Why Avoiding Albatross Bycatch Is Important
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Plumage Variation and Hybridization in Black-Footed and Laysan Albatrosses
PlumaDevariation and hybridizationin Black-footedand LaysanAlbatrosses Tristan McKee P.O. Box631 Ferndale,California 95536 (eraall:bertmckee•yahoo.com) PeterPyle 4990Shoreline Highway SUnsonBeach, California 94970 (email:[email protected]) INTRODUCTION Black-footed(Phoebastria nigripes) and Laysan (P. immutabilis) Albatrosses nest sideby sidein denseisland colonies. Their breeding populations center in the northwesternHawaiian Islands, with smaller colonies scattered across the subtrop- icalNorth Pacific. Both species visit nutrient-rich waters off the west coast of North Americathroughout the year to forage. Black-footeds concentrate in coastal waters fromnorthern California tosouthern Alaska, while Laysans frequent more offshore andnortherly waters in thisregion. Bkders on pelagic trips off the West Coast often encountersignificant numbers of oneor bothof thesespecies, and searching for other,rarer albatrosses among them has proven to be a worthwhile pursuit in recen! years(Stallcup and Terrill 1996, Cole 2000). Albatrossesidentified as Black-looted x Laysan hybrids have been seen and studiedon MidwayAtoll and other northwestern Hawaiian Islands since the late 1800s(Rothschild 1900, Fisher 1948, 1972). In addition,considerable variation in appearanceis found within both species, indMduals with strikinglyaberrant plumageand soft part colors occasionally being encountered (Fisher 1972, Whittow 1993a).Midway Atoll hosts approximately two-thirds of the world'sbreeding A presumedhybrid Laysan x Black-lootedAlbatross tends a chickat Midway LaysanAlbatrosses -
Tube-Nosed Seabirds) Unique Characteristics
PELAGIC SEABIRDS OF THE CALIFORNIA CURRENT SYSTEM & CORDELL BANK NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY Written by Carol A. Keiper August, 2008 Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary protects an area of 529 square miles in one of the most productive offshore regions in North America. The sanctuary is located approximately 43 nautical miles northwest of the Golden Gate Bridge, and San Francisco California. The prominent feature of the Sanctuary is a submerged granite bank 4.5 miles wide and 9.5 miles long, which lay submerged 115 feet below the ocean’s surface. This unique undersea topography, in combination with the nutrient-rich ocean conditions created by the physical process of upwelling, produces a lush feeding ground. for countless invertebrates, fishes (over 180 species), marine mammals (over 25 species), and seabirds (over 60 species). The undersea oasis of the Cordell Bank and surrounding waters teems with life and provides food for hundreds of thousands of seabirds that travel from the Farallon Islands and the Point Reyes peninsula or have migrated thousands of miles from Alaska, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. Cordell Bank is also known as the albatross capital of the Northern Hemisphere because numerous species visit these waters. The US National Marine Sanctuaries are administered and managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who work with the public and other partners to balance human use and enjoyment with long-term conservation. There are four major orders of seabirds: 1) Sphenisciformes – penguins 2) *Procellariformes – albatross, fulmars, shearwaters, petrels 3) Pelecaniformes – pelicans, boobies, cormorants, frigate birds 4) *Charadriiformes - Gulls, Terns, & Alcids *Orders presented in this seminar In general, seabirds have life histories characterized by low productivity, delayed maturity, and relatively high adult survival. -
US Fish & Wildlife Service Seabird Conservation Plan—Pacific Region
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Seabird Conservation Plan Conservation Seabird Pacific Region U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Seabird Conservation Plan—Pacific Region 120 0’0"E 140 0’0"E 160 0’0"E 180 0’0" 160 0’0"W 140 0’0"W 120 0’0"W 100 0’0"W RUSSIA CANADA 0’0"N 0’0"N 50 50 WA CHINA US Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Region OR ID AN NV JAP CA H A 0’0"N I W 0’0"N 30 S A 30 N L I ort I Main Hawaiian Islands Commonwealth of the hwe A stern A (see inset below) Northern Mariana Islands Haw N aiian Isla D N nds S P a c i f i c Wake Atoll S ND ANA O c e a n LA RI IS Johnston Atoll MA Guam L I 0’0"N 0’0"N N 10 10 Kingman Reef E Palmyra Atoll I S 160 0’0"W 158 0’0"W 156 0’0"W L Howland Island Equator A M a i n H a w a i i a n I s l a n d s Baker Island Jarvis N P H O E N I X D IN D Island Kauai S 0’0"N ONE 0’0"N I S L A N D S 22 SI 22 A PAPUA NEW Niihau Oahu GUINEA Molokai Maui 0’0"S Lanai 0’0"S 10 AMERICAN P a c i f i c 10 Kahoolawe SAMOA O c e a n Hawaii 0’0"N 0’0"N 20 FIJI 20 AUSTRALIA 0 200 Miles 0 2,000 ES - OTS/FR Miles September 2003 160 0’0"W 158 0’0"W 156 0’0"W (800) 244-WILD http://www.fws.gov Information U.S. -
Natural Resources Science Plan
