYLOGEOGRAPHICAL STUDY OF ISLAND BEETLES

Michael S. Caterino*1, Stylianos Chatzimanolis2, and Maxi P. Richmond3, 1Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol Rd., Santa Barbara, CA 93105 [email protected] 2Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Dept. 2653, 615 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37403 3Drosophila Species Stock Center, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive # 0116, La Jolla, California 92093

California’s eight Channel Islands host a large diversity of insect species, the vast majority of which are shared with mainland southern California. The existence of a small number of endemic species, however, suggests that for some lineages the islands are isolated enough to have permitted significant differentiation. We investigated the phylogeographic relationships of several species occurring on mainland southern California and on multiple (up to six) Channel Islands. Sequences of the cytochrome oxidase I mitochondrial gene and selected nuclear protein-coding genes were analyzed by Bayesian, haplotype network, and population genetic methods to examine relationships and gene flow among island and mainland populations. In no cases were all island populations resolved to be monophyletic relative to the mainland, and northern (Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel) and southern (San Nicolas, San Clemente, Santa Catalina) islands generally showed relationships to different areas of the mainland. This study shows that the Channel Islands do not function as a biogeographical unit, and that several of the islands exhibit levels of diversity comparable to, or even exceeding, similarly sampled areas on the mainland. Thus, as an insular refuge from southern Californian development, the Channel Islands constitute a center of high conservation importance.

MONITORING GIANT KELP FORESTS OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS WITH LONG-TERM SATELLITE IMAGERY

Kyle Cavanaugh*1, Thomas Bell1, Daniel Reed2, and David Siegel1, 1Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA 93106 [email protected] 2Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA 93106

Synthesizing long-term observations at multiple spatial scales is vital for understanding the drivers of ecosystem dynamics. However, collecting long-term data over large areas can be challenging for subtidal ecosystems where field surveys are time and labor intensive. We developed a novel method for estimating the canopy biomass of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper satellite imagery, which allowed us to examine the dynamics of giant kelp biomass on spatial scales ranging from 100s of m2 to 100s of km2 every 1-2 months from 1984-2011. Correlative analyses involving a range of oceanographic and climatic variables (e.g., swell height, sea surface temperature, nutrients, ENSO and PDO indicies) provided insight into the potential drivers of giant kelp biomass dynamics and possible responses of the giant kelp system to changes in these drivers. We also found substantial spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the roles of these driving mechanisms. These types of large-scale, long-term analyses are vital for understanding and predicting ecosystem responses to human impact and a changing climate.

CHAÑARAL AND CHOROS - DAMAS ISLANDS; TWO CLOSE PROTECTED AREAS WITH A TOO DIFFERENT SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY

Gerardo Cerda Gaete*1, and Ricardo Catalán Garrido2, 1Choros – Damas Islands Marine Reserve. Servicio Nacional de Pesca, Chile [email protected] 2Chañaral island Marine Reserve. Servicio Nacional de Pesca, Chile.

Chañaral, Choros and Damas are three small coastal islands near one another, and located closer than 6 nautical miles to the coastline in north central Chile (Lat 29º 07’ S). Its surrounding water column and sea bottom, with a 1 nautical mile ratio, were legally established as Marine Reserves in 2005 by the Chilean Government. That year, the Chañaral Island Marine Reserve was only visited by fishermen from the nearby coastal village named Chañaral de Aceituno, who catch mollusk and fishes in this island’s surrounding waters. Despite frequent opportunities to watch interesting marine mammals around this island, such as the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), and the blue whale(Balaenoptera musculus), the tourist activity was very limited, primarily due to the isolation of this location, the lack of access, and its remoteness from big cities. When the Choros – Damas Marine Reserve was formally created, it already had significant tourist activity (more than 13.000 annual visitors), who came to watch a bottlenose dolphin resident population, arriving to the Punta de Choros location thru the quickest access ways. The sea around this island kept a big fishery of mollusk and fishes made by the fishermen from several nearby coastal villages (Punta de Choros, Los Choros, Chungungo, Totoralillo Norte y Hornos). Nevertheless, most of the fishermen were impeded from fishing on this area when the marine reserve was created, except for the Punta Choros village’s fishermen, who received from the Chilean Government the administration of a “management and exploitation area of benthic resource” (AMERB in Spanish acronym). This poster presents the characteristics of this coastal island marine ecosystem, summarizes the administrative acts made in both marine reserves by the Chilean Government, the conflicts between local communities, and the recruitment of local organizations as a relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process. Finally, we present the future challenges included in the future administration of these marine reserves.

THE FLORA OF SANTA CATALINA ISLAND PROJECT: BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY

John R. Clark*1, Bruce Baldwin2, Elizabeth Baniaga1, Ben Carter1, Peter Dixon1, Steve Junak3, Lucinda McDade4, Tony Summers1, Linda Vorobik2, and Warren Wagner5, 1Catalina Island Conservancy Herbarium (CATA), PO Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704 [email protected] 2University of California, Berkeley, CA, 3Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA, 4Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA, 5Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C.

The Flora of Santa Catalina Island Project is an ongoing effort to study, document, conserve, and publish content describing the over 600 vascular plant taxa (430 native) and an estimated 100+ bryophytes on the island. The heart of the flora project is a relational database being developed with the flexibility to ultimately incorporate information beyond the flora including the island's fauna and cultural resources. Database development involves components of existing floristic and herbarium database design as well as novel aspects geared towards disseminating information as part of the Conservancy's mission in conservation, education and recreation. For each taxon, standard data are being collected along with general technical descriptions, lay descriptions, anecdotal information, culture and germination requirements for many native species, and management protocols for invasive plants. Images and silica gel-dried tissue samples for future DNA analysis are also being collected, each linked to specific vouchers in the database. While the flora project is ongoing, several key sub-projects will be completed by summer 2014 including 1) development and deployment of the relational database, 2) publication of the first two volumes of the manual (bryophytes and vascular plants) and 3) scientific and lay publications to disseminate information consistent with the Conservancy's mission.

THE EFFECT OF INTRODUCED HERBIVORE ERADICATION ON NATIVE PLANT SPECIES OF SANTA ROSA ISLAND

Lauren Cole*1, Ruth Oliver*1, Jennifer Phillips1, Acadia Tucker1, Emily Schultz1, Ken Niessen2, A. Kathryn McEachern3, and Diane M. Thomson1, 1Keck Science Department, Claremont Colleges, 925 N. Mills Avenue Claremont, CA 91711 2National Park Service, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 3U.S. Geological Survey, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

The flora of Santa Rosa Island (SRI) includes a number of rare and endemic species, but has experienced heavy impacts from introduced vertebrate herbivores. Since SRI came under the management of the National Park Service in 1986, extensive efforts have been made to eradicate these introduced animals, including the removal of sheep (1994), cattle (1998), and most recently deer and elk (2011). However, data documenting the extent of recovery by the most at-risk endemic plants on SRI and the degree to which these species are still endangered are limited. In order to document the effects of herbivore eradication to date and the current status of rare and endemic plants on SRI, we compared the current abundance and extent of 64 species of special concern, to a baseline survey from 1994-1996. In this original baseline survey, areas of SRI were selected to be searched for occurrences of the target species based upon habitat suitability. All occurrences were mapped and their abundances estimated. From 2010-2012, we revisited most of the area from this baseline survey, mapped the distributions of target native species with GPS, and recorded abundances. Our initial analysis shows a strong positive response in both the distribution and abundance of the target species. Although the magnitude of the response varied by location and species, the average increase in the number of species in five canyons on SRI was 227% and the average increase in abundance was 2124%. These results show that removal of introduced herbivores from SRI has led to rapid recovery of rare and endemic plants, in spite of the extensive habitat degradation that resulted from grazing.

THE NATIVE TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS: BIOGEOGRAPHY, ENDEMISM AND EXTINCTIONS

Paul W. Collins*, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta Del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 [email protected]

The terrestrial vertebrate fauna of the Channel Islands has been characterized as an unbalanced, depauperate assemblage of species found on the adjacent southern California mainland. Species that are widespread and abundant or that are good over-water dispersers are absent from the Channel Islands while species that are poor over-water dispersers or are less common or widespread are present on the islands. The vertebrate fauna of the Channel Island is comprised of 5 species of amphibians, 13 reptiles, 18 mammals (12 species of bats), and 420 species of birds (103 species of breeding birds). In general, the island vertebrate fauna is weakly differentiated with only four endemic species and 41 endemic or near endemic subspecies. This fauna has been changing since the end of the Pleistocene as evidenced by the disappearance of sixteen species (1 reptile, 8 birds and 7 mammals) from the islands. Since at least 13,000 BP, Native Americans accidentally or purposefully introduced a number of species to one or more of the islands. The arrival of Europeans and their grazing animals in the 19th Century wrought massive changes to the island fauna as a result of vegetation stripping from intensive herbivore grazing on each of the islands and with the accidental or purposeful introduction of species to the islands. At least 13 island endemic populations (1 mammal and 12 bird populations) of nine species of vertebrates have disappeared from one or more of the islands during the ranching era. Understanding what species have been lost as a result of man’s recent intensive use of the islands for grazing is important in that it will identify species that could be reintroduced back to an island once the vegetation of an island has recovered sufficiently to support the missing island endemics.

AN 8000 YEAR RECORD OF BIRD REMAINS FROM CAVE OF THE CHIMNEYS (CA-SMI-603), SAN MIGUEL ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Paul W. Collins*1, Emily L. Whistler2, Daniel Guthrie3, and René L. Vellanoweth2, 1Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta Del Sol, Santa Barbara CA 93105 [email protected] 2Department of Anthropology, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032, 3Joint Sciences Department, Claremont McKenna College, 500 E. 9th Street, Claremont, CA 91711

Cave of the Chimneys (CA-SMI-603), a rock shelter located on the northeast coast of San Miguel Island, was intermittently occupied by humans and raptors for close to 8,000 years. Archaeological excavations revealed stratigraphically intact cultural materials and extensive evidence of natural deposition incurred by raptors. Cultural deposits include midden remains and shell, bone, and lithic artifacts. Terrestrial vertebrates identified in these deposits include several small mammals (Peromyscus sp. and Sorex ornatus), lizards, rattlesnake, and the Island Fox. Radiocarbon dating, stratigraphic integrity, and excellent preservation at CA-SMI-603 provide a unique opportunity to examine changes in the avifauna of San Miguel Island through the late Holocene. The avian sample from this site contained a total NISP of 1,215 bones, a total MNI of 423 individuals of 74 species from 30 families. The sample contained 28 species of aquatic-marine birds, 3 species of raptors, 9 species of shorebirds, 2 species of woodpeckers, and 32 species of land birds (Passerines). The composition of species found in this sample suggests that it is the result of natural deposition from owls and falcons and deposition from human harvest. Of particular interest is the 33 species of land birds found in this sample which includes a number of species that nest today on San Miguel Island as well as several species that were present as breeders in the past on this island such as Island Scrub-Jay, Spotted Towhee, and possibly Bewick’s Wren. Of the 74 species documented in this sample, 7 showed evidence of nesting based on presence of juvenile bone. This sample provides a unique look at how the land bird fauna of this island has changed during the past 8,000 years and has implications to conservation efforts currently under way to return some species of land birds to islands where they nested in the past.

THE NON-NATIVE TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS

Paul W. Collins*1, and Kate Faulkner2, 1Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta Del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 [email protected] 2Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

During the past 200 years a wide variety of non-native terrestrial vertebrates have been intentionally or inadvertently introduced onto one or more of the Channel Islands. The known or reported non-native wildlife fauna of the islands has included 5 species of amphibians, 7 reptiles, 19 birds, and 25 mammals. For amphibians and reptiles there are currently 3 known introduced species extant on 4 islands. For birds, 6 species of escaped exotics have been recorded on 6 islands (none are currently established), 7 species of game birds have been introduced to 5 of the islands, and at least 6 non-native bird species have reached one or more of the islands on their own power with 4 establishing breeding populations. The introduced mammal fauna includes 1 species of opossum, 2 of rabbits, 7 of rodents, 3 of terrestrial carnivores, and 12 of herbivores. The most diverse group of mammals is the herbivores that is comprised of domestic livestock and introduced game species. A total of 45 separate populations of herbivores were established and each of the Channel Islands had at least one species. Conservation efforts by a variety of organizations during the past 30 years have resulted in the elimination of most of the feral herbivore populations on the islands, some of the introduced game bird populations, all of the rabbits, one introduced rodent population, and a number of feral cat populations. The current tally of non-native wildlife species is: Santa Catalina with 19, San Clemente with 10, San Nicolas with 5, Santa Rosa with 4, Santa Cruz with 4, San Miguel with 2, Anacapa with 2, and Santa Barbara with 1.

SEROLOGICAL MONITORING OF ISLAND FOX POPULATIONS AS PART OF A LONG-TERM CONSERVATION STRATEGY

Timothy J. Coonan*1, David K. Garcelon2, Julie L. King3, Christie Boser4, Angela Guglielmino1, Brian R. Hudgens2, and Deana L. Clifford5 1National Park Service, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2Institute for Wildlife Studies, P.O. Box 1104, Arcata, CA 95518 3Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704 4The Nature Conservancy, 532 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001 5California Department of Fish and Game, 1701 Nimbus Rd., Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Having evolved on offshore islands, Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) have a limited history of pathogen exposure. This limited exposure coupled with naturally small population sizes and high density may increase the risk of pathogen related population declines. In fact, canine distemper virus (CDV) caused a massive decline of the Santa Catalina Island fox population in 1999-2000, resulting in listing the subspecies as endangered. To monitor potential threats from infectious diseases, serosurveys to detect antibodies against (and thus prior exposure to) CDV, canine adenovirus (CAV), canine parvovirus (CPV), canine herpes virus (CHV) and canine corona virus (CCV) are conducted periodically for all island fox populations. Here we report the results of serosurveys conducted between 2007-2011 for all island fox subspecies, and compare these recent results to those of earlier serosurveys. The prevalence of antibodies against each pathogen (seroprevalence) varied by island and over time, which is consistent with a unique exposure history for each island fox subspecies. On San Miguel and Santa Rosa islands, CAV seroprevalence increased compared to previous serosurveys, while seroprevalence of CDV was low and no antibodies against CPV were detected. Recent serosurveys revealed an absence of antibodies against CDV, CAV, CPV, CHV or CCV in foxes from Santa Cruz Island, while in the Santa Catalina Island fox population, seroprevalence of antibodies against CDV and CPV was lower and CCV prevalence was higher than in previously detected, and CAV seroprevalence was low, versus absent previous serosurveys. On San Nicolas Island, CAV seroprevalence remained high, CPV seroprevalence remained low, and CDV seroprevalence varied across years. On San Clemente Island, CDV seroprevalence remained low while CPV seroprevalence varied considerably. Continued monitoring to detect changes in pathogen exposure and pathogen emergence on the islands is an essential component of a long-term island fox conservation strategy.

RECOVERY OF ISLAND FOXES ON THE NORTHERN CHANNEL ISLANDS

Timothy J. Coonan1*, Brian Hudgens2, Christina Boser3, David K. Garcelon2, Victoria Bakker4, and Scott Morrison5, 1National Park Service, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA93001 [email protected] 2Institute for Wildlife Studies, P.O. Box 1104, Arcata, CA 95511 3The Nature Conservancy, 532 E. Main St., Suite 200, Ventura, CA 93001 4James Madison University, Department of Biology, MSC 7801, 016 Burruss Hall, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 5 The Nature Conservancy, 201 Mission Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105

The island fox (Urocyon littoralis) represents the unusual case of a species managed to virtual recovery a mere 15 years since declines were discovered. The three island fox subspecies on the northern Channel Islands (San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz) declined precipitously in the mid-1990s due to predation by golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), which had not historically bred on the islands. A decade of recovery actions included captive breeding, capture and relocation of golden eagles, and the larger ecosystem recovery actions of feral pig (Sus scrofa) removal and reintroduction of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Reintroduction of foxes to the wild began in 2003. Released foxes were monitored with telemetry to document survival rates and quantify the reduction in the threat posed by golden eagles. All releasable animals were place in the wild by 2008, due to high survival and reproduction in introduced fox populations, and each island entered an intensive monitoring phase to document population recovery and to detect and respond to the identified potential threats of disease and predation. Monitoring has focused on annual population estimation via capture-mark-recapture data from grid trapping, and mortality rate and cause from radiotelemetry. A comprehensive demographic modeling effort produced a “population recovery tool” that uses those parameters estimates which most influence predicted extinction risk, adult mortality and population size, to assess extinction risk for each fox population. This tool provides a mechanism for determining when the “population growth” phase is complete and threats are sufficiently mitigated to consider the population safe from extinction. To date, this tool indicates that two of the three northern subspecies are biologically recovered. Last steps toward full recovery are putting in place mechanisms to detect and mitigate predation and disease threats. Such response plans for epidemics and eagle predation are being developed for the northern Channel Islands.

AVIAN COMMUNITY DYNAMICS ON SAN MIGUEL, SANTA BARBARA, AND ANACAPA ISLANDS FROM 1993-2009

Timothy J. Coonan 1, Robert C. Klinger*2, and Linda C. Dye1, National Park Service, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2USGS-BRD, Yosemite Field Station-Bishop Office, 568 Central Avenue, Bishop, CA 93514

Ecological communities are subject to many exogenous processes and events that can lead to shifts in community composition and structure. We analyzed a 17-year dataset of landbird distribution and abundance on San Miguel, Santa Barbara, and Anacapa Islands to evaluate if their dynamics were characterized more by relatively gradual but directional changes or more rapid stochastic, non-directional fluctuations. Data were derived from nine line transects (San Miguel N = 5; Santa Barbara N = 3; Anacapa N = 1) surveyed 11-16 times between 1993 and 2009. Empirical cumulative distribution functions indicated that species abundance patterns varied substantially among islands and over time within islands. In general, dominance was accounted for by ≤ 4 species on all three islands. When dominance decreased it was generally from increased abundance among the less common species than decreases in the more common ones. San Miguel and Anacapa showed largely stochastic temporal abundance patterns, and when large changes occurred they did not persist for more than a year. There was little evidence that directional shifts occurred on San Miguel, but dominance decreased on Anacapa after 2000. Directional changes in species abundance patterns on Santa Barbara occurred from 1996 through 2005, with dominance generally decreasing from year-to-year during that period. However, after 2005 species abundance patterns on Santa Barbara were similar to those from 1993-1995. Less than 25% of the species were observed in all years of the surveys on any of the islands, which is consistent with expectations from the core-satellite hypothesis. Shifts in community composition could be gradual or rapid but tended to be due to changes in satellite species more so than core ones. We hypothesize that this indicates multiple simultaneously occurring metacommunity processes, particularly patch dynamics and species sorting, are the main drivers of landbird community dynamics in the northern islands.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL: THE NATURE CONSERVANCY’S PROGRAM TO ERADICATE 20 NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES FROM SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

Coleen Cory1, and John Knapp*2, 1The Nature Conservancy, 532 East Main St., Suite 200, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2Native Range, Inc., 1746-F South Victoria Ave, #378, Ventura, CA 93001 Santa Cruz Island has been free of non-native ungulates since 2006, but non-native invasive plants remain one of the most significant threats to the recovery of the island’s native ecosystems. Just over one- fourth of the island’s flora is comprised of non-native, naturalized plant species. In 2007, an island-wide invasive plant survey indicated that approximately 20 species were candidates for eradication based on their distribution and abundance, as well as their invasiveness. In 2008, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and its contractor launched an ambitious eradication program utilizing novel methods such as helicopter- based access and herbicide ballistic technology to eliminate 14 species from TNC property. As progress was made, an additional six species were targeted in subsequent years. Each infestation was treated once annually with one exception: Italian thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus), which was treated twice per year. Over the last five years nearly 90% of approximately 650 infestations have been controlled to zero density (elimination of all above-ground plants). The remaining infestations had either resurgence from the soil seed bank and/or the original plants had not completely died - typically a portion of a branch was still alive. Continued monitoring and follow-up invasive plant treatments will occur in 2013. Utilization of a small helicopter to access remote infestations was vital in achieving project success and provided applicators an optimal platform from which to detect individual plants, including new populations, and treat them before they set seed. Most important in achieving project success was consistent treatment from year to year, which prevented reproduction and recovery of infestations. Long-lived soil seed banks for some species will continue to be an issue for years to come, but the continued commitment to eradicate these weeds and the ability to detect incipient infestations and respond rapidly to eliminate them has proven to be a recipe for success.

EVALUATION OF NEW TELEMETRY TECHNOLOGIES FOR ISLAND FOX RESEARCH

Brian Cypher*1, Lisa Drake 2, Jennifer Savage3, Julie King4, Katherine Ralls5, Timothy Coonan3, John Perrine2, and Calvin Duncan5, 1California State University-Stanislaus, Endangered Species Recovery Program, P.O. Box 9622, Bakersfield, CA 93389 [email protected] 2Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 3National Park Service, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 4Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704 5Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20008

New telemetry technologies have recently become available for island fox research on island foxes (Urocyon littoralis). These include GPS units, which collect location data, and proximity logger units, which record contacts between individuals wearing the units. We evaluated these technologies on island foxes through 4 field studies. GPS collars were deployed on foxes on Santa Catalina during 2007-2008 (n=20) and 2010-2011 (n=5), and on Santa Rosa during 2009-2010 (n=14). Foxes wore the units for 47- 432 days. The GPS units had multiple problems including malfunctioning drop-off mechanisms, failure of some units to yield data, low location acquisition rates, improper factory programming, high rates of premature failure of VHF transmitters and GPS units, poor VHF signal strength, faulty mortality sensors, and breakage of the unit housing or antenna. Proximity loggers were deployed on foxes on San Miguel during 2009-2010 (n=17), and foxes wore the units for 205-323 days. Performance was satisfactory and consistent with expectations. Both the GPS and proximity logger units were easy to fit on foxes, did not appear to cause any injuries or adverse effects, and yielded high-quality data when the units worked correctly. We concluded that proximity loggers, and potentially GPS units, can collect useful and valuable data on island foxes that would be more difficult and expensive to collect using conventional VHF methods. We recommend: (1) using GPS units with caution, given the problems we experienced, (2) using GPS units with a remote download function, (3) downloading data from both types of units as frequently as is practicable, (4) attempting GPS unit data downloads from the air, (5) frequently monitoring foxes using the VHF transmitters to determine area use, and (6) rigorously pretesting all functions on both types of units prior to deployment on foxes. THE MILLS YEARS ON SAN MIGUEL ISLAND, 1869-1888.

Marla Daily*, Santa Cruz Island Foundation, 5045 Wullbrandt Way, Carpinteria, CA 93013 [email protected]

The four milestone claimants and lessees to San Miguel Island include: Captain George Nidever and sons (1851-1870); the Mills Brothers (1869-1888); Captain William G. Waters (1887-1917); and Robert Larkin Brooks (1916-1948). On May 8, 1869, forty-one year-old Hiram Wallace Mills (1828-1915), purchased “one undivided half of all interest, right, title and possession” of San Miguel Island from Captain George Nidever and his two sons, Mark and George, for $5000. The following year, Mills purchased the remaining half for $10,000, which included all livestock and improvements. The hard- working Hiram then partnered in the sheep business with his twin brother, Warren Heman “Heem” Mills (1828-1890), a San Francisco attorney. In 1872 the Pacific Wool Growing Company was formed, with the intention of running sheep on San Miguel, Anacapa, and San Nicolas islands. Fractional interests in San Miguel Island were sold and resold; the 15-ton wooden schooner, Active, was purchased to haul sheep and wool. In 1884 Hiram’s son, Dr. Howard Mills, built a two-story 5-bedroom house in Nidever Canyon near the island’s fresh water source, where he and his wife, Ida, lived for over a year. The Mills brothers’ years were marked by discord between the twins. Hiram claimed he did all the work while Warren reaped more of the profits. By the mid 1880s, their business relationship was dissolved, and Hiram moved back to the family’s farm in Michigan. In 1887 Warren Mills sold half interest in San Miguel Island to Captain William G. Waters for $10,000. He sold the other half the following year to Judge Washington Irving Nichols for $10,000, thus ending the Mills years on San Miguel Island in 1888. It would be another four years until Captain Waters finally acquired 100% interest in San Miguel—an island with no legal title.

THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF EXTRA-PAIR PATERNITY AND INTRASPECIFIC AGGRESSION IN BREEDING ISLAND SCRUB-JAYS.

Michelle Desrosiers*1, Kathryn Langin1, T. Scott Sillett 2 , W. Chris Funk1 , Cameron Ghalambor 1, Lisa M. Angeloni 1, 1Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1878, [email protected] 2 Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, PO Box 37012 MRC 5503, Washington, DC 20013-7012

The relative costs and benefits of high local breeding densities are expected to differ between the sexes. High densities may decrease the amount of resources pairs have to raise young, but males may accrue positive benefits if they can sire extra-pair offspring in the nests of neighboring pairs. We have been studying the social dynamics of Island Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma insularis) and have found that some young pairs, as early as their first breeding season, attempt to acquire territorial space between established territory holders and breed. Preliminary data on extra-pair paternity indicate that those young pairs are sometimes cuckolded by neighboring established males. Thus, we have conducted a playback experiment to test the relative level of aggression by breeding males and females towards a single male intruder (extra-pair paternity threat to territorial male), versus a male intruder accompanied by a female (potential reproductive opportunity for male, loss of resources for young). Using taxidermic mounts and playbacks, this experiment tests if established males exhibit differential aggression towards solitary males that could be a threat to paternity, compared to pairs that might provide increased opportunities for extra-pair paternity. We expected established males to be less aggressive in response to a paired intruder versus a single intruder, and females to respond relatively more aggressively to the pair than the territorial male. The combined use of genetic parentage data and breeding history used here provide insight into the potential social context determining extra-pair paternity rates and patterns of aggression.

ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT OF NATIVE PLANT NURSERY FACILITIES FOR ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

Peter J. Dixon*, Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704 [email protected]

Native plant nursery facilities represent significant capital investments for private land management organizations engaged in restoration and conservation activities. Facilities are usually established and dedicated to specific project outcomes, and utilize limited term or restricted funding. However, long term conservation goals may often be met only through the sustained operation of conservation programs, whereby institutional knowledge is preserved and operational funding is supported by diverse and adaptive revenue streams that align with conservation goals. The Native Plant Conservation and Horticulture programs of the Catalina Island Conservancy have made progress toward achieving financial sustainability through the development of diverse revenue streams, donor relations, grant and endowment funding. An organizational commitment to sustaining the programs have allowed operations to adapt and persist through paradigm shifts and funding variability. Ongoing efforts to streamline operations, develop markets for native plant materials and develop partnerships with regional and national conservation programs will ensure that appropriate native plant materials are available into the future for conservation applications in this unique island system.

HOME RANGE AND HABITAT ANALYSIS OF SANTA ROSA ISLAND FOXES (UROCYON LITTORALIS)

Elizabeth Drake*1, John Perrine1, Brian Cypher2, Kathy Ralls3, Tim Coonan4,and Russell White5, 1Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 [email protected] 2California State University-Stanislaus, Endangered Species Recovery Program, P.O. Box 9622, Bakersfield, CA 93389 3Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20008 4 National Park Service, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 5 Natural Resource Management Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407

Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) are currently listed as federally endangered on four of the six Channel Islands to which they are endemic. The Santa Rosa Island (SRI) population declined by 99% due to non- native golden eagle (Aguila chrysaetos) predation during the 1990s. This population is recovering but still at comparatively low density. We examined space use patterns of foxes on Santa Rosa using Global Positioning System (GPS) collars to assess home range overlap and habitat selection under conditions of relatively low intraspecific competition. In fall 2009, 14 male foxes were collared on the east side of SRI. The 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) home ranges averaged 3.39  0.59km2 with overlaps ranging from 0.1% to 28.3%. The 95% kernel density isopleth (KDI) home ranges averaged 3.82  0.68km2 with an overlap volume of 16%. These home range sizes are almost triple the size of other island fox studies, likely due to the lower densities in the recovering SRI population. We used Euclidian distance analysis (EDA) on the 95% KDI home ranges to determine selection for vegetation communities and topography at three scales: within the study area, within home ranges and within core areas. Within the study area, foxes selected for lupine, which no previous studies have documented. Within the home ranges and core areas, there was no significant selection for vegetation type. However, a more detailed analysis showed that foxes select bare and grassland habitats at night and valley bottom topography. This study provides essential baseline data for this recovering population and can guide habitat restoration efforts now that non-native ungulates have been removed. When densities reach previous levels of 4 foxes/km2, we recommend a follow up study to document density-dependent changes in home range size, overlap and habitat selection.

POPULATION PATTERNS OF DEER MICE (PEROMYSCUS MANICULATUS) ON THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS

Charles Drost*1, Cathy Schwemm2, Tim Coonan3, Paul W. Collins4, Robert C. Klinger5, and John Orrock6, 1USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 [email protected] 2190 Virginia Drive, Ventura, CA 93003 3Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 4Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 5USGS Yosemite Field Station, 568 Central Avenue, Bishop, CA 93514 6Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706

The deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) is the most ubiquitous mammal on the Channel Islands, and on other California and Baja California islands. On most of the Channel Islands, the deer mouse is the only small mammal. The species occurs across virtually all habitats on the islands, and on some islands they reach extraordinary densities. Given the relatively simple plant and animal communities on the islands, the generally high numbers of these mice, and their position as both an intermediate consumer, and in turn a prey species for a variety of predators on the islands (including the endemic island fox), deer mice play an important role in the island food webs. In spite of this, relatively little has been published on the ecology of the island deer mice. We present here the first analysis of deer mouse populations and population biology across all of the California Channel Islands. Deer mice reach their highest population densities on the smallest of the islands (Anacapa and Santa Barbara), and peak numbers are lowest on the largest islands (e.g. Santa Cruz).However, numbers on the small islands also show the greatest variation in numbers over time, with high peak numbers, but also very low numbers following declines. Numbers on the larger islands tend to have more consistent population levels, and regular annual variations, with spring lows, and moderate fall highs (following peak breeding in spring and summer).This overall pattern is affected by differences in the predator communities on the different islands (e.g. the presence or absence of island foxes), differences in vegetation conditions (e.g. due to introduced grazing animals, or the removal of such non-natives), and effects of other non-native species, such as black rats (Rattus rattus).

INVASIVE LAND MOLLUSKS ON SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA, AND POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON NATIVE ENDEMIC SNAILS

Charles Drost*1, Grace Smith2, and Martin Ruane2,1USGS Southwest Biological Science Center, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 [email protected] 2U.S. Navy, Environmental Projects Office, Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, CA 93042

The land snails are one of the most unique components of the endemic flora and fauna of the California Channel Islands, but are also one of the least known and appreciated. San Nicolas Island is the most remote of the Channel Islands, nearly 100 km from the nearest point on the mainland coast. It supports at least seven extant native land snails, with two of these (Micrarionta feralis and M. opuntia) endemic solely to San Nicolas and four others found on San Nicolas plus one or two of the other Channel Islands. As with many of the other island plants and animals, the native snails have declined substantially, in association with habitat loss and degradation due to introduced grazing animals and other human uses of the islands. Introduced land mollusks may also pose a threat to the native land snails. Two that are of primary concern on San Nicolas Island are the brown garden snail (Cornu aspersum, = Helix aspersa) and the decollate snail (Rumina decollata).The garden snail has expanded to inhabit approximately 25% of the island, and is abundant over much of the area where it now occurs. The decollate snail is much more restricted in range, but is slowly expanding its extent. The decollate snail is predatory on other snail species, and may pose a threat to the island's endemic snails, particularly M. feralis, whose known range is very restricted and is near the area where the decollate snail is now found.

NESTING HABITATS, THREATS, AND CONSERVATION OF THE SCRIPPS’S MURRELET (Synthliboramphus scrippsi) AT SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Tyler M. Dvorak*1, Linda Farley1, Darrell L. Whitworth2, Harry R. Carter2, 1Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704 [email protected] 2California Institute of Environmental Studies, 3408 Whaler Avenue, Davis, CA 95616

In 2012, we investigated potential threats and restoration actions for the Scripps’s Murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi) at Santa Catalina Island, California. On 26 April, four murrelet nests were discovered east of the isthmus along the north-central coast, near Lava Wall. An incubating adult occupied one nest, located within a crack on a vertical rock wall 5 m above sea level. Two nests near the shoreline contained hatched eggshell fragments; one other nest contained a single scavenged or depredated egg. These nests mark the first documented breeding by murrelets on the main island, although breeding has been suspected at several coastal areas based on vocal detection and spotlight surveys of nocturnal at-sea congregation areas in 1994-2012. The only historic nesting record is a single nest reported in 1967 from Bird Rock, an islet 500 m offshore. Greater knowledge of nesting habitats has allowed for better assessment of threats and potential restoration actions. Mammalian predators on the main island include island fox (Urocyon littoralis catalinae), cats (Felis catus), and black rats (Rattus rattus). Avian predation levels may be low, with nesting dispersed between several coastal areas and low numbers of breeding Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis), although Common Ravens (Corvus corax) are abundant. Restoration of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) or an increase in Barn Owl (Tyto alba) numbers may lead to greater future avian predation pressure. Past human impacts on the main island have included a significant loss of nesting habitats due to coastal developments, rock quarries, and introduced plants. In near-shore waters, efforts are needed to reduce primary marine threats from oil spills and bright lights (e.g., squid fishing, anchored vessels, and onshore sources) that affect congregation areas or nesting habitats. Efforts to exclude mammalian predators and human disturbance from specific murrelet nesting areas are being considered, especially along the north shore. A comprehensive long-term conservation program is needed to protect, restore, monitor, and study the Scripps’s Murrelet at Santa Catalina Island.

NORTHWEST COAST ARTIFACTS FROM A HISTORIC NICOLEÑO CACHE FEATURE AT CA- SNI-14

Jon Erlandson*1, Lisa Thomas-Barnett2, René Vellanoweth3, and Steve Schwartz2, 1University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403 2Range Sustainability Office, Naval Air Warfare Weapons Division, Point Mugu, CA 93042-5049 3Department of Anthropology, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 Historically, colonial encounters along North America's Pacific Coast brought people of diverse ancestry into contact. The sea otter fur trade was one nexus for such encounters, with Native Alaskans brought to California's Channel Islands by European or American sponsors. A historic cache feature at CA-SNI-14, although clearly of Nicoleño origin, produced several artifacts diagnostic of Alaskan or Northwest Coast cultures. We describe these distinctive artifacts, including four toggling harpoons, two unilaterally barbed bone harpoon heads, two socketed bone foreshafts, and a ground slate blade. For the Channel Islands, a few similar objects exist in old museum collections but the CA-SNI-14 examples are among the few Native Alaskan artifacts attributable to a specific site or context.

OCEAN FOR LIFE — AN IMMERSIVE FIELD EXPERIENCE AT THE CHANNEL ISLANDS FOR MULTICULTURAL TEENS

Claire Fackler*1, Julie Bursek2, and Laura Francis2,1NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 735 State Street, Suite 617, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 [email protected] 2NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, 113 Harbor Way, suite 150, Santa Barbara, CA 93109

Ocean for Life is an ocean science program for multicultural teens to discover marine science, conservation, cultural understanding and how the ocean connects us all. The 2011 Ocean for Life field study brought together 28 high school students of diverse backgrounds and cultures from the Greater Middle East and North America to study marine science at the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Marine Science Institute and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The 2011 Ocean for Life field study consisted of a two-week field study where students learned about research and conservation activities being conducted to address issues threatening ocean health. Students also worked with National Geographic Media Camp mentors to learn how to share the marine environment and their personal experiences through visual storytelling. After the field study, the dialogue continues through STEM projects and presentations. Ultimately, the Ocean for Life program offers Middle Eastern and Western youth an opportunity to learn about each other’s diverse cultures and share cross-cultural common experiences through collaborative ocean science research, exploration, and scholastic achievement. Ocean for Life is a partnership between the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, The GLOBE Program, Scubanauts International and National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in collaboration with National Geographic, American University's Center for Environmental Filmmaking and Meridian International Center. The 2011 program was supported by many local organizations, such as University of California, Santa Barbara’s Marine Science Institute, Channel Islands National Park, The Nature Conservancy, Santa Barbara ChannelKeeper, Watershed Resource Center and Art from Scrap, COSEE- West, Coastal Marine Biolabs, Channel Islands Outfitters, Wishtoyo Foundation, Ventura County Education Office, Islands Packers, UC Reserve System, Growing Solutions and Ty Warner Sea Center.

KELP FOREST TODAY, BARREN TOMORROW: TEMPORAL VARIATION IN KELP FOREST STRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Stacie Fejtek*, Michael Civiello, Joshua Sprague, David Kushner, Johnathan Centoni, and Sarah Carter, National Park Service, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Temperate reef systems naturally fluctuate between kelp forest and barren systems. However, as previous studies have indicated, it is difficult to classify these systems as either kelp forest, barren, or transitional system, due to the fact that some kelp forests can support high numbers of urchins, and conversely, the density of kelp plants decline as a forest matures. Channel Islands National Park has conducted long-term ecological monitoring of the kelp forests around San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands since 1982. A total of 33 sites are surveyed annually, including 15 sites which fall within the Marine Protected Areas established in 2003. We focused specifically on sites which have fluctuated between both extremes over time, paying particular attention to the changes occurring in the Marine Protected Areas. Using giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) stipe counts and densities, we were able to assess the status of these sites as they change through time. Size frequency of adult Macrocystis has been assessed within sites by measuring 100 individuals at each site annually since 1984 and within 1m quadrats since 2007. A comparison of the two methodologies reveals quadrats may underestimate plant size and create discrepancies in designating site status.

SEABIRD RESTORATION PROGRAM ON MEXICAN PACIFIC ISLANDS

María Félix-Lizárraga*1, Marlenne Rodríguez-Malagón1, José Barredo-Barberena1, Alfonso Aguirre- Muñoz1, Humberto Berlanga², Eduardo Íñigo-Elías3, 1Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C., Moctezuma 836, Zona Centro, Ensenada, Baja California, 22800, México [email protected] 2Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad, Ave. Liga Periférico – Insurgentes Sur, Núm. 4903, Col. Parques del Pedregal, Delegación Tlalpan, 14010, México, D.F. 3Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850

Invasive species have caused 16 vertebrate extinctions on Mexican islands. To prevent further extinctions, eradication campaigns have been conducted on 35 islands. Eradication techniques range from the traditional ones—trapping and ground hunting— to the most sophisticated ones—aerial hunting, bait aerial broadcast, DGPS, telemetry and GIS use—. Regarding seabirds, recolonization and an increase on its reproductive success have been achieved. Since 2008 we have been conducting a seabird social attraction project on Asunción (43ha) and San Roque (37ha) islands, in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, off Baja California, Mexico. These islands originally were important nesting places for seabird species. However, the presence of introduced cats and rats decimated and, in some cases, extirpated the seabird populations. With the eradication of invasive cats and rodents during the last decade, both islands became a safe habitat for birds to return. The current restoration project involves the use of social attraction systems, comprising Elegant Tern and Heermann’s Gull decoys, vocalization playbacks powered by solar panels, mirrors, and monitoring of seabirds and land birds. Results to date are positive and encouraging; interactions of Elegant Tern with the decoys have been recorded as well as the presence of Heermann’s Gull nests, next to the attraction systems; recolonization by the Cassin’s Auklet and the Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) has been confirmed; and Craveri’s Murrelet (Synthliboramphus craveri) is also nesting on the islands. The data and experience gathered has set the basis to integrate a long-term restoration program from the Coronado archipelago in the North to Asunción Island in the South. By doing so, seabird populations distributed along the wide US-Mexico region will be benefited. For this wide program, multiannual funds have been secured from two US compensation trusts (Montrose and Luckenbach). Mexican government agencies and private donors committed to this program since the beginning. An environmental education program with the local communities will be crucial for the long- term success of the restoration actions. PATTERNS IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF KELP FOREST MACROINVERTEBRATES AND ALGAE ON SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ROCKY REEFS

L.A. Fink*, J.T. Claisse, J.P. Williams, and D.J. Pondella II. Vantuna Research Group, Occidental College, Department of Biology, Los Angeles, CA, 90041, [email protected]

One goal of California’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) is to conserve biodiversity. Therefore, understanding the spatial variability of communities is a crucial component to ecosystem-based management and essential for evaluating the performance of MPAs as a connected network in southern California. Conspicuous invertebrates and algae were quantified along band transects at 33 subtidal rocky reef sites located across San Nicolas, San Clemente, Santa Catalina, and Santa Barbara Islands, and the mainland coast of southern California. Using nMDS analyses, we then identified patterns and potential drivers in the distribution of common kelp forest invertebrate and macroalgal communities. Macroinvertebrate communities form regional clusters that correlate with patterns in sea surface temperature with the largest differences in invertebrate community structure occurring between the coldest and warmest sites sampled. These results are similar to that found for kelp forest fish and intertidal communities in the region. Some of the main invertebrates driving the clusters are those that are also subject to emerging fisheries, such as red urchin (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus), wavy turban snail (Megastraea undosa), and Kellet’s whelk (Kelletia kelletii). Algae communities had less structure, with patterns primarily driven by densities of Macrocystis pyrifera. Given the trophic and structural associations between members of the algal, invertebrate and fish communities, this information will be an important component for assessing the responses in each community to reserve establishment and any associated changes in ecological processes.

FOG DRIP ON SANTA ROSA ISLAND

Douglas T. Fischer*1,2, Sarah Chaney3, Kevin Ulrich4, Christopher Still1,5, and Kathryn McEachern6, 1Department of Geography, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected] 2Strategic Environmental Consulting, ARCADIS, 2411 Selrose Ln, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 3Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001 4Department of Geography, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330 5Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, 321 Richardson Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331 6U.S Geological Survey-Western Ecological Research Center, Channel Islands Field Station, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001

Fog provides an important source of summer water for island ecosystems as it coalesces on twigs and leaves of plants and drips to the ground. Fog water has been shown to increase growth of Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana) and bishop pine (Pinus muricata), providing up to a few hundred mm of water during foggy summers in favorable locations. As it drips, it infiltrates the soil where it can be stored until evaporating, being taken up by roots, or percolating down to groundwater. We are investigating amounts of fog water intercepted by different kinds of vegetation, ranging from coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis) to island oak (Quercus tomentella). A full suite of weather parameters, including fog drip, are recorded at five sites distributed across Santa Rosa Island with remote stations located outside of vegetation canopies. We also record fog drip alone at four additional sites within tree and shrub stands. Total water collected by vegetation on the island varies with location and canopy structure. Pines collect most efficiently (as measured against a standard fog collector) but Island Oaks growing in more favorable locations than any pines collect the largest volumes. These results help explain vegetation patterns on the island, and better define locations where native vegetation restoration efforts are likely to be most successful.

EFFECTIVE MESSAGES AND STRATIGIES FOR COMMUNICATING OCEAN ACIDIFICATION Laura Francis*1, Julie Bursek1 and Claire Fackler 2, 1NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, 113 Harbor Way, Suite 150, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 [email protected] 2NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 735 State Street, Suite 617, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Ocean acidification has the potential to significantly alter ocean ecosystems important to all American lives. It is a significant emerging issue for National Marine Sanctuaries and National and State Parks, especially those along the west coast which support important fisheries that provide large economic benefits to the region. Ocean acidification has the potential to cause major food web disruptions and negatively impact coastal harbors, commercial and recreational fisheries, and ecotourism opportunities. The public continuously requests information to learn more about these changes and to understand current research efforts and findings. The West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries have been working to address this issue through development of an action plan which includes hosting an Effective Practices for Communicating Ocean Acidification workshop in partnership with the Monterey Bay Research Institute to be held in conjunction with the International Science Symposium, The Ocean in a High CO2 World: Ocean Acidification, in September 2012. The workshop will link the latest ocean acidification science with key outreach activities such as national marine sanctuary, national and state park and aquarium programs, classroom lessons, exhibits, and community outreach to target stakeholder audiences. Outcomes of the workshop will include: identifying regionally relevant case studies, conducting a literature review including outcomes of recent public opinion polls about ocean acidification, determining what outreach materials and curriculum already exist, and developing a matrix of key messages and effective tools for engaging different stakeholder audiences on this issue. We will summarize results of the workshop needs assessment of forty partners from aquariums, science centers, universities, environmental organizations and state and federal agencies and discuss key messages and actions developed at the workshop, and specifically how they can be applied to education and outreach programs in the Channel Islands region.

CIRCULAR PEARL OYSTER FISHHOOKS AND ORNAMENTS FROM THE EARLY HOLOCENE ON ESPIRITU SANTO ISLAND, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO

Harumi Fujita*, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Centro INAH BCS, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico

At Covacha Babisuri on Espíritu Santo Island, Baja California Sur, Mexico, 43 pearl oyster artifacts were discovered from the middle and lower cultural layers of the site. These artifacts are classified as circular shell fishhooks and ornaments. They include complete and fragmented pieces, as well as preform and finished ones. Some of the artifacts are retouched and others are polished. AMS 14C dating of a preform found in the lower layer returned a date of 8380 ± 50 RCYBP (Beta-236254). This Early Holocene dated fishhook preform is considered one of the earliest in the world. The tool assemblage including lithic, shell and coral, as well as pearl oyster debitage, indicate that shell fishhooks/ornament were manufactured at this rockshelter. Diverse fish bone remains also suggest the use of fishhooks. Additional use of the these fishhook as ornaments is evident in an 18th century drawing done by the English pirate George Shelvocke which shows a native Pericú fisherman with circular shell earrings at Cabo San Lucas.

EL MONTÓN: A MIDDLE HOLOCENE CENTER ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

Lynn H. Gamble*, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected] One of the best preserved and largest Middle Holocene archaeological sites from the Santa Barbara Channel region is El Montón (CA-SCRI-333) at Forney’s Cove on the west end of Santa Cruz Island. This site is the largest intact documented shell mound on the northern Santa Barbara Channel Islands. Recent archaeological investigations at the site have documented 51 house depressions between 6 and over 10 meters in diameter. As a result of archaeological excavations in five of these depressions, complex stratigraphic deposits have been investigated, including deposits that have been interpreted as burned roof fall. Radiocarbon dates suggest that the houses were occupied between approximately 2250 and 3250 years BP. Layers characterized by large quantities of red abalone from the site date much earlier, about 5500 years BP. Other features at the site include a recently discovered large burned rock feature that was probably used as a roasting platform. The El Montón site also has at least two discrete cemeteries that were excavated in the 1920s. The earliest of these dates to about 6000-5000 BP, and the other to about 2600-3000 BP. A recent analysis of the grave goods from this cemetery indicates a differential distribution of grave goods. For example, one individual from the later cemetery had 140 stone effigies associated with them, indicating they had special ritual influence. Other individuals had 100s or even thousands of shell beads while others had none. Serpentine beads, deer bone hairpins, large red ochre cakes, and other artifacts indicate interaction with the mainland. The data from this site provide significant information on the emergence of social and political complexity among the Chumash Indians of the Santa Barbara Channel region.

DIURNAL AND SEMIDIURNAL INTERNAL WAVES NEAR TWO HARBORS, SANTA CATALINA

Craig Gelpi*, Catalina Marine Society, 15954 Leadwell St., Lake Balboa, CA 91406 [email protected]

Internal waves at both diurnal and semidiurnal frequencies are common on island slopes in the Southern California Bight (SCB). Amplitudes in both regimes are similar, although the phenomenology at the two frequencies is expected to be different as the Bight is north of the critical latitude (30 degrees), making diurnal modulations evanescent though semidiurnal waves can propagate. Understanding the driving forces for the internal waves may provide insight into vertical mixing in the Bight. We use long-duration Los Angeles tide data and ocean temperatures measured near the Wrigley Institute of Environmental Studies (WIES) to study highly-resolved spectra and seasonal characteristics of internal waves. These characteristics are then analyzed using available, sometimes non-concurrent, shorter-series data sets including local wind and cross-island ocean temperature. We conclude that the semidiurnal waves are driven by tides while the diurnal waves are due to meteorological forcing.

DIABLO VALDEZ: THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANT FOODS THROUGH TIME ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

Kristina M. Gill*, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected]

Largely known as expert sea mammal hunters, fishers, and shellfishers, the Island Chumash were experts at navigating and exploiting the marine and nearshore environments of the Channel Region. However, the importance of plants available locally on the islands in the overall diet has yet to be examined. Carbohydrates from corms (e.g., Blue Dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum)) and bulbs (e.g., Mariposa Lily (Calochortus sp.)) would have been important in balancing the protein-rich marine diet. Ethnographic information indicates Blue Dicks were harvested in considerable amounts on the islands, and roasted in large communal roasting pits. The Diablo Valdez Bedrock Mortar Complex (SCRI- 619/620), occupied from before 5,000 years ago through Missionization (AD 1782), is located away from the coast on the northern side of Santa Cruz Island, the largest and most terrestrially diverse. In addition to five bedrock mortars, excavations at Diablo Valdez revealed numerous hearth clearing pit features, several living surfaces and postholes, a substantial midden accumulation, and a possible roasting pit feature measuring over a meter across. Moreover, carbonized Blue Dicks corms were recovered in large amounts and from multiple strata, representing the most substantial recovery of carbonized corms in southern California. The long period of occupation at the Diablo Valdez site, in combination with the abundant carbonized plant remains, allows for a careful examination of changes in plant food use through time compared with marine resources. These patterns may also have profound implications for interpreting changes in socio-political complexity, intraregional trade, and settlement patterns.

PREHISTORIC OCCUPATION OF WESTERN SANTA CRUZ ISLAND’S INTERIOR

Michael A. Glassow*, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106- 3210 [email protected]

Although the majority of prehistoric habitation sites on Santa Cruz Island are located within the interior areas of Santa Cruz Island, more than 0.5 km from the coast, little is known yet about them and how their occupation articulated with coastal settlement. To address this lack of knowledge, small-scale excavation was undertaken at two interior habitation sites, CA-SCRI-555 and CA-SCRI-574, in the western sector of the island. Habitation deposits at both sites are less than 60 cm deep. Radiocarbon dating reveals that CA- SCRI-555 experienced occupation during three time intervals: 1800-1400 cal BC, ~2400 cal BC, and ~4400 cal BC, whereas CA-SCRI-574 appears to have been occupied during only one time interval: 2800-1900 cal BC. Remains of marine shellfish and vertebrates in the deposits indicate transport of marine foods to both sites. The repertoire of shellfish remains implies that site inhabitants obtained marine foods from coastal areas closest to each site. Occupation of these interior sites may have been for one or more of three reasons: as way-stations while traveling to distant parts of the island, as occasionally occupied habitation sites for the purpose of acquiring and perhaps also consuming plant food or other sorts of interior resources, and as an easily defended location given their locations on ridge tops. Evaluating these alternatives is difficult on the basis of the data acquired from the small-scale testing, but the variety of food remains, various types of stone tools, and wood charcoal from hearth fires indicate that at least some intervals of occupation were for periods exceeding a few days. The results highlight the need for data from interior sites for understanding island settlement patterns and ecological adaptation of the island’s prehistoric inhabitants.

OSTEOMETRIC COMPARISONS OF SAN NICOLAS ISLAND DOGS: ANALYSIS OF THE MALCOLM ROGERS'S COLLECTION, SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF MAN

Ryan J. Glenn*1, Steven J. Schwartz2, René L. Vellanoweth3, and Lisa Thomas-Barnett4, 1Department of Anthropology, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 [email protected] 2NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California 3Department of Anthropology, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 4NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California

Dogs played a significant role in the story of the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island and in the novel, 'Island of the Blue Dolpins.' This research analyzes 22 partial dog (Canis familiaris) skeletons from San Nicolas Island, California collected by Malcolm J. Rogers in 1929. The remains are now housed at the San Diego Museum of Man. The morphometric characteristics of these remains were analyzed per Driesch (1976) and the values for sex, age at death, dental characteristics, morphology, size, stature and any apparent traumas or pathologies. It was determined during this analysis that there were two morphologically distinct breeds of dogs that inhabited the island during the Middle and Late Periods (~3,000 B.C. to European Contact). Regional Comparisons determined that the breeds were the common Indian dog and the short-nosed Indian dog. The fact that the Nicoleño's had two, very different dog breeds from the mainland suggests that there were large widespread trade networks linking to communities far inland. Further, this analysis shows that the dogs reported by Nidever and Dittman in their searches of the island for the Lone Woman, are consistent with the Indian dogs known from the archaeological record.

MOVING OCEANOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES EXPLAIN LARVAL RECRUITMENT PATTERNS ALONG SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CA

J. Stephen Gosnell*1, J.A. Macfarlan2, and Jennifer E. Caselle1, 1Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected] 2Coastal Institute, Department of Natural Resources, University of Rhode Island, 1 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881

A better understanding of how environmental conditions impact subtidal communities requires moving beyond descriptive studies and contemplating the mechanisms relating abiotic drivers and community structure. Here we build on previous work suggesting observed relationships between larval recruitment and temperature along the coast of Santa Cruz Island, CA are indicative of a moving boundary between two opposing water masses that each transport different species. Using data from artificial collectors deployed bimonthly along the island’s north coast in 2008 and 2009, we characterized the post reproductive larval delivery and settlement of several taxonomic groups of marine invertebrates that have ecological and commercial importance in the region. Due to known differences in water temperature between the two water masses, we were also able to track the boundary between the water masses throughout the collection period by analyzing spatial gradients in water temperature along the coast. Analyses indicate crab and echinoderm recruitment increased with exposure to water from the west, while gastropod recruitment was positively related to exposure to eastern waters. Overall recruitment diversity is also related to water movement, with more exposure to western waters being correlated to higher Shannon diversity scores. These results offer a mechanistic explanation for why recruitment rates and recruit diversity vary across sites and seasons and offer insight on how oceanographic patterns drive diversity.

MORPHOLOGICAL ADAPTATION OF THE SONG SPARROW (MELOSPIZA MELODIA) TO THE CALIFORNIA ISLANDS

Russell Greenberg*, Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington DC 20008 [email protected]

Song sparrows have been found breeding on seven of the California Islands, including three where populations have been extirpated within the last 50 years, and one that has been recently colonized. Genetic analysis suggests that these populations are very distinct from mainland populations, with substantial divergence between the southern and northern islands in its range. It is an excellent taxon to investigate morphological divergence between mainland and island populations and factors that promote divergence between islands. Island passerines show a tendency to evolve larger bills and bodies, presumably due to increased trophic generalization or increased social dominance. Sexual size dimorphism might be expected to be more pronounced, particularly in trophic characters, also as a response to decreased inter- and increased intraspecific competition, although this is poorly documented in birds. Contrary to expectations, our analysis shows that the bills of island song sparrows are on the small end of size spectrum for California song sparrows. Bill size varies consistently with island size and summer temperatures and are unremarkable in the context of the temperature bill size-relationship for California song sparrows as a whole. Consistent with theory, bill size dimorphism is greater in island than mainland populations of song sparrows. However, bill size dimorphism is not uniform across the islands and is highly correlated with island size and temperature as well. Based on other work on Song Sparrows, I propose that bill size varies primarily with high summer temperatures as bills are used to convect heat for thermoregulation. Increased dimorphism may be due the greater thermal stress that males face due to territorial activity. While climate drives bill size variation, the greater body mass of island song sparrows is not related to any known climatic gradient and may be a result processes that underlie the island syndrome.

INLAND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN SANTA ROSA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Amy E. Gusick*1, and Christopher S. Jazwa2, 1Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, 93106-3210 [email protected] 2Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, 409 Carpenter Building, University Park, PA 16802

California’s northern Channel Islands have been the subject of extensive archaeological survey, with more than 2200 recorded sites. However, on Santa Rosa Island (SRI), the second largest island, most of the recorded sites are along the coast or in a small number of well-surveyed drainages. During the summer of 2012, we surveyed SRI’s interior, targeting canyon bottoms and upland areas. Identifying the distribution of sites in the interior regions of SRI is integral to understanding how these sites articulate with the numerous coastal sites that have already been identified and what types of interior resources were likely influential in the mobility and settlement decisions of the island hunter-gatherers. Integrating these newly recorded interior sites into the known site database provides the larger archaeological landscape on Santa Rosa Island and affords the opportunity to develop more informed management plans. This survey is the initial step in a multi-year project designed to better document the archaeological resources in SRI’s interior.

ITEMS OF ADORNMENT: A DESCRIPTION OF ORNAMENTAL OBJECTS FROM THE REDWOOD BOX CACHE DISCOVERED ON SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CA

Richard B. Guttenberg*1, Lisa Thomas-Barnett 2, René L. Vellanoweth 3, Jon M. Erlandson4, and Steven J. Schwartz 5, 1Department of Anthropology, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032. [email protected], 2NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California 3Department of Anthropology, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 4University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403 5Senior Archaeologist, NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California

Two redwood boxes were discovered in a notch on a cliff on the northwest coast of San Nicolas Island in the winter of 2010. The boxes were found with two asphaltum-lined water bottles with basketry impressions. Each box contained a cache of artifacts, including 21 ornamental objects of various materials dating to the 19th century. In this paper we describe the ornaments from the cache, focusing on stylistic attributes, wear-patterns, material type, and the overall context of the artifacts in relation to the cache. The cache includes seven elongate pendants fashioned from shell, bone, and steatite, two Haliotis spp. shell rim pendants, five steatite beads, a pair of eccentric fishhook pendants made from Haliotis rufescens, two Haliotis spp. button fragments, a perforated Pecten sp. shell ornament, and an abalone pearl pendant. Significant stylistic attributes are noteworthy for the box cache. Many of the utilitarian artifacts found in the boxes are described as a blend of styles typical of both Aleutian Islands and Channel Islands traditions. However, for the most part the ornaments are typical of styles found locally on the Channel Islands. This analysis is part of a group effort that will contribute to our understanding of the redwood box cache discovered on San Nicolas and the interface between two different cultures in the ethnohistoric period on the island.

TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF VEGETATION CHANGE ON SANTA BARBARA ISLAND: MODELING METHODS AND ECOLOGICAL RESULTS

Tim Handley*1, Kathryn McEachern2, Dirk Rodriguez3, and Julie Yee4, 1U.S. National Park Service, Mediterranean Coast Network, 401 W. Hillcrest Dr, Thousand Oaks, CA [email protected] 2U.S.Geological Survey, Channel Islands Field Station, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001 3U.S. National Park Service, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001 4U.S. Geological Survey, WERC Headquarters, 3020 State University Drive East, Sacramento, CA 95819

We describe results from the analysis of a long-term vegetation dataset from Santa Barbara Island (SBI). Our analysis provides a case study in issues and methods relevant to the analysis of long-term monitoring data, and also yields some interesting ecological results. SBI is an excellent natural laboratory for understanding processes of disturbance, invasion, and recovery. In the early 1900’s, fields were plowed, native vegetation was removed, and the island was used as a sheep ranch. During that time, rabbits were introduced to the island, where they persisted until their removal by the National Park Service (NPS) in 1981. At that time, island vegetation was dominated by nonnative annual grasses, and native scrub was confined to scattered pockets on steep bluffs and canyon walls. In 1984, the NPS installed permanent vegetation transects on SBI, and has monitored them nearly continuously ever since. We used Bayesian Markov-chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to explore a variety of modeling issues relevant to long-term ecological data. Issues of particular interest included nonnormal data, overdispersion, zero inflation, multicollinearity, pseudoreplication, and methodological bias. Through this exploration, we determined that a generalized linear mixed-effects model (GLMM) provided the best conceptual framework for these data. We then fit GLMM’s to the SBI dataset, in order to understand patterns and trends in abundance and diversity in the flora of SBI during the period from 1984 to 2011. We found that changes in monitoring methods produced noticeable changes in reported cover values. Nonnative herbs, nonnative grasses, and native herbs, all showed trends of increasing cover in all vegetation types. In contrast, the cover of native shrubs and subshrubs tended to decrease in nonnative community types, and to increase in native community types. Diversity, as measured by species richness and Simpson’s index (1-D), tended to increase within most vegetation types.