NATURAL RESOURCES SCIENCE PLAN 2011-2015 PAPAHÄNAUMOKUÄKEA MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT NATURAL RESOURCES SCIENCE PLAN April 2011 Prepared by: Papahänaumokuäkea Marine National Monument National Oceanic and United States Fish and Hawai‘i Department of Land and Atmospheric Administration Wildlife Service Natural Resources 6600 Kalanianaole Highway, Suite 300 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 5-231 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 130 Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825 Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96850 Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813 NATURAL RESOURCES SCIENCE PLAN 2011-2015 Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Overview of the Monument.....................................................................................3 1.2 Purpose and Scope of the Plan.................................................................................4 1.3 Stakeholders ............................................................................................................5 2.0 SUMMARY OF PLANNING PROCESS .................................................................... 6 2.1 Development of a Research and Monitoring Framework for the Monument .............6 2.2 Public Review and Comment...................................................................................7 2.3 Profiling Ongoing and Potential New Research and Monitoring Projects .................9 2.4 Identification of Research and Monitoring Gaps and Needs...................................10 2.5 Prioritization of Research and Monitoring Activities...............................................10 -
LAYSAN ALBATROSS Phoebastria Immutabilis
Alaska Seabird Information Series LAYSAN ALBATROSS Phoebastria immutabilis Conservation Status ALASKA: High N. AMERICAN: High Concern GLOBAL: Vulnerable Breed Eggs Incubation Fledge Nest Feeding Behavior Diet Nov-July 1 ~ 65 d 165 d ground scrape surface dip fish, squid, fish eggs and waste Life History and Distribution Laysan Albatrosses (Phoebastria immutabilis) breed primarily in the Hawaiian Islands, but they inhabit Alaskan waters during the summer months to feed. They are the 6 most abundant of the three albatross species that visit 200 en Alaska. l The albatross has been described as the “true nomad ff Pok e of the oceans.” Once fledged, it remains at sea for three to J ht ig five years before returning to the island where it was born. r When birds are eight or nine years old they begin to breed. y The breeding season is November to July and the rest of Cop the year, the birds remain at sea. Strong, effortless flight is commonly seen in the southern Bering Sea, Aleutian the key to being able to spend so much time in the air. The Islands, and the northwestern Gulf of Alaska. albatross takes advantage of air currents just above the Nonbreeders may remain in Alaska throughout the year ocean's waves to soar in perpetual fluid motion. It may not and breeding birds are known to travel from Hawaii to flap its wings for hours, or even for days. The aerial Alaska in search of food for their young. Albatrosses master never touches land outside the breeding season, but have the ability to concentrate the food they catch and it does rest on the water to feed and sleep. -
Albatross Or Mōlī (Phoebastria Immutabilis) Black-Footed Albatross Or Ka’Upu (Phoebastria Nigripes) Short-Tailed Albatross (Phoebastria Albatrus)
Hawaiian Bird Conservation Action Plan Focal Species: Laysan Albatross or Mōlī (Phoebastria immutabilis) Black-footed Albatross or Ka’upu (Phoebastria nigripes) Short-tailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) Synopsis: These three North Pacific albatrosses are demographically similar, share vast oceanic ranges, and face similar threats. Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses nest primarily in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, while the Short-tailed Albatross nests mainly on islands near Japan but forages extensively in U.S. waters. The Short-tailed Albatross was once thought to be extinct but its population has been growing steadily since it was rediscovered in 1951 and now numbers over 3,000 birds. The Laysan is the most numerous albatross species in the world with a population over 1.5 million, but its trend has been hard to determine because of fluctuations in number of breeding pairs. The Black-footed Albatross is one-tenth as numerous as the Laysan and its trend also has been difficult to determine. Fisheries bycatch caused unsustainable mortality of adults in all three species but has been greatly reduced in the past 10-20 years. Climate change and sea level rise are perhaps the greatest long-term threat to Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses because their largest colonies are on low-lying atolls. Protecting and creating colonies on higher islands and managing non-native predators and human conflicts may become keys to their survival. Laysan, Black-footed, and Short-tailed Albatrosses (left to right), Midway. Photos Eric VanderWerf Status -
Seabird Protection & Avoidance Tips