FIRE EFFECTS IN COASTAL SAGE SCRUB IN CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Timothy Handley1, Marti Witter*1, and Wende Rehlaender2, 1Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, 401 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 [email protected] 2Point Reyes National Seashore, 1 Bear Valley Rd., Point Reyes Station CA 94956

Fire has frequently been proposed as a tool to control invasive species and restore native California grasslands and shrublands. In 1999 the Old Ranch prescribed burn was conducted on Santa Rosa Island to promote native shrub recovery and decrease invasive species cover following cattle removal the year before. Fire was detrimental to coastal sage scrub recovery. Ten years after the burn, cover of the dominant shrub, Artemisia californica (ARCA), in unburned transects increased an average of 195%, from 19% to 42%. In burned transects the cover decreased an average of -18% from 35% to 27%. There was no significant change in Artemisa density in the control plots so the increase in cover can be attributed to individual plant growth over ten years. Postfire data were also collected in coastal sage scrub following a 2006 14-acre wildfire on Santa Cruz Island. Artemisia mortality was high with resprouting rates of 0-9% among plots. ARCA seedling recruitment was 174:1 seedlings:resprouts in the first year post fire. Seedling recruitment in year 2 dropped to 1.6% the rate in year 1 and was absent in year 3. The endemic species Eriogonum grande (ERGR) was a strong facultative resprouter with 70% of plants resprouting. Seedling recruitment was 1:1 seedlings:resprouts in the first year but increased 270% in year 2 and was absent in year 3. Three years following the fire ARCA density in 4 of the 6 plots exceeded prefire densities, but only 2 of the six plots were dominated by native cover. High native cover was due to the presence of subshrubs such as Mimulus auriantiacus, Eriogonum grande, Lupinus albifrons and Lotus dendroides, while the remaining plots were dominated by non-native annual grasses. In recovering island scrub communities, fire, at a minimum, sets the demographic clock backwards and facilitates the spread of non-native invasive species.

IMPACTS OF THE INVASIVE ARGENTINE ANT ON THE PLANT-POLLINATOR MUTUALISMS OF SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Cause Hanna*1, Ida Naughton1, and David Holway2, 1University of California Berkeley, ESPM, Berkeley, CA 94720 [email protected] 2University of California at San Diego, Division of Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA 92093

The capacity of the invasive Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, to disrupt plant-pollinator mutualisms is augmented through multiple mechanisms including direct predation, exploitative and interference competition, and nectar thieving. Floral visitation by L. humile may be especially disruptive on the California Channel Islands where pollinators are often small native bees, which are susceptible to ant harassment. To determine the impact of L. humile on plant-pollinator mutualisms on Santa Cruz Island we (1) measured the competitive impacts of L. humile on the plant-pollinator interactions and energetics of the Island Morning Glory, Calystegia macrostegia; (2) assessed the direct and indirect effects of L. humile on C. macrostegia pollination; and (3) examined the impact of L. humile on the coastal sage scrub plant-pollinator network. The abundance, structure and function of the C. macrostegia floral arthropod community in sites invaded by L. humile significantly differed from that of uninvaded sites. Within invaded sites, native visitors were either completely absent or their abundances were significantly reduced by the abundant and behaviorally aggressive L. humile. In contrast, native ants visited flowers less predictably and were not observed to harass presumed pollinators thus enabling a diverse and abundant assemblage of legitimate pollinators. These results highlight the effects of L. humile on a critical ecological function and furthermore illustrate the role of competition in structuring pollinator communities.

STATUS OF BREEDING SEABIRDS ON ANACAPA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA, IN 2011-2012.

Laurie Harvey*1, David Mazurkiewicz2, Matthew McKown3, Mike Parker1, Franklin Gress1, Dennis Carlson1, Kevin Barnes4, and Sasha Auer4, 1California Institute of Environmental Studies, 3408 Whaler Drive, Davis, CA 95616 [email protected] 2Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 3University of California Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer Rd. Santa Cruz, CA 95060, 4Ball State University, 2000 W. University Ave. Muncie, IN 47306.

Anacapa Island, located within the Channel Islands National Park, is comprised of three small islets totaling approximately one square mile. The lack of native large mammalian land predators allows these islets to host multiple species of nesting seabirds. However, nesting numbers have been significantly reduced from historic levels due to a variety of anthropogenic impacts. Such impacts have included reproductive problems associated with marine contaminants, nonnative mammalian and plant introduction, habitat alteration and loss due to exotic species, and food supply limitations attributed to overfishing. In 2011, we initiated an assessment project to determine the nesting status and restoration needs of multiple species with special emphasis on the Ashy Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa), a species of conservation concern which had not previously been recorded as nesting on this island, but which would be expected to benefit from restoration efforts on the island. We used several techniques to determine whether Ashy Storm-Petrels were breeding, including nocturnal mist-netting, diurnal habitat searches, and passive acoustic recording devices. Concurrently, we studied the reproductive status of seven additional seabird species, including Scripps’s Murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi), Cassin’s Auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus), Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba), Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), and California Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus). Several species have shown encouraging levels of recovery that may be attributed to the removal of the Black Rat (Rattus rattus); notably, we documented the first confirmed breeding of Ashy Storm-Petrels. Scripps’s Murrelet showed continued signs of recovery, as did the Cassin’s Auklet. However, the California Brown Pelican, which was removed from the Endangered Species List in 2009, showed a continued decline in reproductive success. Results of this study outline both the positive results of completed restoration actions as well as the need for continued monitoring and restoration of multiple seabird species.

ECOLOGICAL EXPERTISE AS A MARKETABLE GOOD: THE CATALINA ISLAND CONSERVANCY'S NATURALIST TRAINING PROGRAM

Frank J. Hein*, Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739 Avalon, CA 90704 [email protected]

Education and outreach are key components of any sustainable conservation effort, but generating community- wide support for conservation efforts is a challenge for most organizations. One solution to this challenge is to treat organizational ecological expertise as a valuable, marketable good. In communities where nature-based activities contribute to the local economy, “nature knowledge” can be assumed to be in demand, and local conservation organizations should be viewed as the most qualified entities to deliver this commodity. By tailoring naturalist trainings to meet the needs of specific businesses, The Catalina Island Conservancy (the Conservancy) has found and effective method for promoting a community wide appreciation for natural resources, delivering a tangible and marketable good to the local economy, and generating significant support for our organization. In May of 2011, the Conservancy launched its Naturalist Training Program with a primary focus on helping local businesses and tour operators understand and communicate the unique nature of Catalina to their clientele. We also focused on helping business leaders recognize the linkage between a healthy ecology and healthy economy in an eco-tourism context. By putting ecological information in a business context, the Conservancy has achieved success that had proven elusive using alternate models, with meaningful outreach contacts increasing by more than 1,000% in 2011 as compared to 2010. Our data support the premise that dramatic educational, economic and social gains are being realized by the Conservancy, and that local businesses are benefitting from the trainings. We believe lessons learned by the Conservancy are highly transferrable to other conservation organizations.

RARE PLANT GENETICS ON SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND

Kaius Helenurm*, Department of Biology, The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 [email protected]

Population genetic studies of the rare and endangered plant taxa of San Clemente Island have been conducted since 1995 to inform conservation and management efforts. Six federally endangered taxa and more than 20 others have been examined using allozymes, RAPDs, or microsatellites as genetic markers to reveal underlying population structure and to draw inferences regarding gene flow and genetic drift. In addition, a reciprocal transplant study has been performed using Lupinus guadalupensis to test whether local adaptation occurs in a species with a narrow range Allozyme surveys revealed a wide range of genetic variation for different taxa although the overall average is low compared with other plant species. Very rare taxa, however, have very low levels of genetic variation. RAPD studies of two endangered and one very rare plant taxon predictably revealed more genetic variation than allozymes and therefore revealed or corroborated patterns of genetic differentiation in taxa with very low levels of genetic variation. The use of microsatellite loci as genetic markers in more recent studies has allowed more subtle inferences regarding the roles of gene flow and genetic drift in determining population structure. Several species show remarkable differentiation across short distances (Lithophragma maximum and Sibara filifolia), and some unusual patterns of gene flow appear to occur in other taxa. The reciprocal transplant study provided no evidence for local adaptation across a small range; instead, larger populations appear to enjoy a selective advantage, likely due to higher levels of genetic variation. This body of work is unusual and valuable because (a) relatively complete sampling of study species has been possible due to the small size of San Clemente Island, (b) a large number of endemic species of this island have been studied, and (c) related populations or taxa on other islands or the mainland have been included where possible.

ADVANCES ON THE RESTORATION OF GUADALUPE ISLAND, MEXICO

Julio Hernández-Montoya*, Luciana Luna-Mendoza, Alfonso Aguirre-Muñoz, María Félix-Lizárraga, Marlenne Rodríguez-Malagón, Leonardo de la Rosa-Conroy, and José María Barredo-Barbenera, Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C. 836 Moctezuma Ave., Ensenada, Baja California, México. 22800 [email protected]

Guadalupe Island is one of the most biodiverse islands in the Eastern Pacific region. Its geological history along with its geographical location has resulted in a very high proportion of endemisms. Its very distinctive ecosystem harbors an important number of floral species. Feral goat grazing reduced its once abundant vegetation into an arid landscape. Now that the goat population has been successfully removed, the native vegetation is recovering. The Guadalupe cypress (Cupressus guadalupensis) seedlings and juvenile trees add to a total of 150,217 individuals, in contrast with the 3,300 old trees left by the goats. The last monitoring of the endemic Guadalupe Monterey pine, shows more than 15,000 seedlings and juveniles vs 220 old individuals left by the goats. The native shrub is recovering as well, steadily displacing the introduced grasses, a change that is already noticeable at the landscape level. The island is a key site for migratory seabird species. Due to the introduction of cats into the island, certain bird populations have been extirpated from Guadalupe. Feral cat predation affects the Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) and the Guadalupe Xantus’s Murrelet (Synthliboramphus hypoleucus). The Guadalupe Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma macrodactyla) is probably extinct also due to the feral cat. The land birds are also affected. During one decade, GECI has sustained an effort to control the feral cat population. Only during the last two years almost 500 cats were dispatched. The Laysan Albatross colony has been studied in a systematic way. From a total of 12 nests documented in 1988, the albatross population has increased to a total of 97 nests in 2011; the high reproductive success of 68% reflects the results of the cat control. The protection of the seabird and land bird populations, particularly through the eradication of the feral cat, is the next restoration priority.

THE CHANNEL ISLANDS BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 1939 – 1941

Corinne A. Heyning*, 2010 Bayview Drive, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 [email protected]

In February 1939, the Los Angeles County Museum of History, Science and Art launched the five-year Channel Islands Biological Survey [Survey]. The goals of the Survey were to investigate the biology, geology, archaeology and paleontology of all eight California Channel Islands, to determine relationships between the islands themselves and the mainland, and to determine man’s influence on this unique eco- system. During thirteen expeditions, thirty-three men and women completed nearly 1,400 days of fieldwork before the December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor bombings abruptly ended the Survey and temporarily stranded staff on Santa Rosa Island (SRI). In the ensuing seventy plus years, with some exceptions, the work they did, or left undone, has hung like a chad off the world's scientific ballot of significance. My research and talk focus on the entire three-year Survey and such noteworthy events as: the circumstances surrounding the discovery of Big Dog Cave on San Clemente Island by Jack von Bloeker, Jr., the “treasure hunt” that led Art Woodward to Juana Maria's whale hut on San Nicolas Island, and the mystery surrounding the whereabouts of an intact pygmy mammoth jawbone that two teenage Survey participants carefully wrapped in plaster prior to their hasty Pearl Harbor Day departure from Tecolote Canyon, SRI. In piecing together this story, I draw from interviews with Jack Couffer (b. 1924), the last living Survey participant, and from original archival documents housed at the: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Arizona Historical Society Tucson, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and University of California, Irvine. My examinations concentrate on the materials of John Comstock (1882-1970), Donald C. Meadows (1897-1994), Arthur Woodward (1898-1996), Barbara Loomis (1910-1981), and Jack Von Bloeker, Jr. (1909-1991). In the history of Channel Islands scientific literature, never have so few years been more prolific across a variety of disciplines than those between 1939-1941.

APPLICATION OF THE RESTORATION RAPID ASSESSMENT TOOL TO SELECTED DISTURBED SITES ON SANTA ROSA ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA: SETTING PRIORITIES FOR RESTORATION

Ron Hiebert1, Sarah Chaney2, Ken Niessen*3, and Kathryn McEachern4, 1Northern Arizona University, PO Box 5765, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 [email protected] 2Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 3La Luna Biological Consulting, 314 N. La Luna Ave, Ojai, CA 93023 4USGS Western Ecological Research Center Channel Islands Field Station, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

The Restoration Rapid Assessment Tool is a Microsoft Access based protocol that can help users, by quantifying expert knowledge, make decisions about restoration priorities among sites. At each site, field users of the tool score 40 ecological indicators for the differences between a likely natural condition and the current condition, and between the likely natural condition and a desired management goal. Site value indicators, stressors, and stressor removal difficulty are also scored; site evaluation generally takes less than 45 minutes. The Access program then calculates several indices (scaled 0 – 100, with 100 “best” or “most desirable”) that can be used to compare the sites. Particularly useful indices are Potential Site Value, Ecological Restoration Potential to Natural, and Ecological Restoration Potential to Management Goal. The Restoration Rapid Assessment Tool was used to evaluate 46 disturbed sites on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California, in 2009 and 2011. For effective prioritization, the indices must be carefully compared among meaningful groups of sites. Among all sites, some can have lower restoration priority simply because their Potential Site Value or Ecological Restoration Potential to Management Goal is relatively low. Within vegetation types, coastal sage scrub sites generally have the lowest, riparian sites have medium, and chaparral sites have the highest Potential Site Value. Ecological Restoration Potential to Natural generally is lowest for chaparral, medium for coastal sage scrub, and highest for riparian sites, reflecting relatively high, medium, and low amounts of disturbance. The index scores of sites within watershed, and among sites that can use fog capture to enhance restoration, suggest that relative location should influence the spatial and temporal sequence of restoration efforts, since uphill and upwind sites are expected to influence downhill and downwind sites.

NON-INVASIVE GENETIC SAMPLING APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING CHANNEL ISLAND DEER MICE ORIGINS

Courtney A. Hofman*1,2,3, Torben C. Rick,2 and Jesus E. Maldonado3, 1Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 [email protected] 2Program in Human Ecology and Archaeobiology, Department of Anthropology,National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 200013 3Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20008

One of the primary Channel Island mammals, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) appears to have replaced the now extinct giant deer mouse (Peromyscus nesodytes) sometime after its introduction to the islands. Focusing on San Miguel Island, genetic analysis of deer mice has yielded data regarding the relationship between island and mainland individuals using non-invasive methods. One of the challenges of genetic studies on wild populations is to collect samples with as little disturbance as a possible. Non- invasive genetic methods, which utilize DNA extracted from scat, can minimize this disturbance and can provide reliable genetic information to address a variety of population genetic and phylogeographic questions. Using sequence data generated from San Miguel Island deer mouse droppings, we conducted a phylogeographic study to better understand the relationship between mainland and Channel Islands deer mice. Early data suggest few island haplotypes relative to mainland deer mice diversity. This application of non-invasive genetic techniques could be a useful model for studying other rodent or small mammal populations.

ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE ARGENTINE ANT (LINEPITHEMA HUMILE) ON THE DIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION OF ARTHROPOD ASSEMBLAGES OF ISLAND SCRUB OAK WOODLANDS ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

David Holway*1, Bryson Edgar2, Ida Naughton2, and Cause Hanna2, 1University of California at San Diego, Division of Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA 92093 [email protected] 2University of California Berkeley, ESPM, Berkeley, CA 94720

Although the displacement of native ants by the invasive Argentine ant is now well documented, much less is known about how non-ant arthropods respond following invasion. Unlike the native ants they displace, L. humile can attain exceptionally high densities, can remain active year round, and can form spatially expansive supercolonies that saturate space and nest sites (e.g., under rock refuges). Through predation, competition and microhabitat modification, the Argentine ant seems likely to have direct and indirect impacts on arthropod assemblages. To test for such impacts, we established eight pairs of invaded and uninvaded plots in island scrub oak (Quercus pacifica) habitat. Each plot consisted of a 10-m radius circle centered in Quercus pacifica woodland; other perennial plants present on most plots included Rhus integrilfolia, Eriogonum arborescens, Heteromeles arbutifolia, and Cercocarpus betuloides. We sampled each plot from 3-12 June 2011 and 2-15 September 2011 and employed the following standardized sampling techniques: pitfall traps, leaf litter samples, Quercus pacifica beating samples, and under rock surveys. These sampling procedures were selected to target the majority of species likely to interact with ants within the established plots. After collection, c. 18,098 specimens were divided into major taxonomic groupings, sorted into morpho-species categories, and distributed among taxonomic experts for further identification. Taxonomic groups now identified to species (or to morphospecies within genus) include the following: spiders, scorpions, pseudo-scorpions, beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, moths, bees, wood lice, and aphids. To quantify the magnitude of L. humile on other arthropods, we will compare the diversity, composition, and trophic structure of non-ant arthropod assemblages across our paired invaded and uninvaded sites. Our results will elucidate the ecological impacts of the Argentine ant invasion on a functionally important component of Santa Cruz Island ecosystems and illustrate the corresponding conservation gains of a successful eradication effort. ISLAND INTERIORS AND TERRESTRIAL RESOURCES: FLORAL DATA FROM FOUR MIDDLE HOLOCENE SITES ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

Kristin M. Hoppa*, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106- 3210 [email protected]

On the northern Channel Islands, the occupation of interior sites during the Middle Holocene has been attributed, in part, to terrestrial resource exploitation. The presence of groundstone artifacts, particularly mortars and pestles, in Middle Holocene sites and burials further supports the idea that plants were important during this time period. The current study considers macrobotanical data from four Middle Holocene sites on Santa Cruz Island. Three of the four sites are located within the Central Valley, the island’s most productive watershed, while the fourth site is located on a coastal bluff on the eastern end of the island, allowing for a comparison between contemporary coastal and interior sites. Although very few seeds were recovered from these samples, the scant results do provide clues to seasonality of occupation and exploited habitats. Additionally, the presence of seeds from medicinal plants at all three interior sites suggests that perhaps access to these resources played a role in settlement decisions. While all of the plants recovered have recorded medical uses in the ethnographic record, very few have any recorded use as food. This study contextualizes the limited macrobotanical results by addressing issues of preservation and recovery, and considerations for future studies.

DIRECT SEEDING OF NATIVE SHRUBS: EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS FROM SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

David Hubbard*1, Matthew James1, Coleen Cory2, 1Coastal Restoration Consultants, Inc., 5032 Pacific Village Drive, Carpinteria CA 93013 [email protected] 2The Nature Conservancy, Santa Cruz Island Project, 532 East Main Street, Suite #200, Ventura, CA 93001

Broadcasting native seeds is an accepted method for restoring or rehabilitating many types of habitats. Direct seeding onto undisturbed soils can avoid some risks and pitfalls of planting nursery stock and in some cases cost less. However, broadcast seeding on islands is more challenging than in mainland settings (where commercially grown seed is often used) because of the need to 1) maintain the integrity of island genotypes, including endemics, 2) avoid the introduction of non-native species and genotypes and 3) avoid over-collection of seed from often small populations. We experimentally investigated the effectiveness of seeding to restore coastal sage scrub in post-agricultural non-native annual grasslands on Santa Cruz Island, CA. This replicated experiment ran simultaneously with one using planted nursery stock custom-grown from island-collected seed; neither experiment included irrigation. To evaluate the efficacy of direct seeding in re-establishing native cover, we manipulated thatch, treated weeds and introduced seeds of 22 species of native shrubs and grasses over two rain seasons starting in 2008. No native shrubs recruited without seeding. Even with intensive thatch removal and weed control, direct seeding produced low recruitment, trivial cover and no reproduction of native shrubs in the first year of the experiment (a light rain year). Plots re-seeded in the second year (above average rainfall) showed considerably higher recruitment. Removal of annual grass thatch and control of non-natives had positive effects on recruitment. By November 2011, four treatments exceeded 1% native cover, and the best treatment had >10% cover and an average of three shrubs per square meter. Two island endemic buckwheat species (Eriogonum grande sp. grande and E. arborescens) performed dramatically better than all other species combined, suggesting that with some site preparation these species may be viable candidates in direct seeding on Santa Cruz Island.

EXPERIMENTAL PLANTING OF NATIVE SHRUBS FROM SMALL NURSERY STOCK ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND Matthew James*1, David Hubbard1, and Coleen Cory2, 1Coastal Restoration Consultants, Inc., 5032 Pacific Village Drive, Carpinteria CA 93013 [email protected] 2The Nature Conservancy, Santa Cruz Island Project, 532 E. Main St. Suite #200, Ventura, CA 93001

Restoration of native plant communities on islands presents special challenges. The genetic integrity of island populations must be maintained. To meet high standards for conservation in island ecosystems, propagules must be collected and grown on-island. Collecting seed from sometimes small, hard-to-access populations may affect the island’s natural recovery and is expensive. This makes direct seeding of large areas a challenge. Growing and installing small container plants may be more cost-effective. We experimentally investigated the effectiveness of planting native shrubs and grasses from small plugs without irrigation for restoring coastal sage scrub on post-agricultural lands on Santa Cruz Island. We chose three experimental sites (1.5 acres total) in areas dominated by annual grasses and fennel. To evaluate the most effective method for re-establishing native cover, we treated weeds and introduced over 7,000 plants of >20 species of native shrubs and grasses in two different rain seasons (Feb. and Dec. 2009). We found that: 1) without weed treatment, planted natives had low first-year survival and cover and rarely flowered, 2) with one round of weed treatment, just prior to planting, survival was higher, cover greater and most species flowered and several recruited from seed in the second year, 3) multiple rounds of weed control over two seasons before planting had minor benefits compared to a single treatment, 4) first-year survival and growth was similar in wet and dry years and 5) after three years native shrubs may be suppressing weed growth. The techniques we developed and tested in this project have broad applicability, especially for projects where commercial seed is not desirable and for projects where irrigation is not feasible.

THE “WILD DOGS” OF SAN NICOLAS AND OTHER CHANNEL ISLANDS: ETHNOHISTORICAL, ETHNOGRAPHICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR MODELING PREHISTORIC DOMESTIC DOGS AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE CHANNEL ISLANDS

Steven R. James*, Department of Anthropology, California State University at Fullerton, P.O. Box 6846, Fullerton, CA 92834-6846 [email protected]

Archaeological and genetic research on the origin and domestication of dogs (Canis familiaris) has generated a number of scientific studies and considerable public interest within the past decade. Similarly, prehistoric dog burials from San Nicolas Island and the other California Channel Islands have resulted in a few recent analyses that have provided significant insight into these aboriginal island dogs, which were once referred to in historic accounts about the Lone Woman—the last surviving Nicoleño—as the “wild dogs” of San Nicolas Island. Data on dogs reported from San Nicolas Island during the past 140 years are summarized and indicate that at least 70 prehistoric dogs have been collected or noted from a minimum of 25 archaeological sites, which account for over 50 percent of all archaeological dogs recovered from the Channel Islands. The high number of prehistoric dogs from the island is remarkable, especially given its small size (58 sq km) and remote distance from the southern California coast (100 km). Domestic dogs on the island were the largest terrestrial mammalian carnivore based on archaeological and paleontological research over the years. Both the domestic dog and endemic San Nicolas Island fox (Urocyon littoralis dickeyi) were introduced by prehistoric Native Americans perhaps as early as 7,000 years ago when the island was first inhabited. Ethnohistorical, ethnographical, and archaeological evidence are summarized in order to develop models for understanding the role of prehistoric domestic dogs among Native Americans who inhabited the Channel Islands and the substantial ecological impacts that dogs had on the flora and fauna of the islands throughout the Holocene. A HYDROLOGICAL MODEL FOR FRESHWATER AVAILABILITY ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Christopher S. Jazwa*1, and Christopher J. Duffy2, 1Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 [email protected] 2Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 [email protected]

One of the most important variables that has influenced human settlement on California’s northern Channel Islands is the distribution and availability of freshwater on the landscape. In semi-arid regions such as this, surface water is limited to ephemeral channels and occasional springs, reflecting the importance of groundwater conditions over the landscape. Existing models of settlement patterns use watershed size as a proxy for water availability at the canyon mouth, with some success. However, in semi-arid regions, this approach has limitations. In this study, we are creating a more nuanced model incorporating geospatial/temporal data for climate (precipitation, solar radiation, wind speed, relative humidity, temperature), soils, vegetation, and topography to simulate the complex land-surface- groundwater behavior of island hydrology and to better understand variations in freshwater availability across the islands. In this paper, we focus on Santa Cruz Island, the largest and most environmentally diverse of the northern Channel Islands. We incorporate modern environmental data from the last 20 years with daily resolution to generate a freshwater model for present-day Santa Cruz Island and compare this against field observations to test the model. This provides a first step toward understanding freshwater availability on the northern Channel Islands over the past 8,000 years, when the islands were occupied by the Island Chumash people. The supporting data and simulation will be preserved in a digital on-line archive as support for ongoing research into past climate conditions.

SIX FIELD SEASONS AT ARLINGTON SPRINGS: AN INVESTIGATION OF PALEOENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE ON SANTA ROSA ISLAND

John R. Johnson*1, Thomas W. Stafford, Jr.2, G. James West3, Thomas K. Rockwell4, and Don P. Morris5 1Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History [email protected] 2Stafford Research Laboratories, 3University of California, Davis, 4San Diego State University, 5Ventura, California

Between 1994 and 2008, six field investigations of the Arlington Springs Site (CA-SRI-173) have taken place, mostly under the auspices of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and Channel Islands National Park. This research has clarified the chronostratigraphy at Arlington Springs in order to understand the geological and paleoenvironmental context for the earliest evidence of humans during the Late Pleistocene on Santarosae. Excavations in 1994, 2000, and 2001 at the west side wall of Arlington Canyon exposed a section of sediments from the current ground surface to a depth of about twelve meters adjacent to the location where deeply buried human bones (“Arlington Springs Man”) had been discovered by Phil C. Orr in 1959. Following an experiment in applying ground penetrating radar technology to study the Arlington Springs locality in 2005, a Giddings rig was transported to the site in 2006 in order to recover ten sediment cores. The last period of fieldwork took place in 2008 in order to investigate the stratum where the Late Pleistocene human bones and tiny chert flakes had been discovered. Systematically-collected samples for paleofaunal studies were also obtained at this time. At present, forty radiocarbon dates have been obtained to date the stratigraphy at Arlington Springs, documenting 16,000 years of sediment accumulation. Sediment layers have been traced through three dimensional space using the data gathered from the cores obtained in 2006. The Late Pleistocene human presence on Santarosae has been placed in its paleoenvironmental context through the identification of mammal and bird bones recovered from the margin of an ancient marsh that existed at Arlington Springs and from pollen analysis. FROM BLACK POINT TO FRASER POINT: FISHING AND COASTAL SEDENTISM ON WESTERN SANTA CRUZ ISLAND

Terry L. Joslin*1, and Jennifer E. Perry2, 1Central Coast Archaeological Research Consultants, 491 Lawrence Drive, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 [email protected] 2California State University Channel Islands, Anthropology Department, One University Drive, Camarillo, CA 93012

One of the major questions in archaeology throughout the world is the development of sociopolitical complexity among different human populations. Because of the ability to generate stored food surpluses, intensive agriculture was one of the pathways for such developments. However, among coastal hunter- gatherer-fisher societies of California, other factors were involved. One of these was coastal sedentism, which is oftentimes perceived as a unidirectional process involving responses to shifting environmental and demographic circumstances. Integral to understanding these developments on the California Channel Islands are strong correlations between sedentary living, intensive fishing, and social stratification. During the Middle Holocene, fishing strategies on the islands appear more diversified in the use of nearshore environments with new technologies, whereas Late Holocene procurement is characterized by intensified strategies and the expansion into offshore, pelagic environments facilitated by the introduction of shell fishhooks and the tomol. As documented in midden deposits throughout the islands, however, it appears that there are significant variations in how these trends played out in particular locales, and presumably, among different island communities. Archaeological data from western and eastern Santa Cruz Island provide significant insights into intra-island variability in settlement and subsistence systems. Despite the abundance of chert and other lucrative resources on the east end, there is a comparatively higher density of substantial midden deposits on western Santa Cruz Island. The differences may be the result of environmental factors such as dependable sources of freshwater, rich kelp forest fishing grounds, and shorelines providing easier access to boat launches for trade with communities on Santa Rosa Island and beyond. Documentation of regional settlement variability will hopefully serve as the basis for developing a new interpretive framework that will contribute to understanding coastal sedentism, intensive fishing, and hunter-gatherer complexity more holistically on the Channel Islands.

CHANGES IN THE FLORA OF THE NORTHERN CHANNEL ISLANDS SINCE THE 1990S

Steve Junak*1, Sarah Chaney2, and Dirk Rodriguez2, 1Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 [email protected] Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

The last two decades have been a time of tremendous change on the Northern Channel Islands, especially with respect to land-use (i.e., removal of feral pigs and sheep on Santa Cruz Island, cessation of cattle ranching and removal of deer, elk, and pigs on Santa Rosa Island, and increased recreational use andvisitation by humans on several islands). During this time period, changes in the status of over 90 plant taxa (both native and non-native) have been documented for San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa islands. These status changes have included rediscoveries of endemic and/or special-status native plant taxa that were thought to be extinct on individual islands (e.g., Aphanisma blitoides, Boechera hoffmannii, Dithyrea maritima, and Helianthemum greenei), significant range extensions for insular endemics (e.g., Deinandra clementina, Eschscholzia ramosa, Malacothrix indecora, and Trifolium palmeri), and new discoveries of both native and non-native plant taxa on individual islands.Some of the non-native taxa that now occur on the Northern Channel Islands (e.g., Helichrysum petiolare) have spread very rapidly and already represent significant challenges for land managers. Other non-native taxa (e.g., Delairea odorata and Genista monspessulana) will be the challenges of the future if they are not eliminated soon. THE AT-SEA BEHAVIOR OF SCRIPPS’S MURRELETS AROUND SANTA BARBARA ISLAND, CA

Nina J. Karnovsky*1, Darrell L. Whitworth2, Harry R. Carter3, and A. Laurie Harvey2, 1Pomona College, Department of Biology, 175 W. 6th St. Claremont, CA 91711, California [email protected] 2Institute of Environmental Studies 3408 Whaler Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 3Carter Biological Consulting, 1015 Hampshire Road, Victoria, BC V8S 4S8

The purpose of this study was to assess the at-sea distribution, density and habitat affinities of the Scripps’s murrelet, (Synthliboramphus scrippsi) around Santa Barbara Island during their breeding season and to compare our results to those found in the 1970s. In April and May 2009, and March, April, and May 2010, we conducted diurnal at-sea surveys along the seven transect lines radiating out from Santa Barbara Island that were originally established by George Hunt, Jr., University of California, Irvine and surveyed from 1975 - 1977. With multiple observers, whenever the ship was underway, we counted murrelets within 200 m off of one side of the ship. At 14 pre-determined stations, we assessed the physical characteristics of waters around SBI (temperature and salinity of the top 100 m). To determine the density and distribution of potential prey, we carried out zooplankton net tows of the upper 50 m of the water column at each station. Murrelet densities were highest in cooler waters west of Santa Barbara Island, consistent with the 1970s, and were associated with high densities of fish eggs and larvae. In 2009, densities were higher in April (4.96 km-2) than in May (2.11 km-2). In 2010 densities in May (6.24 km-2) were higher than April (3.54 km-2) or March (5.87 km-2). Overall, murrelet densities in 2009-10 were lower than in 1975-77, with the maximum density in 1976 more than twice 2009 or 2010 indicating that the population has declined since the 1970s. Furthermore, in 1975-77, northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) were very abundant right beside the island. In 2009-10, murrelets may have foraged at greater distances from the island (possibly outside the survey area). Knowledge of at-sea distribution of murrelets and their prey is valuable for assessing factors affecting reproduction and success of habitat restoration on Santa Barbara Island.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION OF THE DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION OF THE REDWOOD BOX CACHE FROM CA-SNI-14 ON SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA.

William E. Kendig*1, Rebekka G. Knierim1, Lisa Thomas-Barnett2, René L. Vellanoweth1, Jon M. Erlandson, and Steven J. Schwartz2, 1Department of Anthropology, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 [email protected] 2NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California 3University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403

During the winter of 2010 a unique cluster of artifacts was found eroding out of a cliff face at CA-SNI- 14, on the north coast of San Nicolas Island. Two asphaltum-sealed redwood boxes, two asphaltum- covered water bottles with basketry impressions, and other associated artifacts were discovered cached on a ledge above the shoreline. The redwood boxes were taken to the archaeological laboratory on the island where they were opened and excavated. Numerous bone, lithic, and shell artifacts of Californian and Aleutian design were removed from the boxes. Items indicative of European contact, including iron nails and glass artifacts, were also uncovered. This presentation uses a montage of still photographs, illustrations and video footage to document the recovery of the redwood boxes and the removal of their contents. A digital 16.2 megapixel Nikon DLSR captured over 2500 still images of the excavation using a 60mm Nikkor macro lens and a Nikkor 16-85mm wide-angle zoom lens interchangeably. High-definition digital Sony and Canon camcorders recorded over 20 hours of footage during the recovery of the boxes from the cliff ledge and the laboratory excavation. Video footage capturing both close-up images of individual artifacts within their contexts, and panned-out shots of the excavation activity were taken simultaneously. In addition, a sequence of illustrations depicting artifacts in their archaeological contexts was hand-drawn with graphite pencil and paper. The wealth of information and understanding that can be gleaned from this unique cache is so large that it cannot be covered by one presentation alone. Multiple papers and posters will be presented at this and other conferences by individuals from the US Navy, California State University, Los Angeles, and the University of Oregon detailing the myriad research topics that may be addressed through analysis of this unique feature.

SAN NICOLAS ISLAND SUBTIDAL BASELINE PROJECT: OVER 30 YEARS AND STILL COUNTING

Michael Kenner*, University of California Santa Cruz, Long Marine Lab, 100 Shaffer Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 [email protected]

Begun in 1980, seven years before sea otters were reintroduced to San Nicolas Island, the Subtidal Baseline Project has monitored the abundance of kelps, invertebrates and fish at several permanent sites around the island for over three decades. USGS, which manages the project, is partnering with BOEM to publish a data paper in Ecology and the data and metadata will be available through Ecological Archives. Six of the sites have been sampled semiannually since the project’s beginning yielding information on seasonal and inter-annual variation in the absence of sea otters as well as changes as the small population has become established. Patterns of kelp and urchin abundance as well as trends in other invertebrate counts will be presented from this data set.

DECLINES IN INTERTIDAL ALGAL FOLIAGE COINCIDENT WITH INCREASED PINNIPED NUMBERS ON THE SOUTH FARALLON ISLANDS

Scott Kimura*1, Jan Roletto2, Natalie Cosentino-Manning3, and Ryan Berger4, 1Tenera Environmental, 141 Suburban Rd., Ste. A2, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 [email protected] 2Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, 991 Marine Dr., San Francisco, CA 94129 3National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Restoration Center, 777 Sonoma Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95404 3PRBO Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, CA 94954

Since 1993, biologist of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary have been monitoring intertidal algal and invertebrate species abundances on the rocky shores of the South Farallon Islands located 27 miles (43 km) west of San Francisco. Monitoring methods include point-contact sampling of species percent cover and counts of select species in six study areas around the islands. For any single species, changes in abundance over time have been highly variable and not necessarily consistent across the study areas, but in each area the net change of all algal species abundances combined has been a slow decline, from as much as 240 mean percent cover (combined species layering) to approximately 140 mean percent cover. Species accounting for most of the change include Mastocarpus papillatus, Mazzaella flaccida, Gelidium coulteri, Ulva spp., and Corallina vancouveriensis. While total algal cover has declined, algal species richness, although variable over time and space, has been stable. California mussels (Mytilus californianus) have also slowly declined, from as much as 75 mean percent cover to approximately 45 mean percent cover. One plausible cause for the declines could be from the pinnipeds at the islands that have been hauling out onto the shore in the study areas. The numbers have nearly doubled since 1993 (Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science data). We are continuing to investigate our data and information from other studies to determine whether the decline is related to pinniped trampling, other environmental factors, or both.

EXTINCTION OUTFOXED: CATALINA ISLAND’S FOX POPULATION 11 YEARS AFTER ITS CRASH

Julie L. King*1, Calvin L. Duncan1, and David K. Garcelon2, 1Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739 Avalon, CA 90704 [email protected] 2Institute for Wildlife Studies, P.O. Box 1104, Arcata, CA 95518

In 1990, Catalina Island was home to an estimated 1,342 endemic island foxes (Urocyon littoralis catalinae). During 1999 fox sightings declined while reports of dead or dying foxes increased. After a carcass tested positive for canine distemper virus (CDV), an island-wide trapping effort began to determine the extent and severity of the potential CDV epidemic. Only 10 foxes were captured east of the isthmus at Two Harbors during 1,046 trap nights. This prompted the Catalina Island Conservancy to enlist the Institute for Wildlife Studies to initiate a recovery plan consisting of fox captures and translocations, a captive breeding facility and release program, and an island-wide CDV vaccination strategy. Phase I recovery actions took place from 2000 to 2004, and resulted in 22 juvenile foxes translocated from the unaffected west end of the island to the depopulated east end, 37 pups produced and released from the captive breeding facility, and >80% of the wild fox population vaccinated against CDV. Phase II fox recovery activities have been implemented by the Conservancy since 2005 and have included an annual island-wide population census, vaccination of 300 foxes annually, weekly mortality monitoring of 50 radio-collared individuals, serosurveys to monitor the prevalence of infectious disease, veterinary treatment to injured foxes, and educational outreach using a non-releasable captive-born fox. Catalina’s fox population successfully recovered to an estimated 1,542 individuals by 2011, and may be considered biologically recovered. The outbreak of another virulent canine disease such as CDV or rabies however, continues to be the greatest threat to the survival of the Catalina Island fox due to their restricted distribution, small population size, and the continued presence of domestic dogs on the Island. Additional disease introduction may take place when wildlife not native to the Island is inadvertently brought from the mainland.

ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION ON CATALINA ISLAND: A POTENTIAL PLAN TO AVOID UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND MAXIMIZE BENEFITS

Denise Knapp*, University of California, Ecology, Evolution, & Marine Biology Department, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9610 [email protected]

Catalina Island is one of the most diverse of the Channel Islands, yet it has undergone significant degradation. This includes more introduced vertebrates than any other Channel Island, 26 dams, and 213 miles of roads traversing nearly every part of the island. While four non-native ungulates have been removed from the island, introduced mule deer and bison continue to threaten the island’s native habitats, and a multitude of other top invaders such as cats, rats, and Argentine ants are altering the ecosystem. Increasing frequency of fire further threatens these habitats and promotes annual grass invasion, and climate change will likely exacerbate many of these stressors. Following an extensive review of the island’s resources, threats, and their interactions, a theoretical ecosystem restoration plan has been developed, taking into account the degree of threat, chances of success on a large, rugged, and inhabited island, and potential for multiple benefits. The order of these proposed actions takes into account cascading trophic effects and the need for access, in order to avoid unintended consequences. While it is unlikely that cats and rats could successfully be removed from the whole island, their eradication in one priority watershed (Cottonwood), which ranks highly for its rare and endemic resources, is feasible and should be undertaken. Selected dams should then be removed, improving riparian habitat, benefiting aquatic fauna and adjacent oaks, and disadvantaging invaders such as bullfrogs. Mule deer should then be eradicated, benefiting endemic plants and animals at the expense of invasive annual grassland, and helping to break the annual grass-fire feedback cycle. Lastly, selected roads should be removed, reducing erosion, fire ignition, and impacts to native wildlife, while disadvantaging invaders which thrive in fragmented habitats. The individual benefits of these actions would increase through positive feedbacks, enabling the recovery of the island’s rare and endemic species.

BASELINE ON THE BACKSIDE: MONITORING WESTERN CATALINA ISLAND’S FARNSWORTH BANK MARINE STATE CONSERVATION AREAS, YEAR 1

Ashley Knight*1, James Lindholm1, Dirk Rosen2, Jessica Watson1, Allison Cramer1, Rhiannon McCollough1, and Elizabeth Lopez1, 1Institute for Applied Marine Ecology, CSU Monterey Bay 100 Campus Drive Bldg 53, Seaside, CA 93955 [email protected] 2Marine Applied Research and Exploration, 1230 Brickyard Cove Road, #101, Richmond, CA 94801

Despite its popularity as a recreational and commercial fishing destination and status as a marine reserve since 1973, little has been described about the ecology at Farnsworth Bank in the scientific literature, especially beyond depths observable by SCUBA. Submersible surveys in 2008 provided the first in situ survey of fishes, since qualitative SCUBA surveys conducted in 1981. Its unique high-relief pinnacles rising from the surrounding soft sediment shelf are topped with the regionally-rare purple hydrocoral Stylaster californicus, the target of protective measures prior to the 2012 implementation of the onshore and offshore State Marine Conservation Areas (SMCAs). These new SMCAs prohibit the take of all marine life except pelagic finfish. The current study provides a more broad-scale survey of the bank and adjacent areas for the baseline monitoring of the SMCAs designated on the windward shelf of Catalina Island in January 2012. We collected photo and video imagery at depths ranging from 20 - 230m using a remotely operated vehicle. Surveys covered 19.3 km2 and included the bank itself, as well as adjacent rocky and soft-bottom habitats, both inside and outside of the protected areas. To-date, 20 genera of fishes, including 14 species of rockfish have been identified in the imagery. Consistent with the submersible surveys, we observed patchy sections of Stylaster californicus atop the pinnacles and considerable fishing gear debris, including monofilament line and traps. These results, along with a second year of baseline data to be collected in late 2012 will provide a benchmark against which any future changes in these MPAs can be measured.

REGIONAL-SCALE RECRUITMENT PATTERS DETERMINE RESERVE EFFICACY ACROSS AN ISLAND MARINE RESERVE NETWORK

David Kushner*1, and Nick Shears2, 1Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001, USA. 2Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland, PO Box 349, Warkworth 0947, New Zealand.

Our understanding of the effectiveness of marine protected areas in protecting and promoting exploited species is largely derived from spatial comparisons between reserve and fished sites or from a limited number of reserves where before and after protection data are available. The establishment of networks of marine reserves worldwide provides increased opportunity to examine how exploited species respond to protection across regions and determine important factors driving variation in response of exploited species to protection. We utilize a globally unique marine reserve monitoring data set that spans 30 years, 6 marine reserves, and 2 biogeographic regions, to investigate the response of a heavily harvested sea cucumber (Parastichopus parvimensis) to protection in the Channel Islands Marine Reserve Network, California, USA. Clear regional variation was found in sea cucumber abundance and harvest levels across the Channel Islands, with both density and fisheries landings increasing with warming water temperatures from west to east. Concomitant with this was higher rates of recovery in reserves in the warmer region and a greater overall magnitude of reserve effects. These patterns correspond to higher recruitment levels in the warmer region, which appear to be driven by oceanographic features that promote greater larval supply. These results provide a unique example of how monitoring data from a network of marine reserves can be used to assess and interpret variation in the performance of MPAs and develop better predictions as to how exploited species will respond to protection.

HABITAT QUALITY IN THE ISLAND SCRUB-JAY: DOES ACORN ABUNDANCE PREDICT BODY CONDITION AND SURVIVAL?

Kathryn M. Langin*1, Mario B. Pesendorfer2, T. Scott Sillett3, Scott A. Morrison4, W. Chris Funk1, and Cameron K. Ghalambor1, 1Biology Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, [email protected] 2School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 3Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 4The Nature Conservancy, San Francisco, CA

Identifying the environmental variables that drive variation in habitat quality is important for predicting how populations will respond to landscape changes. Here we ask whether spatial variation in acorn abundance predicts body condition and survival in the Island Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma insularis), a species of conservation concern that is entirely restricted to Santa Cruz Island. Island Scrub-Jays are found in a diversity of habitats across the island, but they are most closely tied to oak-dominated chaparral. During the fall months, they gather and cache acorns from oak trees – a food store that is thought to be critical for survival during winter months when animal prey are more scarce. We have been monitoring the demography of Island Scrub-Jays on three study plots since 2008, and from 2009 to 2011 we also conducted fall surveys to quantify acorn abundance in those areas. Our surveys detected considerable spatial and temporal variation in acorn abundance: oaks in Coches Prietos Canyon had significantly fewer acorns in all years compared to oaks in the two study plots located in the Central Valley, and the Central Valley oaks were subject to marked annual variation in acorn abundance. During that same time period, we captured more than 200 Island Scrub-Jays and found that individual body condition during the fall months was related to spatial variation in acorn abundance, as jays in Coches had the lowest condition levels. However, estimates of annual survival for Island Scrub-Jays that have year-round territories on our study plots did not correlate as strongly with variation in acorn abundance.

RESTORATION PRIORITIES FOR THE MEXICAN ISLANDS

Mariam Latofski-Robles*1, Alfonso Aguirre-Muñoz1, Humberto Reyes-Hernández2, Sabine Schlüter3, 1Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C., 2 Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, 3Cologne University of Applied Sciences [email protected]

An accurate science-based planning is essential to maximize the investments return in conservation efforts to protect biodiversity, especially when funds are limited. This is particularly important in threatened and fragile areas, such as the islands, which have small land surface area but very high species richness and endemisms. In the case of the Mexican islands, through the prioritization of sites with desired attributes, we seek to prevent extinctions and protect more species with less investment. Mexico has approximately 1600 islands and islets (only 0.2 % of the country’s surface). Just 149 islands host 7% of all Mexican vertebrate and plant species, as well as 18% of threatened birds and mammals. Furthermore, the eradication of invasive vertebrates on islands has proven to be a very efficient restoration tool. Fifty-five eradications of 10 species have been successfully conducted on 34 Mexican islands. A similar number of eradications, on more complex and larger islands are pending. A GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis was developed, involving conservation preferences and decision rules. Twenty-nine Mexican islands with presence of invasive mammal species were included in the analysis. Important attributes taken into account are: endemism, threatened species, important bird areas, species richness, reintroduction probability, feasibility of the eradication and economic cost. Islands were grouped into 4 categories of priority: 1) Socorro, Cozumel, Maria Cleofas, Maria Magdalena, Espiritu Santo; 2) Maria Madre, Guadalupe, Clarion, San José; 3) Angel de la Guarda, Carmen, Cedros, Cerralvo, San Marcos, Santa Catalina, San Esteban, Cayo Centro, Saliaca, Coronado, San Benito Oeste, Santa Margarita; 4) Alcatraz, Natividad, San Diego, Magdalena, El Rancho, Mujeres, Mejia, Granito. This endeavor will serve as guide for future restoration and sustainable development plans, providing information for conservation practitioners, government agencies and donors to decide on which islands and when to program the restoration efforts.

RESTORATION OF SEABIRDS ON SAN NICOLAS ISLAND BY ERADICATING FERAL CATS

Annie Little*1, Grace Smith2, Chad Hanson3, Brad Keitt3, and David Garcelon4, 1U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2U.S. Navy, NAWCWD Sustainability Office, Code 52F000ME, Bldg. 53A, Point Mugu, CA 93042 3Island Conservation, 100 Shaffer Road LML, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 4Institute for Wildlife Studies, P.O. Box 1104, Arcata, CA 95518

Located off the coast of southern California, U.S. Navy-owned San Nicolas Island (SNI) supports several threatened and endangered species and provides important nesting habitat for the western gull (Larus occidentalis) and Brandt’s cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus). After five years of planning, the Montrose Settlements Restoration Program and U.S. Navy, in partnership with Island Conservation and the Institute for Wildlife Studies, initiated in 2009 an intensive effort to remove feral cats (Felis silvestris catus) from SNI. The goal of this project is to restore seabird nesting habitat and protect native fauna. As part of this comprehensive program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Navy entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). From January 2009 to June 2010, a total of 66 cats were removed from the island. Of these, 59 cats were removed from the island and transferred to the HSUS for permanent care at an enclosed facility in Ramona, CA. A mitigation program was put in place to reduce impacts to the endemic island fox related to the trapping effort. Cameras were deployed across this island to detect any remaining cats. Since the removal of the last cat in June of 2010, over 27,000 camera traps nights and 278 km of sign search has confirmed that feral cats are no longer present on SNI. Monitoring is ongoing to detect changes in seabird populations and endemic mammals and reptiles on SNI as a result of the removal of feral cats.

ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF PINNIPEDS AT THE CHANNEL ISLANDS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Mark S. Lowry*, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 3333 Torrey Pines Ct, La Jolla, CA 92038 [email protected]

NOAA Fisheries monitors pinnipeds for assessing population status, as required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Channel Islands are occupied by California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii), and Northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus), and occasionally by the Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) and Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). California sea lions reside at all eight Channel Islands and since 1975 pup production has increased 5.3% annually, with San Miguel Island and San Nicolas Island accounting for approximately 90% of U.S. pup production (99.6% of pups in the U.S. are born at the Channel Islands). Northern elephant seals inhabit five of the islands; U.S. pup production has increased 5.5% annually since 1979, with San Miguel and San Nicolas Islands accounting for approximately 69% of U.S. births (80% of pups in the U.S. are born at the Channel Islands). Pacific harbor seals are found at all eight islands; where approximately 3900 seals were counted in recent years (accounting for 18% of the California population in 2009). A small colony of northern fur seals at San Miguel Island currently produces about 2500 pups a year. Pinniped populations at the Channel Islands are either stable or increasing.), Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii), and Northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus), and occasionally by the Guadalupe fur seal (Arctocephalus townsendi) and Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). California sea lions reside at all eight Channel Islands and since 1975 pup production has increased 5.3% annually, with San Miguel Island and San Nicolas Island accounting for approximately 90% of U.S. pup production (99.6% of pups in the U.S. are born at the Channel Islands). Northern elephant seals inhabit five of the islands; U.S. pup production has increased 5.5% annually since 1979, with San Miguel and San Nicolas Islands accounting for approximately 69% of U.S. births (80% of pups in the U.S. are born at the Channel Islands). Pacific harbor seals are found at all eight islands; where approximately 3900 seals were counted in recent years (accounting for 18% of the California population in 2009). A small colony of northern fur seals at San Miguel Island currently produces about 2500 pups a year. Pinniped populations at the Channel Islands are either stable or increasing.

SIX YEARS OF PROVIDING EARTH AND OCEAN SCIENCE EDUCATION TO UNDERSERVED STUDENTS FOCUSED ON THE CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY AND NATIONAL PARK: LESSONS LEARNED

Rocío Lozano-Knowlton*, Consultant for Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, 1501Cardigan Ave. Ventura, CA 93004 [email protected]

The Multicultural Education for Resource Issues Threatening Oceans (MERITO) Academy is an Earth and Ocean science education program designed to increase ocean literacy, raise awareness of ocean issues and inspire youth underrepresented in science fields to pursue careers in science or resource protection using the Channel Islands as the focus theme. An initiative of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary implemented in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties as a partnership program with a large number of local, state, and Federal organizations, the program has served over 4200 4th- 8th grade level students since 2006 all enrolled in Title 1 schools by training their educators on the use of science-based curriculum, providing in class and out in the field instruction, year round support, and full or partial sponsorship of students transportation for field studies including at the Channel Islands. Six years of program evaluation data and analysis conducted by external evaluators show a correlation between the recorded impacts and the students participation in the Academy. Measured impacts include increased understanding of Earth and ocean science concepts, awareness of ocean issues, and interest in protecting the ocean as per pre and post program surveys and other evaluation tools. The presentation will summarize: The importance of establishing partnerships with other agencies to increase efficiency; Methods to develop and present ocean science content geared for English Learning students that are useful for formal and informal education settings (4th-8th grade level); How to motivate educators to teach the developed content in the classroom or afterschool program; How to inspire students to get interested in science, aware of Earth and ocean science careers, and want to adopt environmentally friendly practices. The methods and strategies to be presented have proven effective at engaging multicultural audiences in ocean education and at building stewardship for the Channel Islands.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION IN THE ISLANDS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA: RECENT EXPERIENCES Ana E. Marichal -González*, Joana Bielschowsky de Aguirre, and Fernanda Castro-Rodríguez, Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C., Avenida Moctezuma 836, Zona Centro, Ensenada, Baja California, México 22880 [email protected]

In order to raise awareness of the need to avoid the reintroduction of invasive species, reduce pollution and forge a conservation culture, it is of great importance to actively promote environmental education and communication among islanders, coastal communities and stakeholders related to the Baja California islands. All Baja California islands are connected to local fishermen communities as well as cooperatives on the Peninsula. Both as individuals and communities, fishermen are the persons with the longest presence and, most probably, the largest future linked to the islands. Therefore, their active involvement and practical support is a necessary condition for the success of any conservation project. Since it is usually an essential factor in the success of any conservation action or project, much of the work conducted by Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C. on the islands of Baja California, is carried out in collaboration with other institutions and local communities. We have developed programs to reduce light pollution, to promote sustainable economic alternatives, and in general terms, to promote the collaborative participation of the local population. The main goals of our educational projects, and what has already been accomplished by other educational programs in the region, are the basis for some ideas and proposals for future environmental educational and communication projects for the conservation of the islands of Baja California.

MULTILOCUS ALLOENZYME GENOTYPES AS A MEASURE OF CLONAL VERSUS SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN THE FRAGILE STAR (LINCKIA COLUMBIAE) AT THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS AND PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA

Florence A. McAlary*1, and Bernie P. May2, 1Friday Harbor Laboratories, 620 University Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 [email protected] 2Genomic Variation Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616

The fragile star (Linckia columbiae) which reaches the northern extent of its geographic range at the California Channels Islands is one of the few asteroids worldwide that reproduces both sexually and asexually by ray autotomy. We used allozyme variation to examine how different modes of reproduction effect local population structure at 14 sites off five California Channel Islands and three sites along the Palos Verdes coast. Electrophoretic analysis of eight polymorphic loci from 1074 individuals revealed 248 distinct genotypes of which 49% had from two to as many as 68 replicates. Genotypic diversity at all sites except San Clemente Island was significantly lower than expected for sexually reproducing populations. Fifty three percent of individuals sampled during the spawning season lacked visible gonadal development in any ray and, on any individual, only the longest rays were likely to have mature gonads. Less than six percent of genotypes in which two or more individuals could be sexed contained both male and female replicates. These findings, together with morphometric features including the frequency of regenerating rays and recent autotomy, emphasize the dominant role of fissiparity in maintaining local populations. Measures of genetic differentiation and connectivity among populations around Catalina Island, other islands, and the mainland reflect general patterns of ocean circulation in the Southern California Bight and illustrate the potential role of planktonic larvae, autotomy, and clonal dispersion in establishing and maintaining populations of L. columbiae in this region. The predominance of large individuals at relatively low densities at some sites may be the consequence of aging populations and infrequent recruitment.

BLOOD OXYGEN DEPLETION IN DIVING CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS: THE ROLE OF THE LUNG OXYGEN STORE Birgitte I. McDonald*, and Paul J. Ponganis, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr. #0204, La Jolla, CA 92093-0204 [email protected]

The rate and magnitude of O2 store depletion is critical to the dive performance and foraging ecology of breath-hold divers. We investigated blood O2 depletion with a backpack recorder for the partial pressure of O2 in nine California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) during maternal foraging trips. Arterial and venous minimum haemoglobin saturations (SO2) were routinely greater than 50% and variable during routine shallow dives. In isolated deep dives greater than 4 min in duration, minimum venous SO2s routinely reached values below 10%, and minimum arterial SO2s were sometimes below 20%, indicative of exceptional hypoxemic tolerance. Minimum venous SO2s were occasionally as low as 1%, consistent with near complete venous blood O2 depletion. In a 6-min dive, such depletion of venous blood O2 -1 -1 contributes 2.7 ml O2 kg min to dive metabolic rate. During serial deep dive bouts, both arterial and venous SO2 increased during ascent, suggesting re-expansion of collapsed lungs and resumption of gas exchange during the “ascent tachycardia”. Arterial SO2 depletion patterns of serial deep dives differed from shallow dives and isolated deep dives with abrupt declines and increases at about 200m depth during descent and ascent, respectively. We suggest this is due to interruption of gas exchange at depth and that an O2 reservoir in the lungs serves to supplement blood O2 levels during ascent. Although California sea lions have extreme hypoxemic tolerance and blood O2 contributes significantly to metabolic rate during a dive, lung O2 store may play a greater role than previously suspected in serial deep dives.

GENE FLOW AND DIVERGENCE IN LEPTOSYNE GIGANTEA, GIANT TICKSEED, ON THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS

Mitchell McGlaughlin*1, and Kaius Helenurm2, 1 University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St, Greeley CO, 80639 [email protected] 2University of South Dakota, 414 E Clark St., Vermillion SD, 57069

Leptosyne gigantea (Asteraceae; formerly Coreopsis gigantea), Giant Tickseed, is an iconic plant of the California Channel Islands. This species illustrates many of the characteristics associated with insular plant evolution: gigantism, woodiness, and self-fertilization. Leptosyne gigantea occurs on every island and various points along the California coast from Santa Barbara County to San Diego County. The distribution of L. gigantea makes it an ideal model system for understanding gene flow among islands and the California mainland. In this study we sampled populations of L. gigantea on each Channel Island and two mainland sites located near Malibu. All samples were analyzed with 5-8 microsatellite genetic loci. Populations on Santa Catalina were found to contain the highest level of genetic diversity (Ho = 0.31 – 0.36), while the single population on San Clemente contained only 1 genotype (Ho = 0.00). Populations on the northern islands had moderate levels of genetic diversity (Ho = 0.09 – 0.22). Estimates of migration rates suggest that populations on Anacapa and San Clemente are genetically isolated, while most other populations are exchanging a moderate number of migrants per generation. The highest migration rates are observed between Santa Cruz, San Miguel, and San Nicolas (Nm > 2). A high level of migration was also observed between Santa Cruz and San Miguel, and the Malibu area (Nm > 1.5). From this data we can conclude that the northern islands function as a single evolutionary unit, that there is a moderate level of gene flow between the northern islands and the mainland, and that the southern islands are relatively isolated from the northern islands, but genetic exchange is still occurring.

ECOLOGICAL CHANGE AFTER THE ANACAPA RAT ERADICATION PROJECT – A REVIEW OF MONITORING RESULTS 10-YEARS ON

Matthew McKown*1, Coral Wolf1, Holly Gellerman2, Tim Coonan3, Dan Richards3, Laurie Harvey4, Nick Holmes5, Gregg Howald5, Kate Faulkner3, Don Croll1, and Bernie Tershy1, 1Coastal Conservation Action Lab, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, 100 Shaffer Rd. Santa Cruz, CA 95060 [email protected] 2Office of Spill Prevention and Response, California Dept. of Fish and Game 3Channel Islands National Park 4California Institute of Environmental Studies 5Island Conservation

Measuring the response of native species to conservation actions is necessary to inform the continued improvement of conservation practices. This is particularly true for eradications of invasive vertebrates from islands where upfront costs are high, actions may be controversial with the public, and there is potential for negative impacts to native (“non-target”) species from the eradication process. Here we summarize available data on the response of native species on Anacapa Island, CA following the eradication of Black Rat (Rattus rattus) in 2002. Anacapa has two breeding species of IUCN threatened seabirds, Ashy Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa; Endangered) and Xantus’s Murrelet (Xynthilboramphus hypoleucus scrippsi; Vulnerable), as well as nine other endemic subspecies of birds and mammals. Ten years post-eradication, native terrestrial and marine taxa hypothesized to respond positively to a rat eradication, increased in abundance(i.e. Xantus’s Murrelet, Cassin’s Auklet (Ptychoramphusaleuticus), Anacapa Deer Mouse(Peromyscus maniculatus anacapae),and species of intertidal invertebrates).Two seabird species likely extirpated by rats, Ashy Storm-petrel and Cassin’s Auklet, now breed on Anacapa Island. Long-term effects of non-target mortality are limited. Although quantitative data on changes in Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps obscura) are unavailable, the species is still present on West Anacapa. Raptor species present at the time of the eradication also appear to be present now. Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have recently reestablished and are now breeding on the island after more than a 60 year absence. The population of the endemic Deer Mouse has increased, although the eradication project resulted in less genetically distinct populations between the islets and reduced genetic variability within populations. These findings clarify the pervasive impacts of invasive rats on a wide variety of taxa on Anacapa Island, the short- and long-term impacts of eradication, and the ability of an island to recover following a carefully planned rat eradication project.