Seabird Protection & Avoidance Tips Seabirds live in a variety of habitats in and around shallow water and coastal environments. They represent a vital part of marine ecology and are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In fact, most of the 312 species of seabirds you may encounter while fishing are likely to be protected by law, with some classified as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA Depending on the geographic region, fishermen in the U.S. can FISHERIES observe species of Albatross, Cormorants, Gannet, Loons, Pelicans, Puffins, Sea Gulls, Storm-Petrels, Shearwaters, and SERVICE Terns, among others. Office of Sustainable Fisheries Be Aware of Seabird Behavior Seabirds feed on smaller fish that most anglers use for bait, so they typically won’t challenge a fisherman for his catch, however, the seabird’s hunting methods still put them in danger of getting hooked or entangled in a fisherman’s line. Many seabirds feed on krill, fish, squid or other prey items at the ocean's surface, while some, such as Cormorants, are known to dive to depths of more than 100 ft below the waves to catch a fish. In another technique, seabirds in flight will “plunge dive” into the water in pursuit of a fast-moving fish. Brown Pelicans, for example, can make vertical dives from more than 70 feet above the water when chasing their prey. Young seabirds, especially young pelicans, are particularly susceptible to being ensnared by fishing line. What If I Accidentally Hook a Seabird? HOW CAN I HELP SEABIRDS? In the unfortunate event of a hooked seabird, don't cut or break the line. -
Distribution, Habitat Use, and Conservation of Albatrosses in Alaska
Suryan and Kuletz 2018, Iden 72:156-164 Published in a special issue on albatrosses in the January issue of the Japanese journal Iden: the article was submitted by invitation from members of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Hokkaido University Museum, and the Editor of Iden. The article is: Robert M. Suryan and Kathy J. Kuletz. 2018. Distribution, Habitat Use, and Conservation of Albatrosses in Alaska. Iden 72:156-164. It is available online, but is in Japanese; for an English version contact [email protected] or [email protected] Distribution, Habitat Use, and Conservation of Albatrosses in Alaska Robert M. Suryan1,2 and Kathy J. Kuletz3 1Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, 2030 SE Marine Science Dr, Newport, Oregon 97365 2Auke Bay Laboratories, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 17109 Pt. Lena Loop Rd, Juneau, AK 99801, USA 3US Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503, USA All three North Pacific albatross species forage in marine waters off Alaska. Despite considerable foraging range overlap, however, the three species do show broad-scale niche segregation. Short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria. albatrus) range most widely throughout Alaska, extensively using the continental shelf break and slope regions of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Archipelago in particular, and the Gulf of Alaska to a lesser extent. Due to small population size, however, short-tailed albatrosses are generally far less prevalent than the other two species. Black-footed albatrosses (P. nigripes) are most abundant in the Gulf of Alaska, and in late summer near some Aleutian passes, occupying foraging habitat similar to short-tailed albatrosses. -
BIRDS AS MARINE ORGANISMS: a REVIEW Calcofi Rep., Vol
AINLEY BIRDS AS MARINE ORGANISMS: A REVIEW CalCOFI Rep., Vol. XXI, 1980 BIRDS AS MARINE ORGANISMS: A REVIEW DAVID G. AINLEY Point Reyes Bird Observatory Stinson Beach, CA 94970 ABSTRACT asociadas con esos peces. Se indica que el estudio de las Only 9 of 156 avian families are specialized as sea- aves marinas podria contribuir a comprender mejor la birds. These birds are involved in marine energy cycles dinamica de las poblaciones de peces anterior a la sobre- during all aspects of their lives except for the 10% of time explotacion por el hombre. they spend in some nesting activities. As marine organ- isms their occurrence and distribution are directly affected BIRDS AS MARINE ORGANISMS: A REVIEW by properties of their oceanic habitat, such as water temp- As pointed out by Sanger(1972) and Ainley and erature, salinity, and turbidity. In their trophic relation- Sanger (1979), otherwise comprehensive reviews of bio- ships, almost all are secondary or tertiary carnivores. As logical oceanography have said little or nothing about a group within specific ecosystems, estimates of their seabirds in spite of the fact that they are the most visible feeding rates range between 20 and 35% of annual prey part of the marine biota. The reasons for this oversight are production. Their usual prey are abundant, schooling or- no doubt complex, but there are perhaps two major ones. ganisms such as euphausiids and squid (invertebrates) First, because seabirds have not been commercially har- and clupeids, engraulids, and exoccetids (fish). Their high vested to any significant degree, fisheries research, which rates of feeding and metabolism, and the large amounts of supplies most of our knowledge about marine ecosys- nutrients they return to the marine environment, indicate tems, has ignored them. -
An Assessment for Fisheries Operating in South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