UNPRECEDENTED MORTALITY OF CALIFORNIA SEA LION PUPS ASSOCIATED WITH ANOMALOUS OCEANOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS ALONG THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST IN 2009

Sharon R. Melin*1, Anthony J. Orr1, Jeffrey D. Harris1, Jeffrey L. Laake1, Robert L. DeLong1, Frances M. D. Gulland2 , and Shelbi Stoudt2, 1NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115 [email protected] 2The Marine Mammal Center, Marin Headlands, Golden Gate National Recreational Area, Sausalito, CA 94965

Between May and August 2009, an anomalous oceanographic event occurred along the central California coast. The event was characterized by the strongest negative upwelling observed in 40 years and uncharacteristically warm sea surface temperatures. The timing of the event coincided with the weaning and reproduction of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) in the California Channel Islands. We documented the effects of the event on sea lion pup production, pup mortality, female attendance, and diet at San Miguel Island, California, and the number of strandings along the California coast of emaciated weaned pups born in 2008 that occurred in 2009. The median birth date (9 June) and the number of pups born (14,651) in 2009 were similar to long-term averages but pup mortality at 5 weeks of age was 74%, almost 4 times greater than normal and by 14 weeks of age, mortality reached 80%. A model of pup mortality demonstrated a positive relationship between pup mortality and average sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) in June; warmer sea surface temperatures of 1° C or greater than normal resulted in significantly higher pup mortality. The number of strandings of California sea lion pups increased in 2009 from an average of 70 (SE = 24) to 640; most of the strandings occurred in June corresponding to the period of the warmest SSTA and most negative upwelling anomalies. The average foraging trip for lactating females (7 days, SE = 1.89 days) was 2.5 times longer than reported in previous studies but the time spent nursing their pups was similar (1.9 days vs. 2.1 days). We identified 36 fish taxons in the diet; Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) and Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) dominated the diet in most years but in 2009, juvenile rockfish (Sebastes spp.) was the dominant fish prey (45.5%).

A COLLABORATION CONNECTS STUDENTS TO SCIENCE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Yvonne Menard*1, Steve Carr2, 1Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001, [email protected], 25189 Verdugo Way, Camarillo, CA 93012, [email protected]

Channel Islands Live, a collaborative partnership between Ventura County Office of Education and Channel Islands National Park, regularly connects students and the public to experiencing the park’s island and marine resources through technology. Programs include Live Dives, Live Hikes, and island, ocean, and bald eagle webcams. Programs are broadcast by microwave signal in real time from the remote islands to the mainland and then transmitted via the Internet, Internet2, and video conferencing. This partnership provides science education opportunities to students and the public as they virtually experience the diverse marine and island ecosystems within the national park and national marine sanctuary. Explore the challenges, benefits, new technologies, and partnership strategies of this distance learning program.

CO-MANAGEMENT IN THE BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA: THE CASE OF A FISHING COOPERATIVE AT CEDROS AND SAN BENITO ISLANDS Federico Méndez-Sánchez*1,2, 1School of Environment, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand [email protected] 2Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C., Avenida Moctezuma 836, Zona Centro, Ensenada, Baja California, México 22880 [email protected]

The cooperatives along the central western coast of the Baja California peninsula are among the oldest and most successful cooperatives in Mexico. These nine cooperatives, grouped under a federation called FEDECOOP, are responsible for harvesting 90% and 65–67% of the total abalone and lobster catches in the country, respectively. For decades, they have been managing their abalone and lobster fisheries under a community-based co-management arrangement with the government, which has had significant outcomes. The abalone fishery has been gradually recovering since the last decade, while the lobster fishery has stabilized and is growing gradually, achieving its maximum recorded catch in 2011. Because of this, they have been internationally recognized by the Marine Stewardship Council for having a sustainable lobster fishery. To assess whether the co-management arrangement between these cooperatives and the government is an effective mechanism for achieving ecological, economic and social sustainability, I use one of the cooperatives —Pescadores Nacionales de Abulón— as a case study. Following a qualitative research approach, I demonstrate that co-management is being effective in promoting sustainable fisheries, while improving the overall well-being of fishers. The most important conditions contributing to co-management success are the harvest rights provided by the government in the form of a spatially-based concession, and the fact that the recipient of the concession was a well- structured cooperative that already had a collective-action attitude. I contend that fishing cooperatives play an important role in co-management because such organizations have the incentives and capacity to assume management authority and responsibilities, as well as to enforce both government regulations and internal rules. Moreover, the cooperative researched in this study brought to light the fact that cooperatives have the capacity to evolve from organizations that simply harvest resources to business-like organizations that engage in all phases of production, from harvesting to marketing.

HOW CONSERVATION EDUCATION TRANSLATES INTO FUNDING

Patricia Meyer*pat@/islandfox.org

Friends of the Island Fox was formed in 2005 as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit with the mission of supporting the efforts to save the endangered island fox (Urocyon littoralis) through education and conservation efforts. The island fox education program, designed for all ages, tells the story of why the island fox became endangered on the islands of Santa Cruz, San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Catalina, and the recovery efforts underway to save the species from extinction. Education in the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara at schools, universities and adult community centers has resulted in funding directly targeted toward fox recovery. Channel Islands National Park and the Catalina Island Conservancy have received donations toward radio telemetry collars, health checks, vaccinations, necropsies and Watch for Foxes road signs. The education program, statistics of reach (over 27,000 people) and results (82 island fox telemetry radio collars, over 300 vaccinations, health checks, necropsies and road signs) will be outlined.

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THE SANTA ROSA ISLAND FAULT, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA: MORE THAN SIMPLE STRIKE SLIP

Scott A. Minor*, R. Randall Schumann, and Daniel R. Muhs, U.S. Geological Survey, MS 980, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 [email protected]

It has long been recognized that Santa Rosa Island, part of an east-west chain of four islands bordering the Santa Barbara Channel, is transected by a large, broadly arcuate, east-west-striking fault known as the Santa Rosa Island fault (SRIF). Earlier interpretations call for mainly sinistral strike slip along the fault during Pliocene and Quaternary time. The terrain south of the SRIF is generally more rugged, elevated, and densely dissected compared to the tablelands north of the fault that are cut by widely spaced canyons. A possible cause for this topographic contrast is that SRIF movement includes a component of south-side- up dip slip. However, this sense of vertical displacement is at odds with other observations: (1) the SRIF forms a south-facing (i.e., north-side-up) erosionally modified scarp that gradually increases in height from the east and west sides of the island to a maximum of ~100 m at Black Mountain; and (2) prominent, deep stream canyons dissect the tablelands north of the fault. These geomorphic features are consistent with an episode of fault-related uplift of the northern part of the island and consequent down cutting of northward-flowing streams north of the fault. To help evaluate and discriminate between these various SRIF geomorphic-tectonic scenarios, we made detailed fault-slip observations at 5 sites along the fault trace, two in Pleistocene marine-terrace deposits exposed in the western and eastern sea cliffs and three in Tertiary bedrock in the island’s interior. The principal SRIF fault strands dip northward (54o-83o) or are subvertical at all of the sites. Slip surfaces generally preserve sinistral and sinistral-normal strike- slip striae accompanied by patches of normal and reverse oblique- to dip-slip striae. Where oblique- reverse and(or) reverse striae are identified, they mostly overprint and thus postdate strike-slip striae. Only reverse-slip striae are present where the fault cuts late Pleistocene (120- or 80-ka?) marine-terrace deposits exposed in the eastern sea cliffs, but normal, strike-slip, and reverse striae are all common on older subparallel SRIF(?) fault strands exposed nearby in Miocene bedrock. Collectively, these fault kinematic results support a SRIF tectonic model whereby up-to-south normal or sinistral-normal slip characterizes the fault in the Pliocene and(or) early Pleistocene. We hypothesize that sinistral strike slip becomes dominant through much of the Pleistocene, but it is modified by progressively greater components of up-to-north reverse slip and coeval growth of the south-facing fault scarp in the late Quaternary.

RUSSIAN DOCUMENTS DESCRIBE MURDER, MASSACRE, AND MAYHEM ON THE CALIFORNIA COAST, 1814-1815

Susan L. Morris*1, Glenn J. Farris2, and Steven J. Schwartz3, 1155 Rincon Street, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2425 Elendil Lane, Davis, CA 95616, 3Range Sustainability Office, Naval Air Warfare Weapons Division, Point Mugu, CA 93042-5049

The Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island, whose solitary 18-year stay on an island off the southern California coast was commemorated in Scott O’Dell’s novel, Island of the Blue Dolphins, has been a subject of considerable interest since she was left on the island in 1835 and brought to live in Santa Barbara in 1853. Multiple factors contributed to the Lone Woman’s accidental abandonment as many cultural groups with differing priorities and perspectives came into contact on the west coast of North America during the early decades of the 19th century. One event that impacted the number of native inhabitants on San Nicolas Island prior to the 1835 abandonment of the Lone Woman was a long-rumored but previously unsubstantiated massacre of the island natives by a Russian otter hunting party. Several Russian American Company documents, recently translated for this project, describe details of a series of deadly conflicts between a Russian otter hunting crew and the San Nicolas Island natives (Nicoleno) in 1814, and the Spanish, Russians and Alaskan natives on the California mainland in 1815. The violent altercations on San Nicolas Island eventually led to the removal of all but one female Nicoleno from the island in November 1835. All three primary source documents contain important new information about the nature of the interactions between the Spanish, Russians, Americans, California Indians and Alaskan natives during a five year period, 1814-1819, and the response of the Russian American Company administrators to violent events involving Russian otter hunting groups.

THE LIKELY LOCATION OF THE LONE WOMAN’S LAST HOME: PROPERTY PURCHASED BY GEORGE NIDEVER IN SANTA BARBARA IN 1852

Susan L. Morris*1, and Alex F. Grzywacki2, 1155 Rincon Street, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2P.O. Box 30125, Santa Barbara, CA 93130

The location of the Nidever adobe in Santa Barbara where the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island lived with the family following her removal from the island in 1853 was common knowledge through the late 19th century. That information faded as time passed, although one local informant told J.P. Harrington that the Nidever home where Lone Woman was brought was “an adobe situated near where the Southern Pacific Freight Station now stands”. An assumption was made that the freight station the informant referred to was near property owned by George Nidever on what is known as Burton Mound. According to deeds recently reviewed at the Santa Barbara County Hall of records, Nidever sold that property in 1851 and purchased four city lots a mile west of the Salt Pond (now the Andree Clark Bird Refuge) in 1852. Additional documents, census records, and maps show that the Southern Pacific Railway’s first Santa Barbara passenger and freight station, the Mason Street station, was built in 1887 on two of the four lots purchased by Nidever in 1852. Further confirmation of where the Lone Woman spent the final seven weeks of her life before her death on Oct. 19, 1853, comes from a woman whose family rented an adobe on the former Nidever lots in 1911.

RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF HISTORICALLY EXTIRPATED POPULATIONS ON THE CALIFORNIA ISLANDS

Scott A. Morrison*1, Kevin A. Parker2, Paul W. Collins3, and T. Scott Sillett4, 1The Nature Conservancy, 201 Mission St., 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 [email protected] 2Institute of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102904, North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand 3Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta Del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 4Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, PO Box 37012, MRC 5503, Washington, DC 20013

Human activities on and offshore of the California islands over the past two centuries have had profound effects on the community composition and ecological dynamics of these systems. Over recent decades, many of the drivers of ecological degradation have been reduced or removed. For example, many introduced animal species have been eradicated, and the native vegetation and broader community responses have been in some cases dramatic. Although most of the island systems are now generally on a trajectory toward greater ecological resilience, for some island populations that change did not come soon enough. Numerous populations – some of which endemic forms – are no longer extant. We present an overview of the known and suspected species losses from the California islands within the past two centuries, and describe a systematic approach to reestablish, as appropriate, those populations employing and advancing best practices in reintroduction biology. The framework includes considerations of cryptic diversity in the identification of source populations, current and projected habitat quantity and quality on destination islands, management of genetics and disease risk, climate change adaptation and ecological novelty, and sequencing of translocations vis-à-vis other island-specific management goals. We also discuss philosophical, policy, and operational issues. We suggest that by approaching this conservation strategy in a comprehensive, cross-island, and cross-taxa manner, managers may achieve programmatic efficiencies and economies of scale, and may enhance conservation outcomes and learning objectives. The program would necessitate – and create experimental opportunities for – research into the ecology and evolution of species and communities, and in that regard we suggest foci for baseline data collection and hypothesis generation. The principles and approaches developed through this program may apply to other island and mainland systems, and could be adapted to help develop conservation strategies for species that may be candidates for managed relocation in the face of climate change.

BIOGEOGRAPHIC AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF A REVISED SEA-LEVEL CURVE FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DURING THE LAST GLACIAL PERIOD Daniel R. Muhs*1, and Jerry X. Mitrovica2, 1U.S. Geological Survey, MS 980, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 [email protected] 2Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, 20 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

The Channel Islands have been influenced strongly by glacial-interglacial changes in sea level. The most dramatic change took place during the last glacial period, ~25,000 to ~12,000 years ago, when sea level dropped well below present, due to continental ice sheet growth. Based on studies of submerged and emergent fossil coral reefs from tectonically active Barbados, the changes in global sea level over the past ~120,000 years have been well documented. Nevertheless, it is now known that glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) processes, due to ice sheet growth and decay, leave a strong imprint on relative sea level in different parts of the world, depending on proximity to the ice sheets. Thus, relative sea level records will differ from place to place. Southern California, although not glaciated, was affected by these processes because the largest ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere were in North America. Recently, a sea level curve for the past ~120,000 years was generated for southern California using the Barbados sea level curve, but with GIA modeling included. The result indicates that at the last glacial maximum (LGM), sea level off the California coast would have been on the order of ~90 meters lower than present, in contrast to the Barbados record, which suggests ~130 meter lowering. Support for this new sea level curve comes from both submerged and emergent marine terraces around and on the Channel Islands. Reconstruction of the mainland and island paleogeography using this new estimate shows that (1) the northern Channel Islands landmass, although connected into a single large island called Santarosae, was likely smaller than previous estimates; (2) many other small islands that were thought to exist during the LGM probably did not; and (3) all the Channel Islands were farther from the mainland during the LGM than previously thought. These results have important implications for animal migrations, plant dispersals, and human arrivals to the Channel Islands during the last glacial period and Holocene.

THE GEOLOGIC RECORD OF GLACIAL-INTERGLACIAL CLIMATE CHANGES ON THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS

Daniel R. Muhs*1, Kathleen R. Simmons1, R. Randall Schumann1, Scott Minor1, John P. McGeehin2, and Lindsey T. Groves3, 1U.S. Geological Survey, MS 980, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 [email protected] 2U.S. Geological Survey, MS 926A, National Center, Reston, VA 20192 3Section of Malacology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007

The Channel Islands record a rich geologic record of climate change. During the Quaternary Period (the past 2.6 million years), the Channel Islands witnessed dramatic changes of climate, from glacial to interglacial periods. During glacial periods, continental ice sheets form and sea level lowers. Conversely, during interglacial periods, ice sheets melt and sea level rises. The Channel Islands have abundant records of both glacial and interglacial periods because geologic processes on the islands respond to changes in sea level, combined with tectonic uplift. High stands of sea are recorded as marine terrace (uplifted wave- cut benches, often rich in invertebrate fossils) and these form stair-step-like landscapes with ongoing uplift. Marine terraces are present on the Channel Islands, but the numbers and elevations of marine terraces vary with uplift rate. Islands with low uplift rates (Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara) have few terraces and the oldest ones are at relatively low elevations. Islands with higher uplift rates (San Nicolas and San Clemente) have more terraces and the oldest ones are at higher elevations. The most prominent low-elevation terrace on all islands dates to the last interglacial period, ~120,000 years ago, when sea level was ~6 m to 8 m higher than present and coastal waters were warmer than now. Low stands of sea during glacial periods exposed insular shelves to strong northwesterly winds that deposited carbonate-rich sand as dunes. During the last glacial period, ~25,000 to ~12,000 years ago, sea level was ~90 m lower than present off California. Coastal dunes on San Miguel, San Nicolas and San Clemente islands have been dated to this period. Larger tracts of older dunes on San Clemente Island may date to the penultimate glacial period, ~165,000-150,000 years ago. Sea-level changes, with tectonic uplift, have produced much of the landscape seen on the Channel Islands today.

THE CA CHANNEL ISLANDS AND OCEAN ACIDIFICATION: IMPLEMENTING THE INVERTED CLASSROOM MODEL

Paul Narguizian*, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032-8201 [email protected]

Changes to Earth's global climate have had and will have major consequences for the biodiversity of life on Earth. Using evidence preserved in ice for tens of thousands of years, scientists are searching for an understanding of the history of Earth's climate changes in order to better predict what the future holds for life on the planet. In this lesson, students learn about how an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and consequently an increase of CO2 levels in the world oceans are leading to a drop in overall oceanic pH; also known as ocean acidification. As a result, a variety of organisms are being affected by ocean acidification leading to a potential mass extinction event. Students also apply scientific methodology to collect data via the latest research findings and techniques. Utilizing the CA Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary and how it is being affected by ocean acidification, the latest research findings and techniques are incorporated into the high school science and undergraduate college curriculum.

ARTHROPOD INVENTORY OF QUERCUS PACIFICA WOODLANDS ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Ida Naughton*1, Cause Hanna1, Bryson Edgar1, and David Holway2, 1UC Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley CA, 94704 [email protected] 2UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., San Diego CA, 92093

Arthropod populations have been understudied on Santa Cruz Island resulting in the unknown identity of many endemic and integral species. Arthropods are a key dietary component of endemic vertebrates, important pollinators of endemic plant species, and are essential to nutrient recycling. To sample the arthropods associated with the Island Scrub Oak, Quercus pacifica, habitat we employed four standardized sampling techniques: pitfall traps, Q. pacifica leaf litter samples, under-rock surveys, and Q. pacifica branch beating. In total, we identified over 18,000 specimen to 447 species or morphospecies consisting of: 1 species of Scorpion, 4 morphospecies of Pseudoscorpion, 38 species and 12 morphospecies of Aranea, 4 morphospecies of Orthoptera, 10 species of Psocoptera, 7 species and 38 morphospecies of Homoptera, 28 morphospecies of Heteroptera, 1 species of Neuroptera, 40 species and 32 morphospecies of Coleoptera, 55 morphospecies of Diptera, 5 species and 5 morphospecies of Lepidoptera, 37 species of Apidae, 14 species of Formicidae, and 116 morphospecies of other Hymenoptera. Our discovery of numerous unrecorded species on Santa Cruz Island demonstrates the impressive diversity of arthropods associated with a specific insular habitat type. The variety of plant communities that exist on Santa Cruz Island, the rich arthropod diversity within the Q. pacifica habitat, and the fundamental role of arthropods in community structure and function emphasize the need of a more comprehensive inventory across the California Channel Islands. RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION OF GREEN ABALONE (HALIOTIS FULGENS) IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: DEVELOPING METHODS FOR CULTURE, GENETIC AND DISEASE RISK MANAGEMENT

Melissa Neuman*1, Dave Witting2, Brent Schiewe3, Tom Ford4, Dan Pondella5, Jonathan Williams5 Ray Hiemstra6, Amanda Bird6, Nancy Caruso7, Kristen Gruenthal8, and Tal Ben-Horin9, 1National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Regional Office, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 [email protected] 2NOAA Restoration Center, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4470, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 3Los Angeles Conservation Corps, SEA Lab, P.O. Box 15868, Los Angeles, CA 90015 4Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, 1 LMU Drive, North Hall Pereira Annex, Los Angeles CA 90045 5Vantuna Research Group, Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041 6Orange County Coastkeeper, 3151 Airway Ave. Suite F-110, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 7Get Inspired! Inc., 6192 Santa Rita Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92845 8Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, 2595 Ingraham St., San Diego, CA 92109 9Marine Science Institute, UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA 93106-6150

Green abalone (Haliotis fulgens) range from Pt. Conception, California, to Bahia Magdalena, Baja California Sur, Mexico including many of the offshore islands. Overfishing and other threats make the species vulnerable to extirpation due to a phenomenon known as the Allee effect. Recovery and management plans have recognized that captive rearing and outplanting are critical elements of abalone restoration. These plans have identified two important risks associated with this approach: 1) alteration of the naturally occurring spatial structure in genetic variation; and 2) the transfer of disease from one location to another. In this study, we determine if genetic differences in green abalone populations occur among Catalina Island and three mainland locations in the southern California Bight, estimate the number of broodstock needed to effectively capture the genetic variation expressed in wild populations, and discuss the genetic consequences of breeding abalone from one area and outplanting their progeny to another in order to prevent local extirpation. Finally, we describe an in situ sample collection method for disease testing (i.e. Withering Syndrome) on Catalina Island, building on previously developed methods. This method can be used to guide the spatial design for outplanting captive-reared abalone in order to minimize the risk of disease transfer to wild populations. Accomplishing these goals is essential for designing the lowest risk culture and outplanting program that yields the highest recovery and conservation potential.

QUANTIFYING THE DIETS OF BREEDING BALD EAGLES ON THE CHANNEL ISLANDS: A MULTI-PROXY APPROACH

Seth D. Newsome*1, Paul W. Collins2, and Peter Sharpe3, 1University of Wyoming, Zoology & Physiology Department, Laramie, WY 82071 [email protected] 2Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Vertebrate Zoology Department, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 3Institute of Wildlife Studies, Avalon, CA 90704

Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were once a familiar apex predator and scavenger in ecosystems on and around the Channel Islands. As a result of direct (e.g., shooting, egg collection, poisoning) and indirect (e.g., pesticides, resource competition) interactions with humans, bald eagles disappeared as a resident breeder on the Channel Islands by the late 1950s to early 1960s (Kiff 1980, Kiff 2000). Over the past 30 years, successful reintroduction programs have established resident breeding bald eagles on the northern and southern islands. Identifying the types of prey that bald eagles are currently consuming can inform wildlife managers about: 1) the prey that eagles may impact as they reestablish breeding populations on the Channel Islands; (2) the possible conflicts that a reestablished bald eagle population might have with other recovering wildlife populations (e.g., seabirds) on the islands; and (3) the impacts that contaminated prey (e.g., seabirds and marine mammals) might have on the reproductive success of a recovering bald eagle population. In the fall of 2010 and 2011, we collected more than 3,500 prey remains from recently active bald eagle nests on Santa Rosa (2 nests), Santa Catalina (9 nests), Santa Cruz (4 nests), and West Anacapa (1 nest) islands. Approximately 70 percent of these remains were identified and contained more than 400 individuals from at least 60 family, genera, or species. Of the prey identified, ~45% were birds, ~45% were fish, and ~10% were mammals. In contrast to prey identification, stable isotope analysis (SIA) of bald eagle and putative prey tissues suggested that marine fish were the dominant prey type, however, isotope values of a few adults and chicks suggest a significant proportion (~50-80%) of terrestrial resource use. SIA shows that seabirds are minor dietary components.

A HABITAT-LEVEL ASSESSMENT OF ISLAND FOX DIETS ON SANTA ROSA AND SAN MIGUEL ISLANDS

Seth D. Newsome*1, Brian Cypher2, Katherine Ralls3, Angela Guglielmino4, and Tim Coonan3, 1University of Wyoming, Zoology & Physiology Department, Laramie, WY 82071 [email protected] 2CSU-Stanislaus, Endangered Species Recovery Program, Bakersfield, CA 93389 3Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC 20008 4Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, CA 93001

Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) are considered to be dietary generalists and consume a wide variety of food items, including rodents, birds, insects, carrion, and fruits. Using scat analysis, previous work has documented seasonal food habits at the island-level, but individual- and habitat-level preferences for resources have not been determined. The low island fox population densities on several of the islands provide an opportunity to evaluate baseline diet preferences since resource abundance is likely high relative to fox population size, resulting in low intra-specific competition. Furthermore, many islands are experiencing significant changes in vegetation composition and structure due to recent removal of non- native ungulates. If specific resource preferences for foxes are identified, it may be possible to conduct habitat restoration or manage habitats in a manner that enhances the availability of preferred prey items for foxes. We are coupling scat analysis with carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis to examine dietary preferences of island foxes in different habitats on Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands. By analyzing the isotopic composition of fox vibrissae (whiskers), a metabolically inert but continuously growing tissue, and of samples from primary foods, we can characterize temporal dietary variation at the individual level and also relate diet to habitats used by foxes. Preliminary results show that fox diets differ significantly among habitats, and that some habitats are associated with greater dietary variation among individuals. Dietary variation at the individual-level, however, appears to be low during the spring and summer months. Comparison of data for individuals caught in consecutive years suggests that individual dietary preferences are maintained among years. Future work will focus on field- and GIS-based characterization of habitat type/quality, as well as resource availability, in relation to dietary variation.

FLUCTUATIONS IN FOOD SUPPLY DRIVE RECRUITMENT VARIATION IN A MARINE FISH

Daniel Okamoto1, Russell J. Schmitt1,2, Sally J. Holbrook1,2, and Daniel C. Reed1,2, 1Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 [email protected] 2Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106

Reproductive rates and survival of young in animal populations figure centrally in generating management and conservation strategies. Model systems suggest food supply can drive these often highly variable properties, yet for many wild species, quantifying such effects and assessing their implications have been challenging. We used spatially explicit time series of black surfperch (Embiotoca jacksoni) around Santa Cruz Island, CA and its known prey resources to evaluate the extent to which fluctuations in food supply influenced production of young by adults and survival of young to subadulthood. Our analyses reveal: 1) variable food available to both adults and to their offspring directly produced an order of magnitude variation in the number of young-of-year (YOY) produced per adult, and 2) food available to YOY produced a similar magnitude of variation in their subsequent survival. We then show that such large natural variation in vital rates can significantly alter decision thresholds (biological reference points) important for precautionary management. These findings reveal how knowledge of food resources can improve understanding of population dynamics and reduce risk of overharvest by more accurately identifying periods of low recruitment.

STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS OF TERRESTRIAL FOOD WEBS ON FOUR CHANNEL ISLANDS

John L. Orrock*1, and Louie H. Yang2, 1Department of Zoology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53704 [email protected] 2Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616

Island characteristics, such as island size, may play an important role in structuring the terrestrial food web. A primary means by which area is thought to affect island food webs is by altering the abundance of seabirds: on small islands, seabird nesting colonies can reach large numbers. Through guano deposition, birds may subsidize entire island food webs. Despite the potential role of island size and seabirds in affecting terrestrial food webs, comparative studies of food webs on the Channel Islands have not been conducted. We sampled terrestrial grasses, forbs, insects, and rodents in 2007 on four of the Channel Islands: East Anacapa, Santa Barbara, San Miguel, and Santa Rosa. These four islands represent a gradient in size, with the two smallest islands also containing significant seabird colonies. We find that N15 signatures from forbs, grasses, insects, and rodents are all significantly higher on the two smaller islands compared to the two larger islands (San Miguel and Santa Rosa), suggesting that small islands are areas where nitrogen subsidies from seabirds are present in four main components of the terrestrial food web. Our data provide conclusive evidence of the pervasive effect that seabirds have on terrestrial food webs in the Channel Islands, suggesting that factors that alter seabird abundance (e.g. introduced species) may have important effects on island food webs.

ADVANCES ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION OF SOCORRO ISLAND, MEXICO

Antonio Ortiz-Alcaraz, José María Barredo-Barberena*, Alfonso Aguirre-Muñoz, and Fernando Pérez- Castro, Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C. Moctezuma 836, Centro, Ensenada, B.C. México 22800 [email protected]

Socorro Island, an oceanic island part of the Revillagigedo Archipelago, is located in the Pacific Ocean 460 km off the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. It is the Mexican island with the highest level of endemism and biodiversity. It harbors one of the most rich and diverse bird communities in Mexico of 103 species, 10 of which are endemic. However, sheep (Ovis aries), cats (Felis silvestris catus) and house mouse (Mus musculus) were introduced to the island decades ago, causing negative impacts. At least 30 percent of the island’s surface was altered by sheep overgrazing. Therefore, the endemic lizard and birds are nowadays less abundant at areas impacted by sheep. On the other hand, introduced domestic cats are partially responsible for the extinction in the wild of the Socorro Dove (Zenaida graysoni), and the decrease of other bird populations and the Socorro Blue Lizard (Urosaurus auriculatus). In 2009 Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas started a feral sheep eradication program. The most advanced techniques were used, including a high definition GIS platform, helicopter and ground hunting, telemetry and Judas animals. The eradication was successful, completed during the first semester of 2012. A total of 1,762 sheep were dispatched. The systematic absence confirmation phase started immediately thereafter. Regarding feral cats, a control program is underway. The specific goal is to protect the bird colonies, particularly the Townsend’s Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis) and the Socorro Mockingbird (Mimus graysoni). Meanwhile, target and non-target species monitoring as well as field trials were conducted in order to complete the feral cat eradication plan. The overarching restoration program has been supported by the Mexican and the US federal governments, as well as private donors from the two countries. This paper presents results of conservation actions undertaken on Socorro Island from 2009 to 2012.

HOW TO BUILD AND FUND A ROBUST ISLAND EDUCATION PROGRAM FROM SCRATCH

Ken Owen*, Channel Islands Restoration, 550 Maple Street Unit F, Carpinteria, CA 93013 [email protected]

Although fieldtrips and service-learning programs on the California Channel Islands are very popular with schools, there are particular challenges to organizing programs of this type. These challenges include the added cost of boat transportation as compared to similar mainland programs, the relatively limited amount of age-appropriate volunteer opportunities on the islands, and challenges with trip cancelations due to weather conditions, among others. Channel Islands Restoration (CIR) has provided school fieldtrips and service-learning opportunities on the California Channel Islands for over 2000 school children since 2004. The program has targeted mostly low-income school districts and emphasizes the connection between healthy mainland watersheds and the ocean environment, plus the unique nature of island biology. Funding for the program has come from a combination of private and public sources. CIR’s program started with private schools self-funding trips to participate with habitat restoration programs led by CIR on Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands. As the program matured, CIR raised grant funding to fund trips by public schools. This grant funding paid for CIR staff to provide (1) pre-trip classroom presentations, (2) staff to organize trip logistics, (3) bus and boat transportation, and (4) staff to lead island hikes and service projects. This approach requires CIR to seek new funding sources continuously to fund the program on an ongoing basis.

PEREGRINE FALCON NESTING ECOLOGY ON THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS

Joel E. Pagel¹, Paul Andreano*2, David B. Haines³, Lloyd Kiff4, Brian Latta5, and J. Nick Todd2, 1U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad, CA 92011 [email protected] 2Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Camarillo, CA 93012 3Yellowstone Raptor Initiative, Yellowstone National Park, Mammoth, WY82190 4The Peregrine Fund, Boise, ID, 83709 5The Bird Group, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrines anatum) have resurged in population after having been absent as a breeding species on the California Channel Islands since the 1950’s. Nesting and site specific ecology was observed at 25 of 35 territories in 2007, with additional information collected in 2008, 2010 and 2012. Records indicate Peregrine Falcons were once nesters on all of the eight Channel Islands; we assert that they are now found nesting on seven of the eight Channel Islands at 26 of 35 known, historical nest locations. In 2007, at least 16 pair successfully hatched eggs, and produced 35 young, of which 26 individuals were color banded; in 2012 an additional 3 chicks were color banded. DDT/DDE induced eggshell thinning caused widespread population decline for the species range wide, and has been a concern on the Channel Islands for Peregrine Falcons and other species. From 2007 to 2012, during 37 nest entries, we collected 41 different eggshell samples which displayed a mean eggshell thinning of 18.3 % thinner than pre-DDT era eggs. Contaminant levels varied per island, and per nesting situation (inland versus coastal), which suggest that Peregrine Falcons on the Channel Islands are still being adversely impacted by contaminants. We also collected 21 sample sets of prey items from six islands, which represented at least 49 different species, most of which were seabirds; the predominant species selected as prey during the nesting season was Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius).While we have been unable to ascertain turnover rates and other metrics including dispersal of marked birds, we are aware of a male which fledged from Santa Rosa Island in 2007, dispersed 78 km to the mainland and in 2012 was the territorial male of a coastal California nest.

STAND DENSITY AND SEED PRODUCTION OF THE ISLAND SCRUB-OAK

Mario B Pesendorfer*1,2, Kathryn M Langin3, Brian Cohen4, Zach Principe4, Scott A. Morrison4, and T. Scott Sillett2, 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE [email protected] 2Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 3College of Natural Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 4The Nature Conservancy, San Francisco, CA

Island Scrub-Oak (Quercus pacifica), a keystone chaparral species on Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina islands, provides habitat for a diverse assemblage of plant and animal species. Populations appear to be recovering from ungulate herbivory, but we have limited comparative data on stand structures and seed production between the islands. We measured stand densities and acorn sizes across the three islands in order to contrast between Santa Cruz Island that hosts an avian seed disperser, the Island Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma insularis), and Santa Rosa and Santa Catalina islands that do not. Furthermore, we conducted acorn counts along two transects on Santa Cruz Island: i) an island-wide transect that covers 200 trees visited from 2008 – 11 and ii) 150 trees across three Island Scrub-Jay demography field plots (2009 - 11). Our results show that the spatial variation of stand densities is broad, but does not differ systematically between the three islands. The size of Q. pacifica acorns shows greater variation within than between islands, but the Santa Rosa population has significantly smaller acorns than the other two islands. Acorn production on Santa Cruz Island varies strongly, both temporally and spatially, but with low synchronicity and spatial autocorrelation. This contrasts to findings for larger oaks, such as the Coast Live Oak (Q. agrifolia), that show clear masting patterns. To continue and expand our work, we propose that our sampling design is used as part of a long-term monitoring program for oak habitat across the Channel Islands.

CONNECTING STUDENTS TO THE CHANNEL ISLANDS THROUGH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Carol Peterson*1, Susan Morris2, Sara Schwebel3, and Alexandra Morris4, 1Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2 4155 Rincon Street, Ventura, CA 93001, 3University of South Carolina, English Department, Welsh Humanities Building, Columbia, SC 29208

The award-winning novel Island of the Blue Dolphins, based on the true story of an American Indian woman who was left to live alone on San Nicolas Island for eighteen years in the mid-1800s, is on many state reading lists and is the sixth-best-selling children's paperback of all time. Channel Islands National Park is contacted regularly by students, teachers, and families for information about the islands and their ties to this novel. As a result, the park is developing a web resource for the book. This prototype can be applied to other outstanding pieces of children’s literature with ties to the places and resources protected by the National Park Service (NPS) and other agencies. Through links to photos and video footage of cultural and natural resources, this resource will enrich students’ reading of the book. Afterwards, students will be taken to primary source documents, historic maps, and current archeological research relating to the true story that inspired the book. Being able to access and read archeological reports and other primary source materials associated with the actual historical events introduces students to the fields of archeology and anthropology. Sharing the excitement of breaking news on archeological research reminds us that new discoveries take place every day. The site will also provide additional resources for teachers. And its vast, searchable bibliography will be of interest to researchers. Island of the Blue Dolphins will be the first book of many in a new education feature on the NPS’s award-winning website. These novels are already being read in classrooms across the United States. Why not take students to the real places that inspired these novels. Captivated and passionate readers may also develop a stewardship ethic toward these cultural and natural resources that the American public has valued highly enough to protect for future generations.

SANCTUARY ADVISORY COUNCIL AND SANCTUARY EDUCATION TEAM MODEL FOR COMMUNICATING THE EFFECTS OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION IN THE WATERS OF THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL

Maria Petueli*1, and Amanda Allen2, 1Teach at the Beach Educational Services, 729 Chinook Dr, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2Ty Warner Sea Center, 211 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Ocean acidification is a global marine issue that is garnering attention and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and its’ Advisory Council have passionately spearheaded education efforts on the issue. In 2008 the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council adopted the Ocean Acidification and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary: Cause, effect, and response report compiled by the Conservation Working group. In 2009 the Sanctuary Education Team (SET) extended the work of the Sanctuary Advisory Council and constructed a logic model on how to effectively communicate the effects of ocean acidification, beginning with our local community and leading to the possible extension of these education and outreach efforts regionally, nationally, and internationally. The SET presented three workshops, compiled educational activities and kits, and created an ocean acidification resource website. Two of the ocean acidification workshops were aimed at the volunteers of local organizations that provide marine science education. The third workshop built upon the original format and was expanded to include the entire local community and incorporate a hands-on experience in the Hofmann Lab at UCSB. The information gathered for the workshops, including lesson plans, video footage of scientific presentations were made available to the global community via the website at acidocean.org. The SET evaluated participants increased knowledge as well as evaluating the reach of these efforts and the number of organizations that have since implemented these resources .The SET built successful collaborations with many organizations throughout Southern California in order to provide these events and resources including: Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, the Marine Science Institute at the University of California Santa Barbara, Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, University of Southern California Sea Grant, Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence - West, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Ty Warner Sea Center, Citrix Online, University of Redlands.

RESTORING PRISONERS COASTAL WETLAND AND CAÑADA DEL PUERTO RIPARIAN CORRIDOR, SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Paula Power*1, Joel Wagner2, Mike Martin3, and Marie Denn4, 1Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2NPS Water Resources Division, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, CO 80225 3Natural Resource Program Center, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Suite 250, Ft. Collins, CO 80525 4Point Reyes National Seashore, 1 Bear Valley Road, Pt. Reyes Station, CA 94956

Prisoners Harbor, site of the largest backbarrier coastal wetland on the Channel Islands, was occupied by native people for 5,000 years until the 1830s. The wetland was filled by ranchers in the late 1800s to make way for sheep and cattle corrals and transportation. The associated stream which drains the central part of the island was channelized disconnecting it from the coastal wetland, and inadvertently causing erosion of the 5,000 year old village site. In 2011 the park removed 10,000 yds3 fill material, 30 eucalyptus trees, and reconnected the creek to the wetland floodplain. In the process, a historic stone retaining wall was unearthed and midden sites were discovered requiring on-the-ground changes to the project design plan. Fifteen thousand native wetland plants representing eight species were installed. Improved visitor experience was achieved with the addition of interpretive corrals and two trails accessing the newly restored wetland. Invertebrates and amphibians colonized the open water ponds within weeks of exposing groundwater. Migratory waterfowl and resident landbirds including the island scrub jay soon followed. The park, with partner, The Nature Conservancy plans to restore 20 acres of riparian woodland in the lower Canada del Puerto. To achieve this goal 1800 invasive eucalyptus trees will be removed and 341 established native oaks will be protected.

CONTROLLING FENNEL (FOENICULUM VULGARE) ON SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Paula Power*1, Clark Cowan1, Jim Roberts1, Coleen Cory2, 1Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] 2The Nature Conservancy, 532 East Main Street #200, Ventura, CA 93001

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), an invasive weed was introduced to Santa Cruz Island in the late 19th Century during the island’s ranching era. Vectors for fennel dispersal during the 19th and most of the 20th centuries were likely in the hooves, fur, and feces of cattle and feral sheep. Although the grazers dispersed fennel, they also controlled it by consuming the plants that germinated and grew, while pigs created soil disturbance that favored the germination of fennel. With the removal of cattle, sheep, and pigs, fennel expanded rapidly into recovering native vegetation. During 2007-2012 Field Biological technicians, contractors, interns and volunteers treated all known fennel patches east of the Montañon Ridge; in a 10 foot wide buffer along roads island-wide; and along the Del Norte trail and campground. Hundreds of thousands of fennel plants and seedlings were treated over more than 200 gross acres. Monitoring plots were established to evaluate the effectiveness of the effort. Ten randomly located paired plots were placed at Scorpion and ten randomly placed paired plots at Smugglers. Seed from four native plant species was broadcast into one of each paired plot. The other paired plot was not seeded. Each spring the number of fennel and native plant seedlings in each plot was recorded. Fennel seedlings emerging from the seed bank and recovery of native vegetation show clear differences between sites. Monitoring results will inform future weed control efforts and native plant restoration on Santa Cruz Island.

LEPTOSPIROSIS IN CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS)

Katherine Prager*1,2,3, Denise Greig3, David Alt4, Renee Galloway5, Richard Hornsby4, Lauren Rust3, Jennifer Soper3, David Wu6, Richard Zuerner4, 7, Frances Gulland3, and James Lloyd-Smith1,2, 1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 [email protected] 2Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 3The Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, California 94965 4Infectious Bacterial Diseases Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa 50010 5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333 6Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, South Carolina 29412 7Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease, caused by numerous pathogenic species and serovars within the spirochete genus Leptospira, and is transmitted via contact with leptospires shed in the urine of infected individuals. Since 1970, periodic outbreaks of L. interrogans serovar Pomona have caused morbidity and mortality of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) along the Pacific coast of North America. Most cases occur during yearly outbreaks between July and December, however the magnitude of these epizootics can vary. Although approximately 90% of sea lion births occur on the California Channel Islands each year, and much of the population returns from May through June to breed on San Miguel Island (SMI),San Nicolas Island (SNI) and San Clemente Island (SCI), no leptospirosis cases or mortality have been detected on the Channel Islands. Serologic surveys showed no evidence of recent exposure to L. interrogans serovar Pomona on SMI in pups (3-4-months-old; between 2000 and 2004, N=30 per year) or in 1-3-year-olds (2007, N=51; 2010, N=35), with the exception of a single 2-year-old seropositive female in 2010.Therefore, we hypothesize that Leptospira transmission does not occur on the Islands. To test this hypothesis, in August and September 2011, we assessed leptospire shedding in yearling and juvenile sea lions on SMIvia culture of urine collected from these animals to determine active infection. Despite the simultaneous occurrence of a large outbreak in sea lions on the central California coast during which 24 of 41 free-ranging sea lions sampled in September through November were found positive for leptospire shedding by either PCR or culture, we found no shedding in SMI sea lions (N=44). Further sampling on SMI in autumn2012 will confirm these preliminary findings, and sampling on SNI in 2013 will assess whether Leptospira transmission may occur on the other major sea lion rookery.

ARE ISLAND PLANTS WHIMPY? QUANTIFYING STRESS TOLERANCE OF CHAPARRAL SHRUBS ON SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, CA.

Aaron Ramirez*, and David Ackerly, University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Integrative Biology, 3060 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley CA 94720-3140 [email protected]

It has been argued that exposure to high climatic uniformity (i.e. low seasonal variation in temperature) results in organisms with narrow physiological stress tolerance compared to organisms from habitats with more variable and extreme climates. This hypothesis is generally supported by comparisons of physiological stress tolerance of organisms in tropical vs. temperate and low vs. high altitude environments. Island vs. mainland systems offer an additional, understudied system to test this hypothesis primarily for two reasons: (1) the uniform climates of islands are contrasted by the more variable and extreme climates of adjacent mainland areas, and (2) islands are often inhabited by close relatives of mainland taxa that have colonized the island in the recent past. We hypothesize that if island plants are undergoing strong selection due to local conditions, they will exhibit low stress tolerance compared to mainland relatives. To test this hypothesis, we measured drought-related functional traits of 10 congeneric species pairs of chaparral shrubs from matched sites on Santa Catalina Island, California and the adjacent southern California mainland. Measurements of pre-dawn water potential (Ψpd) and leaf-to-air vapor pressure deficit (VPDL) are significantly different between island and mainland sites when averaged across all species (P < 0.001). Also, island plants exhibit higher specific leaf area (SLA), less negative minimum water potential (Ψmin), larger leaf size, less negative turgor loss points (TLP), and higher bulk tissue elastic modulus near saturation (εmax) compared to mainland congeners. However, stem traits (e.g. stem specific hydraulic conductivity and vulnerability to drought induced cavitation) are not different. These findings suggest that island plants (1) are buffered from the extreme seasonal drought experienced by mainland relatives, and (2) the leaves, not stems, of island plants exhibit reduced drought tolerance. Further study is required to understand the consequences of the observed trait patterns for island plants.

A COMPREHENSIVE BIOSECURITY PROGRAM FOR SANTA CRUZ ISLAND: PROGRESS AND PLANS

John M. Randall*1, Coleen Cory1, Christina L. Boser1, Kate Faulkner2, and Alex Brodie3, 1The Nature Conservancy, 201 Mission St., 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 [email protected] 2Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 3Island Packers, 1691 Spinnaker Drive #105B, Ventura, CA 93001

Santa Cruz Island (SCI) has been the scene of several remarkably successful efforts to eradicate ecologically destructive invasive species, yet remains vulnerable to new invasions by non-native species carried by aircraft and watercraft. The danger of intentional introductions of non-native species decreased sharply when island land use shifted from ranching to conservation and visitation, but the possibility remains of introductions by visitors, the transport of goods and materials, and dispersal from mainland populations to SCI. Island landowners and stakeholders have initiated a unified biosecurity plan which borrows from programs elsewhere in the U.S., New Zealand and Australia. It is designed to prevent transport of potentially invasive species to SCI, quickly detect and eliminate any that make the trip, and protect the Island’s distinctive biota. National Park Service (NPS) concessionaire, Island Packers, and NPS boats enforce prohibition on items most likely to carry invasive species to SCI and the other Northern Channel Islands, and their boats are regularly screened for invasives. Educational campaigns inform private boaters and local yacht clubs of the danger in bringing canine diseases onto SCI. Remotely triggered cameras have been deployed to search for invasive mammals, and to-date have monitored over 45 locations. A rat “rapid response and trapping” kit has been prepared in case of rat sightings, or the wreck of a watercraft that might carry rats to the Island. While we believe the elements already in place are likely to address most invasion vectors, we plan additional measures to address significant remaining threats. These include using technology to better screen goods before embarkation, and more comprehensive efforts to enlist the cooperation of private boaters. The rare native plants and animals of all of the California Islands face threats from nearby mainland invasive species in perpetuity, and could benefit from comprehensive and vigorously implemented biosecurity programs.

THE VALUE OF COMBINING LONG-TERM DATASETS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Andrew Rassweiler*1, James Estes2, Mike Kenner2, David Kushner3, Kevin Lafferty1, John McLaughlin1, Mark Novak4, Dan Reed1, Donna Schroeder5, and Tim Tinker2, 1University of California Santa Barbara [email protected] 2University of California Santa Cruz 3National Park Service 4Oregon State University 5Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

We have synthesized three long-term datasets documenting kelp forest communities in the Southern California Bight: the Channel Islands National Park’s kelp forest monitoring project, the U.S. Geological Survey’s San Nicolas Island baseline monitoring and the Santa Barbara Coastal Long-Term Ecological Research project’s kelp forest monitoring. Together, these projects collect ongoing data from 42 locations at the Channel Islands and 9 locations on the mainland side of the Santa Barbara Channel, 19 of which have been sampled for more than 30 years. These data provide a comprehensive record of how the fish, invertebrate and algal communities have changed at these sites over time. Although the three datasets have been analyzed independently, they have never been used in concert. Here we present our ongoing work to facilitate synthetic analyses across the datasets, both by assembling combined datasets and by improving the public accessibility of each individual dataset. We demonstrate the value of these data as a tool to distinguish between background variation and novel anthropogenic effects, and examine how the length of the time series and the intensity of sampling (both the number of sites and number of replicates sampled per site) affects our ability to detect such effects. We also compare the relative utility of the individual datasets for detecting impacts to their value when analyzed together.

DECIPHERING THE BAJA CALIFORNIA CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FLORA OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS Sarah Ratay*1, Sula Vanderplank2, and Benjamin Wilder2, 1Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles [email protected] 2Botany and Plant Sciences, University California, Riverside

A subset of plant species occurring on the Channel Islands of California have native occurrences on the islands or mainland of Baja California, without representation on the adjacent Southern California mainland. What is precluding these species from occurring on the mainland of California? To identify these species, a composite of published species lists from each island group (California and Baja California) was compiled, and these lists were compared to the mainland California flora to generate a list of plant species exhibiting this unusual pattern. We have identified twenty species with this intriguing distributional pattern, including some species with special protection in the state of California. This list of exemplar species will be presented alongside the complied species lists for all islands occurring in the California Floristic Province. Further work will address emergent species traits and ecological patterns in these shared insular taxa, to better resolve the roles of geologic history, dispersal patterns, and plant evolutionary processes. Emphasis will also be placed on the international conservation significance of these unique species found on both sides of the geopolitical border.

A HISTORY OF AVIATION IN THE NORTHERN CHANNEL ISLANDS OF CALIFORNIA: FROM GENTLEMEN'S NOVELTY TO COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE

Charles J Rennie, III*, and Ian Williams, National Park Service, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

The Northern Channel Islands of California have a unique aviation history. Aviation on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz Islands began in the 1920s as a novelty and remained so for some time, although transport of both mail and people rapidly assumed prominence also. George Hammond was the most important and colorful pilot during this period. World War II caused a temporary halt to private aviation which was not replaced by military aviation. The post World War II era saw the rise of significant illicit aviation on each of these islands. There is a rich history here; although it is dominated by the exploits of Torrance pilot Roger Keeney and his cohort, others participated also. Documentation of this activity is an ongoing and evolving process, due largely to the illegal nature of the activities involved. Beginning in the 1960s, the twin entities of commercial aviation and private aviation in the service of the island owners of Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz assumed increasing importance. Multiple companies have been involved, although their record has never been thoroughly discussed. During the present era, military, National Park Service, and National Marine Sanctuary regulations have increasingly determined the role of aviation on these islands. Each of these periods of aviation will be reviewed, along the multiple landing strips on each island and some of the aviation accidents. Lastly, Santa Barbara Island, despite its small size, does have a limited history of both illicit and research aviation which will be documented.

ICONS OF THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL ZONE: BLACK ABALONE PERSEVERE AT THE NORTHERN CHANNEL ISLANDS

Daniel V. Richards*, and Stephen G. Whitaker, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura CA 93001 [email protected]

In 1985, aggregations of black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) were dominant features of the rocky intertidal zone at the northern Channel Islands. It was not uncommon to see masses of large abalone often stacked on top of one another even though there was a thriving commercial fishery for them. However, a previously unknown bacterium (Cadidatus xenohaliotis cracherodii) that was discovered in 1986 spread rapidly and killed 99% of the black abalone at the northern islands within a few years. These mass abalone mortalities changed our perception of the role of disease in the marine environment. The disappearance of abalone resulted in some profound changes to the community structure of the lower intertidal zone. At some sites red algae and encrusting invertebrates began to dominate crevices previously occupied by abalone. Black abalone were listed as endangered by the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2009. Small numbers survived at all the northern islands, but juvenile recruitment was rare until recently. Since 2007, young black abalone have appeared at several locations on Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands. Populations at those sites now reflect a much broader range of sizes. Tag-recapture studies reveal differences in growth and movement between a population that receives high levels of recruitment at Santa Cruz Island and one at San Miguel which has low recruitment of juvenile black abalone.

TIDEPOOLING THROUGH TIME: 30 YEARS OF ROCKY INTERTIDAL COMMUNITY MONITORING AT CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Daniel V. Richards*, and Stephen G. Whitaker, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura CA 93001 [email protected]

Snapshots in time can be deceiving. Channel Islands National Park monitors sessile invertebrates and algae at 21 sites established between 1981 and 1994 on the five northern Channel Islands. This program served as the foundation for the Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe) that now has over 100 monitoring sites from San Diego, California to the Olympic Peninsula. Cover of target organisms is monitored in more than 400 fixed photoplots on the five park islands. Individual plots have changed over time through the effects of flotsam, trampling or predation. Overall however, oceanographic conditions associated with El Niño events and Pacific Decadal Oscillation appear to have been the most influential causes of change. Disease was documented to be a major factor in determining population levels of black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii). Severe shifts in abundance of black abalone along with that of seastars (Pisaster ochraceus) have been shown to have far reaching ecological changes throughout the rocky intertidal community. Recent declines in mussels (Mytilus californianus) and rockweed (Silvetia compressa) are unprecedented and unexplainable in nearly 30-years of monitoring. Originally designed to monitor trampling damage from visitors to the tide pools, the program has proven its value in guiding management, documenting changes from oil spills, and is now poised to track effects of climate change.

PISMO CLAM (TIVELA STULTORUM) HARVEST ON MIDDLE HOLOCENE SANTA ROSA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Torben C. Rick*, and Jennifer R. Eliot, Program in Human Ecology and Archaeobiology, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. 20013- 7012 [email protected]

Pismo clams (Tivela stultorum) are common on California’s surf-swept, sandy beaches and archaeological specimens provide a proxy for sand beach accretion and El Niño periodicity during the last 10,000 years. Native Americans in coastal California harvested Pismo clams throughout the Holocene, but these clams are generally rare in Channel Island archaeological sites. Recent research, however, demonstrates intensive Late Holocene exploitation of Pismo clams near Christy Beach, Santa Cruz Island, one of the few areas where Pismo clams are relatively common on the Channel Islands today. Here we report on human harvest of Pismo clams at CA-SRI-209 located near Skunk Point and Southeast Anchorage on Santa Rosa Island. Excavation of three discrete shell midden deposits at the site produced evidence for intensive harvest of Pismo clams and California mussels (Mytilus californianus) between 5110 and 4300 cal BP. Ancient Pismo clam size and population data from eastern Santa Rosa Island, along with previously reported data from Santa Cruz Island, provide context for understanding long-term variability in this important shellfish.

LEGACIES OF LAND USE: CALIFORNIA’S CHANNEL ISLANDS AS A MODEL SYSTEM FOR UNDERSTANDING THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF ISLAND BIODIVERSITY

Torben Rick*1, T. Scott Sillett2, Ann Huston3, Julie King4, Katherine Ralls5, Scott Morrison6, and Kate Faulkner7, 1Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. 20013-7012 [email protected] 2Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington D.C. 20008 3Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, CA 93001 4Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704 5Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. 20008 6The Nature Conservancy, San Francisco, CA 94105 7Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

The unique ecosystems and biodiversity of California’s Channel Islands are the focus of ongoing management, conservation, and restoration. Understanding and managing these resources in a time of rapid climate change, strong anthropogenic influences, and an uncertain future requires interdisciplinary collaboration between biological, physical, and social scientists. Using the Channel Islands as a model system, 33 scholars from a wide range of disciplines recently held a workshop on integrating past, present, and predicted datasets on Channel Islands ecology and human occupation. Here we summarize the results of this recent workshop. We focus on long-term comparisons of island paleoecology, human occupation, and contemporary land use for two distinct islands—Santa Rosa and Catalina—providing insights into the utility of historical ecology and interdisciplinary collaborations for understanding the future of Channel Islands biological and cultural diversity.

PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF ERIOGONUM (POLYGONACEAE) ENDEMIC TO THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS

Lynn Riley*1, Mitchell McGlaughlin2, and Kaius Helenurm1, 1Biology Department, University of South Dakota, 414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069 [email protected] 2School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639

Although islands have long been recognized as ideal natural laboratories for studying evolution, the patterns and processes of evolution have not been well described on near-shore island systems relative to the tremendous amount of research on isolated oceanic islands, like the Hawaiian Archipelago. Less isolated systems, such as California’s Channel Islands, have higher potential for both chance colonization and subsequent gene flow. The extent to which this potential is realized is rarely tested, and its evolutionary impact is largely unknown. The current study investigated patterns of colonization and divergence among Eriogonum (Polygonaceae) taxa endemic to California’s Channel Islands to determine the role of geographic isolation in driving diversification in a system unusually close to the mainland. Lineages within two clades (Latifolia and Fasciculata) of the traditionally circumscribed subgenus Eucycla were analyzed separately and compared to identify general biogeographic patterns. Combining data from molecular markers variable across a broad range of taxonomic divergences allowed inferences about the phylogeographic structure of Eriogonum at many scales. Phylogenetic relationships within Eriogonum were found to be substantially influenced by isolation, even at these modest geographic distances. Island lineages were generally monophyletic, suggesting that both successful colonization of, and gene flow to, the islands are infrequent. Additionally, colonization was found to follow a stepping-stone pattern through the archipelago. There was no evidence of successful colonization from the mainland to the southern islands, but rather, colonization apparently followed a north to south pattern across the islands. The stepping-stone pattern, coupled with relatively little post-colonization inter-island gene flow, particularly among southern islands, has generated a pattern of more genetically depauperate and divergent lineages on the isolated southern islands. Populations on northern islands are less divergent from one another, but still significantly structured.

IDENTIFYING EVOLUTIONARILY SIGNIFICANT UNITS AND PRIORITIZING POPULATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT ON ISLANDS

Jeanne M. Robertson*1, Kathryn M. Langin2, T. Scott Sillett3, Scott A. Morrison4, Cameron K. Ghalambor2, and W. Chris Funk2, 1Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8303 [email protected] 2Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 3Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20013 4The Nature Conservancy, San Francisco, CA 94105

Islands host exceptionally high levels of endemism compared to mainland regions, and are subject to disproportionately high rates of extinction events and cases of local extirpation. The protection and preservation of taxonomic units that are endemic to islands is therefore a key component in mitigating the loss of global biodiversity. It has become common practice to delineate conservation units based on genetic divergence at neutral loci (e.g., reciprocal monophyly). Yet, due to geographic isolation, founder effects, and small effective population sizes, island populations of non-volant species are expected to meet this criterion, whether or not they have important adaptive differences. We argue that the delineation and management of island endemic populations, therefore, should not be based on neutral genetic divergence alone. Rather, it is important to identify island populations that have genetically-based adaptations to their unique environments, as they represent a repository of genetic diversity to draw upon in the face of changing climate and other ongoing threats. A comprehensive framework specifically designed to delineate evolutionarily significant units on islands should be based on metrics of neutral and adaptive genetic divergence. This framework enables conservation practitioners to prioritize units of biological diversity and to set management strategies accordingly.

BASELINE SEABIRD USE OF NEARSHORE AND COASTAL HABITATS WITHIN THE SOUTH COAST STUDY REGION OF THE MARINE LIFE PROTECTION ACT INITIATIVE

Dan Robinette*, and Jaime Jahncke, PRBO Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive #11, Petaluma, CA 94954 [email protected]

In April 2012, PRBO Conservation initiated a project to document the baseline occurrence of seabirds within newly established marine protected areas (MPAs) under the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative. Establishing MPAs can have both direct and indirect benefits to seabird populations. Direct benefits include reduced interaction with humans such as fisheries bycatch and decreased disturbance to breeding and roosting sites. Indirect benefits include reduced competition for prey resources and increased reproductive success due to decreased human interaction. Our overarching goal is to create a baseline characterization of how seabirds use nearshore and coastal habitats within the MLPA’s South Coast Study Region (SCSR). This project expands on similar efforts conducted in the north central and south central MLPA regions. Data will be collected on seabird population size, reproductive success, and foraging habits at impact (inside MPA) and control sites throughout the SCSR. We will make comparisons between island and mainland sites within southern California. In addition to monitoring for MPA impacts on seabird populations, we will use seabird metrics to understand the mechanisms causing changes in fish populations within MPAs. As upper trophic level predators, seabirds have proven to be reliable indicators of change in the marine environment. Several studies conducted over the past 30 years have shown that seabirds respond predictably to changes in prey abundance and can thus be used as reliable indicators of change in prey populations. More recently, PRBO has been investigating our MLPA focal species as indicators of juvenile fish recruitment to subtidal habitats. Here we highlight these studies to illustrate how temporal variability in oceanographic productivity on the regional scale can translate into spatial variability in fish recruitment on the local scale. Spatio-temporal variability in fish recruitment has direct implications for both individual MPAs and the SCSR network as a whole.

A VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION AND MAP FOR SANTA BARBARA ISLAND

Dirk Rodriguez*¹, Tim Handley², and Kathryn McEachern³, ¹U.S. National Park Service, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected] ²U.S. National Park Service, Mediterranean Coast Network, 401 W. Hillcrest Dr, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 ³U.S. Geological Survey, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr, Ventura, CA 93001

In 2010, a vegetation classification and mapping project was initiated on Santa Barbara Island in support of a seabird habitat restoration effort begun on the island in 2007. Prior to 2010, the most recent vegetation classification and map for the island was from 1990. Because the island is fairly small, a decision was made to census the island plant communities. This census was completed over a 2 week period in the spring of 2010. All stands were visited and data were recorded using the California Native Plant Society’ Rapid Assessment Protocol. Data were analyzed and a Cluster analysis performed using the Sorenson distance metric and the flexible beta (β= -0.25) group linkage method. The resulting dendogram was then split into 10 groups using PC-ORD. To better understand the nature of these groups, an indicator species analysis was performed, also using PC-ORD. The island vegetation aggregated into 2 main groups – shrublands and herbaceous stands. Under shrublands, there occur 7 alliances and 7 associations. For herbaceous stands, 9 alliances with 10 associations are present. Stands were mapped in ArcGis using heads-up digitizing from 2008 aerial imagery. Global Positioning System data collected using Garmin hand-held units aided in the drawing of hard to discern stand boundaries. Classification nomenclature adhered to the standard for California vegetation as presented in A Manual of California Vegetation (Sawyer et al. 2008). Comparisons with previous vegetation maps show changes in community boundaries involving both contraction and expansion of native plant communities.