FAO International Plan of Action-Seabirds: An assessment for fisheries operating in South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands by Nigel Varty, Ben Sullivan and Andy Black BirdLife International Global Seabird Programme Cover photo – Fishery Patrol Vessel (FPV) Pharos SG in Cumberland Bay, South Georgia This document should be cited as: Varty, N., Sullivan, B. J. and Black, A. D. (2008). FAO International Plan of Action-Seabirds: An assessment for fisheries operating in South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands. BirdLife International Global Seabird Programme. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, UK. 2 Executive Summary As a result of international concern over the cause and level of seabird mortality in longline fisheries, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Committee of Fisheries (COFI) developed an International Plan of Action-Seabirds. The IPOA-Seabirds stipulates that countries with longline fisheries (conducted by their own or foreign vessels) or a fleet that fishes elsewhere should carry out an assessment of these fisheries to determine if a bycatch problem exists and, if so, to determine its extent and nature. If a problem is identified, countries should adopt a National Plan of Action – Seabirds for reducing the incidental catch of seabirds in their fisheries. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) are a United Kingdom Overseas Territory and the combined area covered by the Territorial Sea and Maritime Zone of South Georgia is referred to as the South Georgia Maritime Zone (SGMZ) and fisheries within the SGMZ are managed by the Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) within the framework of the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living (CCAMLR). -
BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS THALASSARCHE Melanophrys FEEDING on a WILSON’S STORM-PETREL OCEANITES OCEANICUS
Seco Pon & Gandini: Wilson’s Storm-Petrel consumed by albatross 77 BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS THALASSARCHE melanophrys FEEDING ON A WILSON’S STORM-PETREL OCEANITES OCEANICUS JUAN P. SECO PON1,2 & PATRICIA A. GANDINI1,3 1Centro de Investigaciones de Puerto Deseado, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral–Unidad Académica Caleta Olivia, cc 238 Av. Prefectura, s/n (9050), Puerto Deseado Santa Cruz, Argentina ([email protected]) 2Current address: Av. Colón 1908 8o L, Mar del Plata (7600), Buenos Aires, Argentina 3Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas and Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, New York, 10460, USA Received 4 April 2007, accepted 10 November 2007 The diet of Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys has in the stomachs of albatrosses. Although in general, penguins tend been studied at several sub-Antarctic colonies (e.g. Ridoux 1994, to be recorded more frequently, prions Pachyptila spp. and diving- Reid et al. 1996, Xavier et al. 2003) and found to consist mainly of petrels Pelecanoides spp. also occur in the diet of albatrosses in the fish, cephalopods and crustaceans. Although this albatross species Southern Ocean. Thus, the occurrence of small seabirds, such as travels vast distances during the non-breeding season (Croxall the Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, in the diet of Black-browed Albatrosses & Wood 2002), the types of food taken remain similar, although is not surprising. prey species and percentages tend to vary (Xavier et al. 2003, Gandini et al. unpubl.). Nevertheless, other prey items—such ACKnowledgements as seabirds, chiefly Spheniscidae and Pelecanoididae (Cherel & Klages 1997) and terns Sterna spp. -
Seabird Foraging Ecology
2636 SEABIRD FORAGING ECOLOGY Ballance L.T., D.G. Ainley, and G.L. Hunt, Jr. 2001. Seabird Foraging Ecology. Pages 2636-2644 in: J.H. Steele, S.A. Thorpe and K.K. Turekian (eds.) Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, vol. 5. Academic Press, London. SEABIRD FORAGING ECOLOGY L. T. Balance, NOAA-NMFS, La Jolla, CA, USA Introduction D. G. Ainley, H.T. Harvey & Associates, San Jose, CA, USA Though bound to the land for reproduction, most G. L. Hunt, Jr., University of California, Irvine, seabirds spend 90% of their life at sea where they CA, USA forage over hundreds to thousands of kilometers in a matter of days, or dive to depths from the surface ^ Copyright 2001 Academic Press to several hundred meters. Although many details of doi:10.1006/rwos.2001.0233 seabird reproductive biology have been successfully SEABIRD FORAGING ECOLOGY 2637 elucidated, much of their life at sea remains a mesoscales (100}1000km, e.g. associations with mystery owing to logistical constraints placed on warm- or cold-core rings within current systems). research at sea. Even so, we now know a consider- The question of why species associate with different able amount about seabird foraging ecology in water types has not been adequately resolved. At terms of foraging habitat, behavior, and strategy, as issue are questions of whether a seabird responds well as the ways in which seabirds associate with or directly to habitat features that differ with water partition prey resources. mass (and may affect, for instance, thermoregula- tion), or directly to prey, assumed to change with Foraging Habitat water mass or current system.