THE RECOVERY OF ISLAND'S ENVIRONMENTS IN MEXICO THROUGH THE ERADICATION OF INVASIVE RODENTS

Marlenne Rodríguez-Malagón*, Alfonso Aguirre-Muñoz, Araceli Samaniego-Herrera, Ricardo González- Gómez, Yuliana Bedolla-Guzmán, Karina Ramos-Rendón, and Ana Cárdenas-Tapia, Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas, A.C. 836 Moctezuma Ave., Ensenada, Baja California, México. 22800 [email protected]

Invasive rodent eradications are an essential tool for restoring islands' environments. Since 2007, three Mexican islands of the Gulf of California have been treated with these techniques (Farallón de San Ignacio, San Pedro Mártir and Isabel). One more island off the Pacific coast off the Baja California Peninsula — San Benito Oeste — a prime seabird habitat, will follow soon. With these eradications many species of native and endemic fauna are recovering. Land crabs, lizards and seabirds have increased their numbers considerably. With the next eradications we expect similar results. During the last five years many lessons have been learned, several partnerships have been created and relevant knowledge has been generated to further promote this kind of projects and to continue restoring island's ecosystems in Mexico.

INNOVATIVE NEW CITIZEN SCIENCE TRAINING: THE CALIFORNIA NATURALIST Judy Sanregret, Director of Education, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden [email protected]

The California Naturalist training is a pioneering new program developed by the University of California Cooperative Extension to foster a committed corps of volunteer naturalists and citizen scientists trained and ready to take an active role in natural resource conservation, education, and restoration. This program provides training for adult environmental stewards through an adaptable outdoor and in class curriculum that can be easily applied to our South Coast region. The program utilizes a science curriculum, hands-on learning, communication training, and community service opportunities to engage adults in interactive learning and provides them with scientific literacy and critical thinking skills. Sustaining our state’s incredible natural resources requires an understanding of science, adaptive management, and cooperation among diverse interest groups. Educating our community about sustainability is a vital part of the SBBG mission. We cannot protect and restore California’s unique ecology and native plants without an environmentally literate, engaged public. There are Master Naturalist programs in 26 other states, but this is the first such program for California. Currently being piloted in at four other sites around the state, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden will pilot the first class on the South Coast for 10 weeks beginning Wednesday, October 3rd in the Library and in our “outdoor classroom.” Limited to 32 participants, the course is supported by a variety of local partners including Sedgwick Reserve, Santa Barbara Natural History Museum, Arroyo Hondo Preserve, Lake Cachuma, and the Channels Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Symposium participants will be given an overview of the new program, and how the collaboration could ultimately help support the missions of natural history and science-based organization throughout our county, and serve as a model for other regions in California.

QUANTIFYING EFFECTS OF INVASIVE PIGS AND CLIMATE VARIATION ON SURVIVORSHIP OF AN ISLAND ENDEMIC PLANT

Emily Schultz*1, L. Zoe Almeida2, A. Kathryn McEachern3, and Diane M. Thomson1, 1Keck Science Department, Claremont Colleges, 925 N. Mills Avenue Claremont, CA 91711 2Scripps College, 1030 Columbia Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711 3U.S. Geological Survey, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Island endemic plants are particularly vulnerable to the threats of invasive herbivores and climate change. The recent removal of many introduced herbivores from the California Channel Islands is hoped to initiate the recovery of native plant populations. However, other factors, such as climate change, may complicate recovery. We used long term demographic data to investigate the effects of both introduced pig removal and climate variables on the survivorship of Jepsonia malvifolia, a California Channel Islands endemic with an underground corm highly palatable to pigs. Our analysis compared survivorship before (1996-1999) and after (2004-2007 and 2010-2011) pig removal on Santa Cruz Island. To help separate effects of pigs from those of climate variation, we also included data (1996-1999 and 2010-2011) from Santa Rosa Island, where pigs were removed earlier (1992). We used stepwise logistic regressions to test the effects of pig removal and climate variables, including growing season temperature and precipitation, on J. malvifolia survivorship. Survivorship for large plants on Santa Cruz Island after pig removal was almost double the survivorship before pig removal. However, the years after pig removal also had higher growing season temperatures. Comparison with results from Santa Rosa Island suggests that both pig removal and warmer temperatures are associated with an increase in survivorship. The results indicate that pig removal had a positive effect on J. malvifolia, but also identify temperature variation as a significant influence on survival. These results highlight the potential for climate to confound before and after comparisons of management actions, and also the need to further investigate consequences of climate change for island endemic plants. LANDSCAPES OF SANTA ROSA ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA

R. Randall Schumann*, Scott A. Minor, and Daniel R. Muhs, U.S. Geological Survey, MS 980, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 [email protected]

The intriguing landscapes of Santa Rosa Island, one of five islands comprising Channel Islands National Park, California, are largely a product of the combined effects of its climate and tectonic histories. Santa Rosa Island is a hilly, dissected terrain with elevations ranging from sea level to 484 m at Vail Peak in the south-central part of the island. Most visitors arriving at Bechers Bay, in the northeast part of the island, note its broad, elevated coastal plain, an alluvium- and eolian-sand-mantled, uplifted remnant of a last-interglacial marine terrace. Remnants of this and older marine terraces can be found around much of the island’s coastline. The Santa Rosa Island Fault (SRIF) divides the island into two geomorphically distinct regions. South of the SRIF, the terrain is more rugged, with higher elevations, more local relief, and deeper dissection of the steep-walled, V-shaped valleys. Several of the north- draining streams cross the SRIF and are deflected westward, some by more than 1 km. North of the SRIF, an uplifted early Pleistocene marine terrace (or terraces) is dissected by broad, low-relief stream valleys filled with as much as 32 m of alluvium that has been subsequently incised to form near-vertical-walled arroyos, or barrancas. The aggradation was likely a response to rising base level as sea level rose nearly 100 m from its last glacial low to its present position. Arroyos that cut through Chumash shell middens and burial grounds indicate that re-incision of the streams probably occurred sometime in the past few hundred years. A goal of planned future work is to better identify and constrain the timing and causes of the aggradation and incision events. Extensive dune fields occur at Sandy Point, Carrington Point, and Skunk Point. At present, they are mostly stabilized by vegetation. The dune sands contain a large proportion of calcium carbonate sand derived from eroded skeletal debris of marine invertebrates that was probably blown onshore during the last glacial period, when submarine shelves were exposed to subaerial erosion.

THE SEARCH FOR THE LOST INDIAN CAVE OF SAN NICOLAS ISLAND

Steven J. Schwartz*, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, 575 "I" Avenue, Point Mugu, CA, 93042-5049 [email protected]

The Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island was found in a brush enclosure on the west end of the island, but she is believed to have lived in a cave during most of her 18 years of isolation. However, there is no known habitation cave on San Nicolas Island. This lead to the conclusion that the cave must have been buried, or has collapsed in the intervening years. Utilizing historical accounts and maps, the search for this cave has continued for over 20 years. Recently, a new, key piece of information was obtained, the detailed field notes from the 1879 U.S. Coast Survey which lead to the discovery of the cave thought to have been occupied by the Lone Woman. The cave had been completely buried under several meters of sand. Removal of the sand filling the opening has revealed the cave. The cave is quite large and would have made a very comfortable home, especially in inclement weather. No evidence of painting or engraving was found on the walls calling to question early accounts that she kept track of events in her life by recording them on the walls of the cave. Found instead, were two sets of engraved initials with the date of September 11, 1911. The cave holds the potential to answer many questions the Lone Woman's life of isolation.

LOST WOMEN AND LAST INDIANS: READING ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS’ RECEPTION HISTORY Sara L. Schwebel*, University of South Carolina, English Department, Welsh Humanities Building, Columbia, SC, 29208 [email protected]

It would be difficult to overestimate the significance of Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960). With more than 6.5 million copies in print as of 2000, it is the sixth best-selling children’s paperback of all times; not surprisingly, it is also, today, the best-known account of the “Lone Woman” of San Nicolas Island. We can begin to place O’Dell’s interpretation of the Lone Woman within a larger context of American imaginings of “the Indian” by juxtaposing Dolphins with scientific, journalistic, religious, and commercial texts from the nineteenth and early twentieth-century. By examining Dolphins’ reception history, moreover, we can see how K12 curricula have reproduced justifications of settler colonialism by privileging particular kinds of stories about Native peoples. When first published, Dolphins’ strong, unsentimental Karana was praised as an ideal girl hero for a postwar generation. Beginning in the 1980s, however, another aspect of O’Dell’s protagonist captured educators’ attention: her indigeneity, and hence her utility for “multicultural” education. Yet there is a profound irony in classifying Dolphins as multicultural. Not only is the book’s creator Anglo-American, but so, too, are the literary tropes (e.g., “a girl Robinson Crusoe”) the narrative employs. Ultimately, Dolphins reinforces the legitimacy of a settler-colonial nation-state in its heartrending conclusion: the stoic Karana accepts the “friendship” of her oppressors—European frontiersmen, missionaries, and anthropologists—and, unable to communicate with any person on the mainland, discovers that she is the “last of her tribe.” The nineteenth-century sources that O’Dell undoubtedly consulted while crafting Dolphins interpret the Lone Woman’s death as tragic but inevitable. While she survived in California less than two months, the tragedy of her life has for more than a half century been sentimentally memorialized by Dolphins. Children’s devotion to the fictional Karana helps us to understand how U.S. schools continue to reinforce the supposed disappearance of Native peoples even as they celebrate diversity through aggressive platforms of multiculturalism.

POPULATION REGULATING MECHANISMS FOR GIANT COREOPSIS (LEPTOSYNE GIGANTEA) ON THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS; INFLUENCE OF EXOTIC SPECIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN DETERMINING FUTURE ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION

Cathy A. Schwemm, Anbrica Ecological Consulting, 190 Virginia Drive, Ventura, CA 93003 [email protected]

Plant communities dominated by giant coreopsis (Leptosyne gigantea; Coreopsis) are distributed widely across the California Islands and provide critical habitat for understory plants and vertebrates, especially in landscapes where trees are absent. Coreopsis populations were severely impacted by non-native herbivores and grazing and ranching practices during the last century. Although these impacts have been absent from most of the islands for over two decades, extensive spatial heterogeneity exists both within and across the islands relating to population growth; many sites support very dense stands of coreopsis that established post-grazing, while others, particularly on Santa Barbara Island, have experienced relatively minimal increases in plant abundance and are still dominated by alien annual grasses. To determine the factors that most affect coreopsis establishment and survival I conducted seed amendment experiments across populations of variable density and age structure on San Miguel Island to test the relative effects of seed predation, seed density, microhabitat conditions, stand density and competition on germination and seedling survival. I also sampled variable aged-stands of coreopsis to quantify population age structure and investigate factors that affect individual plant growth and morphology as they relate to seed production. Pre- and post-dispersal seed predation by deer mice and insects reduced seed abundance at all sites, but impacted germination rates only in the highest density stands. Reduced soil moisture and interspecific competition with alien annual grasses had the strongest negative effects on both germination and seedling survival. The results suggest extreme spatial variability in regulating factors for coreopsis related to rainfall, the abundance of annual grasses, and intraspecific density dependence. Succession following the loss of the oldest-aged stands in coming years will likely be determined by existing site conditions related to these factors.

DISCOVERY AND SITE ASSESSMENT OF THE SHIPWRECK GEORGE E. BILLINGS

Robert V. Schwemmer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, 113 Harbor Way, Suite 150, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 [email protected]

On March 12, 1903, the largest and last sailing vessel built by the Hall Bros. was launched at Port Blakeley, Washington. The five-masted schooner was the 108th vessel built by the prolific shipbuilding firm and was one of only six five-masted schooners built on the Pacific Coast during the half century of sailing ship construction prior to 1905. The 224-foot wooden vessel was named George E. Billings in honor of the Hall Bros.’ manager and chartering agent. Billings’ career over the next sixteen years was employed in the Pacific Ocean trade carrying lumber from the Northwest to South America, Australia, Mexico, Hawaii and Southern California. The schooner was cut down to a hulk in 1926 by her new Southern California buyers and turned into a sport-fishing barge. For the next fourteen years the vessel was a popular attraction being anchored off Del Mar and finally Santa Monica and Ocean Park. In 1941, the owner was faced with a decision to either make safety upgrades or face daily fines by the Department of Navigation. The final determination was to scuttle the 1260 gross ton ship. The only lead as to the location of the final resting place of the Billings was reported in a Los Angeles Times article that included a photograph of the vessel burning off a “lonely island reef north of here.. (Los Angeles).” Since the early 1990s, archaeologists and historians with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and National Park have searched for Billings but yielded no positive results. Based on new compiling research provided by the sport diving community, an expedition was launched in February 2011 on board the Sanctuary’s R/V Shearwater to search for the shipwreck. This paper will examine the methodology of the search for the George E. Billings and the systematic survey of the wreck site.

BREEDING SUCCESS BY A RESTORED POPULATION OF BALD EAGLES ON THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS

Peter Sharpe, Institute for Wildlife Studies, P.O. Box 2500, Avalon, CA [email protected]

Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) disappeared from the California Channel Islands by the early 1960s, primarily as a result of the contamination of the southern California Bight with DDT. We began restoring bald eagles to the islands in 1980, but residual DDT contamination continued to cause hatching failure into the mid-2000s. To maintain the population we removed fragile eggs from nests and later fostered healthy chicks back, as well as released additional eagles from hacking towers. The first known successful hatching of a bald eagle since 1950 occurred on Santa Cruz Island in 2006. As a result, we began leaving eggs in increasing numbers of nests and discontinued egg manipulations in 2009. Since 2006, 70 chicks have hatched in 14 territories on four different islands. Annual hatching success ranges from 56% to 71% and survival to fledging is over 90%. A conservative estimate of survival of fledglings through the end of the year is 51%. The number of breeding pairs is slowly increasing, especially on the northern Channel Islands, and we plan to continue monitoring breeding success to determine whether residual DDT contamination in the system becomes a problem as the breeding birds age and potentially increase their contaminant load.

CALIFORNIA ISLANDS REDISCOVERY T. Scott Sillett*1, and Scott A. Morrison2, 1Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013 [email protected] 2The Nature Conservancy, San Francisco, CA 94105

The California Islands are renowned for their unique ecosystems and conservation importance. Yet, critical gaps remain in our understanding of how humans have shaped the biodiversity of this archipelago and the biogeography of its endemic plant and animal taxa. Some uncertainty is due to the fact that systematic inventories of the archipelago’s biological resources did not begin until the late 19th Century, after livestock and other non-native species had degraded the islands’ ecosystems. Moreover, no coordinated, biological inventory of the California Islands has been conducted in decades. These limitations confound our ability to be rigorous in setting conservation priorities and management policy. We argue that existing scientific collections need to be the focus of renewed study to determine the structure of insular populations and how they have responded to rapid environmental change. We present examples of insights on the ecology and evolution of the California Islands wildlife that have come from application of new genetic methods and analytical approaches. This work can identify research needs and guide the assembly of a contemporary record of biodiversity of the California Islands. Such knowledge will be critical to conservation decision-making today, particularly in the context of climate change, and provide an invaluable legacy for future scientists and land managers.

ANALYSIS OF THE HAFTED BIFACES FROM A REDWOOD BOX CACHE, SAN NICOLAS ISLAND , CALIFORNIA.

Kevin N. Smith*1, Chelsea M. Smith1, Lisa Thomas-Barnett2, René L. Vellanoweth1, Jon M. Erlandson3, Steven J. Schwartz4, 1Department of Anthropology, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 [email protected] 2NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California 3University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403 4Senior Archaeologist, NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California.

In 2010, archaeologists located a unique artifact cache in a protected alcove of a canyon on San Nicolas Island, California. The items, approximately 200 in number, were largely contained within two redwood boxes. This paper describes the nine remarkably well preserved hafted bifaces from this cache. Analysis of these artifacts has yielded insight into manufacturing techniques, material selection, and possible function. Special attention was also paid to artifact morphology and stylistic variation indicating tools typical of indigenous Nicoleño and Alutiiq styles, and in some cases a blending of the two traditions.

ANACAPA’S AVENGER

Patrick Smith*, Coastal Maritime Archeological Resources (CMAR), 16108 Tortola Circle, Huntington Beach, CA 92649 [email protected]

In the winter of 1945, in the skies above the Santa Barbara Channel there occurred a tragic mishap. A young military pilot flying a veteran warplane on a training mission made a mistake – a mistake that resulted in the loss of two aircraft and lives of four airmen. In the overall sweep of WWII it was a relatively insignificant event that was quickly forgotten, but an event that would generate questions and provoke research over the next three score plus years. Many answers about the event have been uncovered by 17 years of research and will be presented in this program serve to highlight the sacrifices made by the young warriors of the Great Generation as well as reveal the globe-spanning history of a Grumman TBF Avenger that is one of the unique submerged cultural resources that are now protected by Channel Islands National Park and the National Marine Sanctuary. New research concerning the aircraft’s discovery by civilian divers in the 1960’s and images from that time along will be presented along with the aircraft’s current condition and outlook for the future.

DECADAL CHANGES IN KELP FOREST COMMUNITIES: EL NIÑO, LA NIÑA, OR LA NADA?

Joshua Sprague*, David Kushner, and Stacie Fejtek, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Large changes in abundances of subtidal marine species have been well documented on small time scales as a result of large-scale oceanographic perturbations such as El Niño and La Niña events. However, there are few data sets that have documented larger timescale or decadal changes. Channel Islands National Park implemented a long-term Kelp Forest Monitoring Program that has collected annual abundances of fish, invertebrate and algal species since 1982. Several El Niño events, including two of the strongest observed in the last century, were experienced during the 1980s and 1990s. During this period the monitoring program documented rapid and fluctuating changes in abundances for many species. Since 2000, a relatively stable-state cold-water period has persisted, and there have been notably more stable changes as well as unprecedented abundances of many monitored species. Using the Kelp Forest Monitoring Program’s data set, we compare species density to sea surface and bottom temperatures to examine how this cold-water period has influenced the abundances of monitored species. Many colder- water species are at the highest densities recorded, while warmer-water species are at record low densities suggesting a major regime shift is occurring and possibly having larger scale community effects.

STRATUS CLOUDS AND FOG IN THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS: INFLUENCE ON COASTAL FOREST BIOGEOGRAPHY AND BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

Christopher Still*1,2, Park Williams3, Sara Baguskas1, Mariah Carbone4, Michael Toomey5, Burke Greer2, Bharat Rastogi2, and Doug Fischer2, 1Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University [email protected] 2Department of Geography, UC Santa Barbara 3Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory 4National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, UC Santa Barbara 5Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University

Terrestrial ecosystems on the Channel Islands are frequently covered by clouds or immersed in fog during the rain-free summer months. The importance of these summertime clouds for ecosystem processes and plant distributions is largely unknown, yet our results suggest that clouds strongly modulate radiation, water, and carbon budgets, as well as forest distributions, in this semi-arid environment. We characterized summertime spatial cloudcover and fog inundation patterns across the northern Channel Islands (focusing on Santa Cruz Island, SCI) using a variety of methods and remotely sensed datasets. To assess the role that clouds play in ecosystem processes across numerous sites in a Bishop pine forest on SCI, we measured and characterized a wide range of physical and biological processes and patterns. These ranged from sub-hourly weather observations to measurements of fog drip, soil carbon cycling, and tree transpiration and growth. We have found an important influence of both summertime stratus cloud shading and fog drip on ecosystem water balance, pine sap flow and growth, and soil respiration. This presentation will summarize the results of these studies, provide a synthesis of fog-ecosystem research, and suggest possible future research directions.

REESTABLISHING THE LOCALE OF CALIFORNIA’S FIRST AMERICAN-DESIGNATED PLACENAME ON SANTA CATALINA ISLAND

Ivan H. Strudwick, LSA Associates, Inc., 20 Executive Park, Suite 200, Irvine, CA 92614 [email protected] In 1804, Captain William Shaler of the vessel Lelia Byrd sailed on a trading voyage where sea otter fur he obtained from the coast of North America was sold in Canton, China. His narrative of the voyage is the earliest first-hand full account of California by an American. During the voyage he visited King Kamehameha I in Hawaii, bringing from California the first horses to the Hawaiian Islands. Shaler was also the first American to name a California locale, a “small but very fine port” on Santa Catalina Island, which he named after his friend Monsieur De Roussillon. It was at this harbor where Shaler and his crew careened the Lelia Byrd between May 1 and June 12 while staying with their “Indian friends.” This harbor has long been thought to be Avalon, but further investigation indicates Roussillon Bay was actually Isthmus Cove at Two Harbors.

PARTNERSHIPS WITH VOLUNTEER LABOR FORCES REDUCE COSTS AND IMPROVE OUTCOMES IN INVASIVE PLANTS MANAGEMENT ON CATALINA

Tony M. Summers*, Shane Barrow, Charlie de la Rosa, and Jeff Gilmour, Catalina Island Conservancy, Avalon, CA [email protected]

Limited resources and an overwhelming abundance of invasive plant removal projects necessitates critical planning and prioritization to ensure that projects are carried to completion. A major challenge in the long-term success of invasive plant removal projects is the multiple years of maintenance required to manage the soil seed bank. These long-term project maintenance requirements can elevate labor costs to an unsustainable level. One method of reducing these costs while ensuring successful outcomes is to establish external partnerships. The Catalina Island Conservancy Invasive Plants Program has been able to reduce per hour labor cost from a $30/hour average to a $12/hour average by partnering extensively with several on and off island project partners. The key to successfully partnering with a broad spectrum of volunteer workers is appropriate personnel placement based on the strengths of the volunteers. The Conservancy has developed a three-tiered approach to invasive plants projects in order to match the weed control project to the skills of volunteer groups. Top-tier (eradication) projects require more Conservancy staff involvement, while lower-tier (control) projects can be performed by volunteers with limited staff supervision. This approach maximizes staff time and effort while creating a positive volunteer experience, both of which contribute to a successful project outcome. Through the use of external partners, the Conservancy has been able to markedly reduce fennel populations on Catalina Island, contain a large population of invasive broom species (Genista linifolia), and perform targeted eradication of approximately 30 species of invasive plants. Pairing Conservancy staff with volunteers also serves to develop the next generation of land managers and fosters a responsible land use ethic in all participants. All volunteer groups receive training in basic ecology and invasive plant management. Longer term interns and volunteers are given additional opportunities to take on responsibilities that further enrich their experience. These responsibilities include volunteer supervision, data collection, map generation, and site monitoring. Volunteer programs serve as excellent proving grounds and exceptional individuals are recommended for staff positions with the Conservancy or partner organizations. Furthermore, the success of this program may serve as a model for other land management organizations.

EFFECT OF EXOTIC GRASS REMOVAL AND NATIVE SEED AUGMENTATION ON RE- ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMON OAK UNDERSTORY SPECIES ON SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Matthew Sutton*, Darren Sandquist, and Miguel Maciast, Department of Biological Science, California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton CA [email protected] As in many oak ecosystems in California, there is limited recruitment of native oak trees on Catalina Island. In addition to the lack of recruitment, there are patches of dying Island scrub oak which are being replaced by exotic annual grassland. In one transforming oak stand on Catalina Island we tested the effect of two restoration techniques on the recruitment of common native oak understory species. We hypothesized that exotic annual grass removal and seed augmentation would increase native understory cover and native richness. In a corollary study, we hypothesized that two native woody species, Heteromeles arbutifolia and Rhus integrifolia, would promote greater emergence and vigor of Island scrub oak seedlings. Emergence and vigor of oak seedlings planted around the canopies of mature Heteromeles arbutifolia and Rhus integrifolia were compared to those planted in open grassland habitat. Although there was seasonal fluctuation in the effectiveness of the restoration techniques, overall, these treatments tended to positively affect native species responses and adversely affect annual grass responses. Herbicide treatment had a stronger positive effect on native cover and richness during the wetter year of 2010; whereas, seed addition exhibited a stronger effect on these responses in the drier 2009. Herbicide treatment reduced exotic annual grass cover in both 2009 and 2010, perhaps facilitating the increased cover of native species during the wetter year of 2010. Although there was no difference in emergence between acorns planted in open grassland and those planted at the canopy edge of woody species, the canopy edge may reduce water loss during a prolonged drought period. These findings suggest that land managers faced with the encroachment of exotic annual grasses in areas previously inhabited by a scrub oak ecosystem can restore native understory community structure by the combined use of grass-specific herbicides and seed augmentation of native understory species.

TESTING TRANSLOCATION AS A RECOVERY TOOL FOR PINK, HALIOTIS CORRUGATA, AND GREEN ABALONES, H. FULGENS, IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Ian K. Taniguchi1, Derek M. Stein*2, Kai M. Lampson2, and Laura Rogers-Bennett3, 1 California Department of Fish and Game, 4665 Lampson Avenue, Suite C, Los Alamitos, California 93455 [email protected] 2 California Department of Fish and Game, 1933 Cliff Drive, Suite 9, Santa Barbara, California 93109 3California Department of Fish and Game, Bodega Marine Laboratory, 2099 Westside Road, Bodega Bay, California, 94923

Population declines of pink (Haliotis corrugata) and green abalone (H. fulgens) in southern California forced the closure of the fisheries in 1995. Overfishing was the main factor contributing to decreasing landings, and in 2004 both abalones were identified as “species of concern”. Translocation of adults, moving solitary abalone together to create dense aggregations, is one strategy that has been proposed to overcome Allee Effects and enhance spawning success and recovery. Pink (n=35) and green abalone (n=113) were tagged and translocated to recovery sites with pre-existing pink (n=13) and green (n=26) abalone. Translocation and pre-existing abalone were tagged and monitored to determine their long-term survival, persistence at the site, and movement at two islands in southern California. The mortality associated with the tagging and translocations was low at 3 percent for pink abalone and 4 percent for green abalone. The density of translocated pink abalone at two sites remained fairly stable dropping slightly from 0.84 abalone/m2 (ab/m2) to 0.72 ab/m2 after 391 days and 0.56 ab/m2 to 0.44 ab/m2 after 133 days. In contrast, translocated green abalone densities at two sites dropped dramatically from 0.51 ab/m2 to 0.08 ab/m2 after 405 days and 0.62 ab/m2 to 0.01 ab/m2 after 388 days. Pink abalone persistence was high and immigration was rare, while green abalone persistence was low and immigration into the sites was common. We find that pink abalone are optimal candidates for translocation given their high rate of site fidelity. Furthermore, our results demonstrate how important species-specific behaviors are to the success of translocation efforts supporting the use of pilot studies prior to implementation of large-scale translocation recovery actions. CALIFORNIA'S GOLD: REPRODUCTIVE VARIABILITY OF RED SEA URCHINS, STRONGYLOCENTROTUS FRANCISCANUS, AT THE NORTHERN CHANNEL ISLANDS

Sarah Teck*1, Jorge Cornejo2, Sarah Rathbone2, Nick Shears3, Scott Hamilton4, Jenn Caselle2 and Steve Gaines1,2,5, 1Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA. [email protected] 2Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA, 3Department of Statistics, The University of Auckland, NZ, 4Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA 95039 USA, 5Donald Bren School of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA

When considering fisheries management in general, sustainable populations of marketable-sized individuals must be available to support a profitable fishery. However, in contrast to most of the world's fisheries, harvested urchins must have marketable quality as well. For the past decade the red sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) fishery has been the fifth largest in the state of California; fishermen dive to collect urchins by hand, and two-thirds are harvested from the northern Channel Islands. For this roe-based fishery, the gonads of harvested individuals must be the proper size, texture, color and freshness in order to be profitable in the competitive international and domestic markets. Fishermen are more likely to yield greater profits during the time of year when gonads are larger and firmer, which varies over time and space. In order to properly manage this fishery for optimal profits and sustainability, researchers must examine not only temporal and spatial variability in sea urchin density and size frequency across the management area but also gonad quality. We find that gonad quality as reflected in sea urchin price per pound is highly correlated with gonadosomatic index (percent gonad of whole body weight). Using data from subtidal monitoring and port-sampling, we find that gonadosomatic index varies across the islands and peaks in winter months in accordance with the annual spawning cycle. In general red urchin biomass and reproductive output are higher inside reserves than outside of reserves and higher in the northwestern Channel Islands than the northeastern Channel Islands and mainland sites. Understanding reproductive patterns in red sea urchin populations can not only inform managers and fisheries biologists but also contribute to more detailed population dynamic and bioeconomic models.

ISLAND LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE STUDY AND THE BENEFITS OF CITIZEN SCIENCE

Susan Teel*1, Thomas Stanley2, Linda Dye3, Linnea Hall4, and Lyndal Laughrin5, 1National Park Service, 401 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 [email protected] 2U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center 2150 Centre Ave Bldg C Fort Collins, CO 80525 3Channel Islands National Park 1901 Spinnaker Dr. Ventura, CA 93001 4Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology 439 Calle San Pablo Camarillo, CA 93012 5UC Natural Reserve System Marine Science Institute Building 520, Room 2312 University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106-6150

Limited project funding led a multi-agency team to explore inclusion of citizen scientists in collecting survey data in Channel Islands National Park. A petition to list the endemic subspecies of Island Loggerhead Shrike (Larius ludovicianus anthonyi), which occurs on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands was filed with the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in 2006. The results of prior surveys reported low figures for breeding pairs, thus, a need to definitively estimate population size and abundance of resident Island Loggerhead Shrikes was identified. The petition to list the Island Loggerhead Shrike was temporarily withdrawn pending results of a FWS shrike survey of Santa Cruz Island in 2009 and this two year survey (2009-2010) of Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands conducted by US Geological Survey, Channel Islands National Park, Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, and the University of California Santa Barbara. The multi-agency study required rigorous quantification of the number of remaining individuals and their breeding locations on both Islands. The study team employed methods to mitigate concerns traditionally held regarding the quality of data collected by citizen scientists. The research team implemented modified survey procedures based on the proven San Clemente Island shrike survey methods which utilize strictly supervised and trained volunteers. Team members contributed significant time to train and support citizen science participants to achieve defensible results. Areas identified as dangerous to survey were excluded from the sampling pool. The project employed a stratified random spatial sampling regime and a double observer method with independent observers to estimate joint detection probabilities. Additionally, at the end of each field day, study team representatives reviewed data collected by all observers to verify the correct application of survey methods. The study produced results in both years which estimated shrike abundance to be higher than previous studies.

SEABIRD PROTECTION NETWORK: RESTORING AND BUILDING RESILIENT SEABIRD POPULATIONS ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST

Sage Tezak*1, Mai Maheigan1, Karen Reyna1, Jennifer Boyce2, Annie Little3, Gabrielle Dorr2, Gerry McChesney4. 1Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, 991 Marine Dr., The Presidio, San Francisco, CA 94129 [email protected] 2NOAA Restoration Center, 501 W. Ocean Blvd., Suite 4470, Long Beach, CA 90802 3United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001 4United States Fish and Wildlife Service, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 9500 Thornton Ave., Newark, CA, 94560

With increasing human populations, and more individuals migrating to coastal areas, pressures on marine resources will continue to intensify, making it ever more critical to implement actions to protect and build more resilient wildlife populations. Current threats to marine wildlife include: oil spills and other contaminant spills, fisheries, coastal development, habitat destruction, introduced species, climate change and human-caused disturbances. These known stressors are varied in depth and breadth, and can be challenging to mitigate for. However, protecting seabirds and other marine wildlife against human- caused disturbance on a local, regional and state level benefits the health and sustainability of populations, ultimately leading to more resilient marine wildlife populations. The Seabird Protection Network (the Network) is a multi-organization collaborative that was established in 2005 and aims to restore and protect seabird populations in northern California harmed by the 1998 Command Oil Spill and the Luckenbach mystery oil spill. Restoration funds from these spills are being used to address one of the most prevalent obstacles to the recovery of seabird populations: human disturbance. The goal of the Network is to reduce human disturbances at seabird breeding and roosting sites. Since June 2009, the Seabird Protection Network has worked to expand the reach of the project. The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is spearheading the effort, and has established a framework for developing additional Chapters in California. This joint presentation will highlight the accomplishments of the original Chapter of the Seabird Protection Network and will introduce the creation of a Channel Islands Chapter led by the Montrose Settlements Restoration Program.

A TIME CAPSULE FROM THE PAST: A REDWOOD BOX CACHE FROM SAN NICOLAS ISLAND

Lisa Thomas-Barnett*1, René L. Vellanoweth2, Jon M. Erlandson3, and Steven J. Schwartz4, 1NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California [email protected] 2Department of Anthropology, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 3University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Ave., Eugene, OR 97403 [email protected] 4NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island, California [email protected]

During the winter of 2010 a truly extraordinary find was made while conducting routine archaeological surveys on San Nicolas Island. Two redwood boxes covered with a whale bone rib were spotted eroding out of a cliff face at the base of CA-SNI-14 on the north coast of the island. The end plank was missing from one of the boxes and from a distance numerous objects could be seen inside. It was clear that the feature was eroding into the sea and immediate measures would need to be taken before the onset of winter storms. Accessible from a narrow ledge we measured the cache, took photographs, and devised a plan for its safe removal. Over the next couple of days we excavated the feature and discovered two boxes stuffed with artifacts, two asphaltum lined water bottles with basketry impressions, a sandstone dish, and various other objects. The boxes were secured and transported to the laboratory so their contents could be removed under controlled conditions. Each box was carefully disassembled and the items inside were removed, labeled, gently cleaned, and photographed. Overall, we pulled approximately 200 objects made from local and exotic materials, including shell and bone tools and ornaments as well as stone points, beads, effigies, and a smoking pipe. The presence of glass, nails, and metal Aleutic style toggling harpoon points suggest the boxes were cached sometime in the early to mid-1800s, when Kodiak sea otter hunters worked the waters off southern California for the bourgeoning fur trade business. The asphaltum-lined water bottles represent some of the finest every recovered from archaeological contexts and are consistent with traditional native construction. This remarkable cache embodies a mixture of Aleutic and Nicoleno cultural traditions, capturing a time in our history that remains ambiguous, but for the moment a little better understood.

LIVING ON THE EDGE: SPATIOTEMPORAL PATTERNS OF BARN OWL PREDATION ON SCRIPPS’S MURRELETS ON SANTA BARBARA ISLAND

Sarah K. Thomsen*1,2, and A. Laurie Harvey2, 1Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada, [email protected] 2California Institute of Environmental Studies, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

Over half the world’s breeding population of Scripps’s Murrelets (Synthliboramphus scrippsi) nests on Santa Barbara Island, where nesting birds face threats from native predators including the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) as well as an endemic subspecies of deer mouse(Peromyscus maniculatus elusus)that consumes murrelet eggs. Deer mice are also important prey for owls, therefore the aim of this study was to investigate how Barn Owl predation on murrelets varies with the availability of rodent prey and with habitat use of Barn Owls. Specifically, study objectives were to 1) describe habitat use of Barn Owls (with line transects and telemetry); 2) describe rodent prey availability in various habitats (with track tubes) and 3) determine the contribution of seabirds in owl diet by collecting pellets and prey remains. We summarize results from two consecutive years with highly contrasting prey conditions; one year with relatively high mouse density followed by a year with much lower mouse density. Track tube indices consistently showed greater mouse activity in murrelet nesting areas than habitats in the interior of the island, and Barn Owls were also more frequently detected on line transects adjacent to murrelet habitat. This pattern of space use persisted regardless of the availability of seabirds as prey. However, there were substantial differences in the number of murrelets killed by owls. In 2011, when mouse densities were high, few murrelets were killed, while in 2012 predation on murrelets was much more severe. These results are consistent with the alternative prey hypothesis. Continued research will help determine the impact on murrelet population dynamics.

SEA OTTER (ENHYDRA LUTRIS NEREIS) TROPHIC INTERACTIONS AND COMMUNITY EFFECTS IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

M. Tim Tinker1, 2, Gena Bentall*3, Brian Hatfield1, Mike Kenner2, Mark Novak2, and James Estes2, 1 U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 100 Shaffer Rd, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 [email protected] 2University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060 3Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey CA, 93940 In the late 1980’s, Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) were experimentally translocated to San Nicolas Island in an effort to establish a self-sustaining population distinct from the mainland sea otter population. Today this population remains fairly small, having increased from a dozen animals in the early 1990’s to approximately 45 animals at present. Counts of the population have been conducted four times annually since the translocation. The sub-tidal invertebrate and macroalgal community has been monitored at six fixed sample sites around the Island, providing spatially explicit information on community dynamics from prior to the translocation to the present. In 2003-2005 we conducted an observational study of radio-tagged sea otters at San Nicolas Island to measure diet composition and per- capita rates of invertebrate prey consumption. Sea otter diets were dominated by red urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus). Based on measured attack rates, prey densities, and variation in spatial-use patterns by sea otters, we predict that significant predator impacts on urchin abundance should be evident at the sub-tidal monitoring sites at the SW corner of the island over the last 2-5 years, but not at other sites. We used the combined data sets to parameterize a 3-trophic-level species interaction model, assuming a type-II functional response and using stochastic difference equations to incorporate other environmental drivers. We evaluate and compare the observed vs. model-predicted patterns of direct sea otter predator impacts on prey communities, and their indirect effects on kelp abundance. Our model predicts a trophic cascade exhibiting transient dynamics and equilibrium densities of sea otters, urchins and kelp over the long term.

RAPA NUI NATIONAL PARK, EASTER ISLAND: COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OF THE CEREMONIAL VILLAGE OF ORONGO

Enrique Tucki Montero*, Marcos Rauch González and Víctor Lagos San Martín

Rapa Nui National Park was created in 1935 with the main objective to protect and preserve the archaeological, historical and natural heritage of Easter Island. This island is the most isolated place in the world and is linked culturally to Polynesian peoples who colonized much of the Pacific Ocean. Due to its cultural resources, in 1995 it was included on the World Heritage List of UNESCO, and is the base of support for cultural tourism whose importance has increased in the last decade. This growth in visitation is generating new and increased pressures for public use, producing excessive use and congestion on trails and infrastructure like the visits sites of Orongo, Akahanga Tongariki and Rano Raraku. Beginning in 2000, a new system of public-use planning was designed at the principal visit sectors. This paper analyzes the process of public use planning developed in the ceremonial village of Orongo, a major archaeological site on Easter Island, and a high interest among visitors. This paper presents the major achievements of the project, the participative methodology that included the Rapa Nui community, public and private institutions. This methodology has ensured the preservation of the heritage values of the site and raised the standards for sustainable tourism development in the Rapa Nui National Park.

DOCUMENTING THE PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AREAS OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST AND ISLANDS

Justin S. Tweet*1, Vincent L. Santucci2, and Tim Connors3, 1Tweet Paleo-Consulting, 9149 79th Street South, Cottage Grove, MN 55016 [email protected] 2National Park Service, Geologic Resources Division, 1201 Eye Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20005 3National Park Service, Geologic Resources Division, PO Box 25287, Denver, CO 80225

Paleontological resource inventories for the parks of the National Park Service’s Mediterranean Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network (MEDN) demonstrate a significant Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic fossil record for the southern California coast and islands. This research documents over 100 million years of biologic and geologic changes along the Pacific coast of southern California. During 2012, comprehensive paleontological resource data were compiled for Cabrillo National Monument (CABR), Channel Islands National Park (CHIS), and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SAMO). This recent work expands the paleontological resource data previously compiled for each of the parks in 2003 and during the SAMO Paleontological Survey of 2004. Fossil plants, invertebrates, vertebrates and trace fossils represent both marine and terrestrial life from along the ancestral coast of southern California. Thirty-eight holotype fossil specimens have been described from SAMO and nineteen holotype fossil specimens from CHIS. The fossils of MEDN include the famous pygmy mammoths of CHIS which continue to be the subject of scientific research and publications. Recent work at SAMO has contributed to a refined stratigraphic interpretation of the park’s geology, additional documentation of the Miocene flora and fauna, and the description of new taxa such as the gastropod Pyropsis aldersoni and the crab Costacopluma squiresi. The recent MEDN paleontological resources inventory will help to stimulate future research, education, interpretation, and proper resource management of these important paleontological resources.

PREHISTORIC POPULATION REPLACEMENT ON CALIFORNIA’S CHANNEL ISLANDS

Sylvere CM Valentin*, California State University of Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032 [email protected]

The purpose of this presentation is to share the main results gathered from the craniometric, mitochondrial DNA and carbon dating analysis of a previously unstudied skeletal collection (129 skulls) originating from the Channel Islands and coastal surroundings of Santa Barbara curated at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris (France). These remains were collected by Léon De Céssac and Alphonse Pinart between 1877 and 1879. This research looks into identifying through time possible genetic groups who might have occupied certain Channel Islands. Results indicate that we have at least two distincitive population based on the craniometric and mtDNA data on San Nicolas Island. One of which are long headed individuals based on craniometric data who belong to the haplogroup B. Those individuals exhibit the same mutation found among Zuni of New Mexico by virtue of a C>T mutation at np 13590 (Hg B4b).

EMERGENCE OF APPARENTLY RECOVERING POPULATIONS OF THE ENDANGERED BLACK ABALONE (HALIOTIS CRACHERODII LEACH, 1814) IN THE MAJOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ISLANDS FOLLOWING DISEASE-INDUCED MASS MORTALITIES

Glenn R. VanBlaricom*1, Melissa J. Neuman2, and Carolyn S. Friedman3, 1US Geological Survey, Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 [email protected] 2Office of Protected Resources, Southwest Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, 501 West Ocean Blvd, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802, 3School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195

Black abalones (Haliotis cracherodii Leach, 1814) dwell in exposed rocky intertidal habitats from northern California, USA, southward into northern Baja California, Mexico. The historic center of abundance was in the islands off southern California. Black abalone provided food for native peoples for nearly ten millennia, supported recreational and commercial harvests in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and have been significant in California island marine ecosystems on geologic time scales. US populations were listed as “endangered” in 2009, largely due to mass mortalities from withering syndrome, a disease caused by the bacterial endosymbiont Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis. Between 1985 and 2000 mass mortalities were observed directly at all major southern California Islands except Santa Catalina. Recent observations suggest that Santa Catalina likely experienced mass mortalities caused by withering syndrome on a similar timeline. The mortality events reduced observed abundances to 1-5% of pre-disease numbers. We have surveyed black abalone populations at San Nicolas Island quantitatively since 1981. Signs of withering syndrome were first seen in black abalone at San Nicolas Island in 1992, reducing surveyed populations by 99.2% by 2001. Since 2001 black abalone numbers at most survey locations remained small. However, sustained recruitment and high post- recruitment survival produced a six-fold increase in black abalone numbers on southwestern San Nicolas Island from 2002 to 2012. Laboratory experiments have verified that black abalones from southwestern San Nicolas Island have elevated genetically-based resistance to withering syndrome compared to mainland California populations. Histological and experimental studies suggest that infection of X. californiensis by a viral hyperparasite may further reduce mortality rates caused by withering syndrome. Together with recruitment patterns described by Richards and Whitaker at Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands within the past decade (presented at this Symposium), our observations are encouraging in the context of black abalone conservation and restoration.

MAPPING PERCEIVED SOCIAL VALUES FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AMONG OUTDOOR RECREATIONISTS AT CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Carena van Riper*, Gerard Kyle, Travis Peters, Dusty Green, and Michael Patillo, Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Laboratory, Department of Recreation, Park & Tourism Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2261 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77840 [email protected]

Coastal ecosystems are increasingly faced with human impacts. To better understand these changing conditions, spatial planning and management is often used to incorporate biophysical data alongside social data related to human uses and valuation of natural resources. Within this literature, ecological and economic values have been widely recognized. Less is known, however, of social values for ecosystem services defined as the non-material qualities that people believe are carried by an environment. There is need to spatially operationalize the human dimensions of natural resources for more effective conservation of land and seascapes. Failure to recognize the diversity of values ascribed to natural resources limits agencies’ ability to consider public interests and desires throughout the planning process. This study draws on social science theory and a social-ecological systems framework to examine the relationship between the relative importance of social values for ecosystem services and spatially-defined ecological data in the context of the Channel Islands National Park (CHIS) eco-region. More specifically, the spatial distribution and intensity of social values in relation to biophysical characteristics of the CHIS are explored. On-site surveys were administered to outdoor recreationists June-August 2012 and analyzed using a Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES) GIS model that employs maximum entropy modeling. Preliminary findings indicate that high priority areas exist on the Channel Islands and within adjacent waters according to outdoor recreationists’ perceptions of places. This study holds relevance for environmental management that strives to identify places of conflicting values, improve the provision of opportunities for restorative experiences in nature, and prioritize decisions to benefit biodiversity conservation while providing high quality visitor experiences.

SEARCHING FOR THE LONE WOMAN'S PEOPLE: NATIVE AMERICAN VILLAGE LIFE ON SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CALIFORNIA.

René L. Vellanoweth*, Department of Anthropology, 5151 State University Drive, California State University, Los Angeles [email protected]

In the following paper I will attempt to paint a portrait of the Lone Woman’s most immediate ancestors. As the last native person to live on San Nicolas Island her story is wrapped in drama and intrigue and stories about her life have focused on her time alone, her capture by Euro-Americans, and her eventual death only a few weeks after arriving on the mainland. But, what was life like for her people? What did they eat? Where did they stay? What kinds of tools, weapons, and ornaments did they use? What were their religious beliefs and ceremonies like? What objects did they trade away and what did they get in return? Drawing mostly from the archaeological record, particularly CA-SNI-25, I summarize the current state of knowledge about Native American lifeways on San Nicolas Island just prior to European contact. CA-SNI-25 (Tule Creek Site) is a large, stabilized dune and midden complex located on a raised marine terrace about 160 m above Corral Harbor on the north coast of the island. Early explorers recognized the archaeological potential of the site and described numerous house pits, communal structures, cemeteries, and other features. Recent work at the site suggests that the main period of occupation occurred between about AD 1200 and 1500, when it was likely used as a primary village. Excavations uncovered many features including dog burials, hearths, refuse pits, discrete activity areas, evidence for shell bead and fishhook manufacture, as well as numerous formal and expedient stone, shell, and bone artifacts. The information gathered from these studies clearly indicate that the Lone Woman’s people relied heavily on the local marine and terrestrial environments of the island for their subsistence and technological needs; performed complex religious ceremonies; and participated in wide-spread trade networks.

EVALUATION OF TAXONOMIC BOUNDARIES WITHIN ACMISPON ARGOPHYLLUS AND ACMISPON DENDROIDEUS (FABACEAE) AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THEIR CONSERVATION ON THE CHANNEL ISLANDS

Lisa E Wallace*1, Gregory L Wheeler1, Mitchell E. McGlaughlin2, and Kaius Helenurm3, 1Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, P.O. Box GY, Mississippi State, MS 39762 [email protected] 2School of Biological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639 3Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, 444 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069

Taxonomic studies play a critical role in conservation biology because they provide a framework for identifying appropriate management units. Molecular genetic tools have permitted both the identification of cryptic, evolutionarily distinct lineages that were previously unrecognized within species as well as a lack of genetic distinctiveness for named intraspecific taxa. In this study, DNA sequence data were used to evaluate whether the named varieties of Acmispon argophyllus and Acmispon dendroideus (Fabaceae) represent good taxa and appropriate conservation units. Acmispon argophyllus includes five recognized varieties, three endemic to the Channel Islands and two occurring on the mainland. Acmispon dendroideus includes three varieties, all endemic to the Channel Islands. DNA sequences were sampled from 18 A. argophyllus populations throughout the Channel Islands and mainland California and 14 A. dendroideus populations on the Islands. A high degree of genetic variation was detected within both species, but phylogenetic analyses suggest that these taxa are relatively young, given the high level of ancestral polymorphism. Within A. argophyllus, var. niveus, the only variety of this species to occur on the northern islands, contains strongly divergent haplotypes that are unlike others in the species. Genetic divergence in combination with its distinct morphology may warrant recognition of this taxon as a species. Because the other two island varieties of A. argophyllus exhibit lower divergence, especially on San Clemente where they co-occur, it is recommended that they be maintained as varieties. Within A. dendroideus, var. traskiae, found only on San Clemente, is divergent. However, var. veatchii, which is endemic to San Miguel, intergrades into var. dendroideus. Additional divergence is detectable at smaller spatial scales. For example, convarietal populations on the same island often contain different alleles. To capture the full genetic diversity of these taxa, conservation efforts will need to focus on different spatial scales, depending on the taxon.

IMPORTANCE OF INTER-ISLAND DISPERSAL IN EXPLAINING GENETIC STRUCTURE IN ACMISPON ARGOPHYLLUS (FABACEAE) ON THE CALIFORNIA CHANNEL ISLANDS. Gregory Wheeler1*, Mitchell McGlaughlin2, Kaius Helenurm3, and Lisa Wallace1, 1Mississippi State University, PO Box GY, Mississippi State, MS, 39762 [email protected] 2University of Northern Colorado, 501 20th St, Box 92, Greeley, CO, 80639 3University of South Dakota, Department of Biology, Vermillion, SD, 57069

The California Channel Islands are known for high levels of endemic floral diversity. The current geological understanding of this system indicates that none of the eight Channel Islands have ever been connected to the California mainland, and the four southern islands have remained separated even during the last glacial maximum. Given this, over-ocean dispersal is required to explain the presence of conspecific populations on multiple islands. One particular possibility that merits examination is the movement of fruits, seeds, and plant material carried by the currents of the Southern California Bight. Two routes of water movement, a current and a counter-current, are known for this region. We examined the potential for these currents to explain the distribution of Acmispon argophyllus on the four southern islands: Santa Barbara, Santa Catalina, San Clemente, and San Nicolas. We hypothesized that populations with shared ocean current pathways would exhibit greater genetic similarity than populations not sharing ocean currents. Specifically, we hypothesized that populations on Santa Catalina Island serve as a source of colonists to Santa Barbara Island and later, either directly or by island-hopping, to San Nicolas Island. We also hypothesized three possibilities for populations on San Clemente: 1) from Santa Catalina Island, 2) from San Nicolas Island, or 3) from mainland California. Multilocus chloroplast sequences were collected from 144 individuals across 12 populations on the four islands. Pairwise FST analysis and the structure of a haplotype network suggest that populations on San Nicolas and Santa Barbara are directly descended from Santa Catalina populations. Populations on San Clemente appear to be a mixture of populations derived from Santa Catalina and populations of distinct genetic origins. These results add to understanding phylogeographic patterns throughout this system and demonstrate the importance of considering complex dispersal patterns when investigating the origins of endemic taxa on the Channel Islands.

ALBATROSS, EAGLE AND GOOSE: ANALYSIS OF AVIAN ECOFACTS AND ARTIFACTS FROM THE BOX CACHE, CA-SNI-14, SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, CA

Emily L. Whistler*1, Daniel Guthrie2, Lisa Thomas-Barnett3, René L. Vellanoweth1, Jon M. Erlandson4, and Steven J. Schwartz3, 1Department of Anthropology, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90032 [email protected] 2Joint Sciences Department, Claremont McKenna College, 500 E 9th Street, Claremont, CA 91711 3NAVAIR Range Sustainability Office, San Nicolas Island CA 4University of Oregon, Museum of Natural and Cultural History, 1680 East 15th Ave. Eugene, OR 97403

Discovered in the winter of 2010, the Box Cache is comprised of two Redwood plank boxes, several asphaltum water bottles with cordage impressions and approximately 200 artifacts made of shell, bone, stone and glass. These historic period artifacts show a mixture of San Nicolas and Aleutian Island styles. This presentation will discuss the modified and unmodified avian remains recovered from the CA-SNI-14 Box and Bottle Cache. A total of 16 bird bones were recovered from the West Box including a Short- tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) whistle, a Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) whistle, a Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) whistle preform, five Short-tailed Albatross hairpins, eight unmodified Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) bones from at least two individuals, and a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) cranium. Whistles and hairpins are artifacts common to all maritime groups from Baja, California to the far reaches of the Aleutian Islands. The suite of species present in this cache are frequently seen in the Aleutian Islands but all of these birds have also been recorded on the Channel Islands, both from the archaeological record and modern times. All artifacts were looked at with a low power microscope to determine whether metal or stone implements were used in the manufacturing process. Preliminary results show signs of butchering, heat treatment, weathering, and pathologies. Further research will look at artifacts of this nature from San Nicolas Island and the Aleutian Islands to determine if it is possible to link the artifacts to one region based on stylistic differences. Stable isotope testing has been conducted on the Bald Eagle to determine a region of origin. Lastly, the Bald Eagle material was looked at to see if an age determination was possible, which may provide further answers about how the Eagle was harvested and possible the purposes it was harvested for.

REVISITING A TRAMPLING EXPERIMENT FOLLOWING 30 YEARS OF INTERTIDAL MONITORING AT CAT ROCK, ANACAPA ISLAND

Stephen G. Whitaker*, and Daniel V. Richards, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive Ventura, CA 93001 [email protected]

Rocky intertidal communities throughout southern California are regularly subjected to anthropogenic perturbations. However much of the intertidal habitat within Channel Islands National Park receives minimal human disturbance in the form of trampling or habitat alteration. As a result, the islands are ideal locations for which to study recolonization rates. Such an experiment was conducted three decades ago at Cat Rock, Anacapa Island whereby recovery rates of intertidal biota were assessed following two types of impacts; 1) severe impacts from scraping, and 2) moderate impacts caused by systematic trampling. The two treatments, along with controls, were applied to fixed plots located in four distinct biological zones spanning the intertidal gradient. All plots were scored for percent cover of algae and sessile invertebrates quarterly during the first year and biannually thereafter for nearly thirty years. Bray-Curtis distance indexes indicated that recovery of Chthamalus spp. within the representative zone occurred in three months for the trampled plots and nearly two years in the scraped plots. Within the Endocladia zone, a high level of similarity between the trample treatment and the controls occurred in ten months while the scraped plots took approximately two years to recover. Mytilus californianus and rockweeds (Silvetia compressa and Hesperophycus californicus) took significantly longer to recolonize compared with biota in the two higher zones. Following scraping, Mytilus required nearly three decades for abundances to rebound and trampling resulted in six years of recovery. Rockweed cover in the two treatments was equivalent twelve years following disturbance but lagged significantly behind that of the control plots until all rockweed cover plummeted after twenty-five years. This unique trampling study indicates that even moderate impacts from visitors can have long-lasting effects on rocky intertidal communities and, in some cases, can require decades for full recovery.

VEGETATION MAPPING ON SANTA ROSA ISLAND USING SEMI-AUTOMATED CLASSIFICATION OF COLOR INFRARED (CIR) IMAGERY AND LIDAR

Russell White*1, Elizabeth Drake2, and John Perrine2, 1Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407 [email protected] 2Biological Sciences Department California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407

A semi-automated image classification approach was developed to map six vegetation classes across Santa Rosa Island (SRI). The purpose of this effort was to support habitat-use analysis of island foxes (Urocyon littoralis) tracked using GPS collars. When compared to current aerial imagery, the pre-existing vegetation layer for Santa Rosa Island was considered inadequate due to coarse delineations and positional errors in polygon boundaries. A remote sensing approach was investigated to provide an updated map of vegetation communities. Communities were defined broadly as grassland, scrub, lupine scrub, chaparral, woodland, and bare ground. One meter resolution four-band NAIP imagery from 2009 was used as input for interactive supervised classification, conducted using ESRI ArcGIS 10. The classification successfully delineated homogenous patches of bare ground, grassland, and dense scrub, but areas of sparse or mixed vegetation, such as open scrub and grassland, required additional post- processing. Morphological operators (closing followed by opening) were used to smooth and generalize the classification. Morphological closing at a radius of five meters was sufficient to group sparse patches of scrub into continuous polygons, while opening at a radius of six meters eliminated single-pixel noise and extraneous patches. Finally, imagery alone was insufficient to separate chaparral from woodland. Woodland vegetation was delineated by applying a 4m vertical height threshold to a canopy height model (CHM) derived from 2010 airborne LiDAR data. The combined use of supervised classification, morphological smoothing, and LiDAR heights provided an efficient means for vegetation mapping; however, careful inspection and manual editing of final classification results was still necessary. Review and input from field personnel familiar with the island was also crucial in guiding the classification process. Software tools and datasets for image classification are becoming more widely accessible. Understanding the benefits and limitations of these approaches is valuable when evaluating options for community-level vegetation mapping.

STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION OF SCRIPPS’S MURRELET AT SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Darrell L. Whitworth*1,3, Harry R. Carter1,3, Tyler Dvorak2, and Linda Farley2, 1California Institute of Environmental Studies, 3408 Whaler Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 [email protected] 2Catalina Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704 3Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, CA 95521

For a century after breeding was first reported in southern California in 1863, the only evidence of Scripps’s Murrelets (Synthliboramphus scrippsi) breeding at Santa Catalina Island was a single nest found on Bird Rock in 1967. Concealed nests, nocturnal colony visitation and inaccessible breeding habitats have hindered knowledge of the status and distribution of murrelets throughout their range, particularly at islands like Catalina where mammalian predators restrict murrelet nesting to cliff and shoreline habitats. A larger and more widespread murrelet population at Catalina was first indicated through studies of birds attending nocturnal at-sea congregations near nesting areas. In 1994-95, vocal detection surveys found murrelets at 11 of 25 stations, with highest activity off the steep northwest coastal cliffs (5-62 calls survey-1). In 2000, at-sea captures (n = 12) and radar observations confirmed relatively large numbers of murrelets along the northwest coast. In 2004, the first spotlight surveys at Catalina better quantified population numbers, recording 101 birds (1.2 km-1) along the 82 km round-island transect. At-sea captures off the northwest coast in 2004 (n = 5) and 2008 (n = 12) documented breeding murrelets attending at-sea congregations. Spotlight surveys in 2012 recorded 291 murrelets (3.5 km-1), including one downy chick. Higher numbers in 2012 likely reflected variability in congregation attendance and differences in timing of surveys. Distribution of at-sea congregations was generally consistent between 2004 and 2012 surveys, and strongly associated with suitable cliff breeding habitats along the north- central, northwest and southwest coast. Breeding on Catalina proper was confirmed in 2012, with four nests on or below cliffs on the north-central coast. Using data from Santa Barbara Island, spotlight surveys yielded a preliminary population estimate of 116-151 breeding pairs at Catalina in 2012, the fourth largest population in California. A long-term monitoring, research, and restoration program is needed at Catalina. THE SANDS OF TIME: A HISTORY OF DUNE VEGETATION SUCCESSION TOLD THROUGH REMOTE SENSING, SAN MIGUEL ISLAND, CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA

Kristine L. Zellman*, U.S. Geological Survey, MS 980, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225 [email protected]

San Miguel is the westernmost of the California Channel Islands, and one of the windiest areas on the west coast of North America. The majority of the island is covered by sand dunes, which were stripped of vegetation, and subsequently mobilized, due to droughts and sheep ranching during the late 19th century through the early 20th century. Since the removal of grazing animals, vegetation and biological soil crusts have once again stabilized many of the island’s dunes. This project utilizes both old and new remote sensing technology, a geographic information system (GIS), and a transect vegetation survey design to decipher the pattern of vegetation and biological soil crust succession on the sand dunes of San Miguel Island. Historic aerial photographs dating back to 1929 were georeferenced in a GIS, and active dune extents were digitized for each year that imagery was available. A digital elevation map (DEM) was derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to provide high-accuracy topographic information about the dunes. During field work, current vegetation and biological soil crust communities were identified and mapped along thirty 200-meter transect vegetation surveys that were distributed throughout San Miguel’s central dune field. These data were then overlaid in a GIS and analyzed. The end product is a series of maps and cross-sections that illustrate the pattern of vegetation and biological soil crust succession that occurs on the San Miguel Island dunes. The results of this study show that a community of highly-specialized vascular vegetation is the pioneer stabilizer of the dunes. Stands of biological soil crusts are found only on dunes where vascular vegetation is already present. Biological soil crusts are not found on dunes exhibiting later stages of vegetation succession, which may indicate that their role in dune stabilization on the island is transitory.

USING LIDAR FOR GEOLOGIC ANALYSIS OF CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Mark Zellman*, Fugro Consultants, Inc., 1726 Cole Blvd., Suite 230, Lakewood, CO 80214 [email protected]

In 2011 Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data for Channel Islands National Park became publically available. This data has a resolution of 1-meter and provides coverage for the islands of Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara. This resolution is ideal for creating both large-scale maps and conducting detailed geologic analysis. A comparison of the LiDAR data with existing geologic maps shows that it could aid in refining these maps or for creating new maps. The bare- earth digital elevation models (DEMs) as well as hillshade and slope map derivative products can also be used to delineate, map, and analyze features such as marine terraces, landslides, and faults on these islands in great detail.