PACIFIC SEABIRDS

A Publication of the Pacific Seabird Group

Volume 34 Number 1 Spring 2007 PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP Dedicated to the Study and Conservation of Pacific Seabirds and Their Environment

The Pacific Seabird Group (PSG) was formed in 1972 due to the need for better communication among Pacific seabird researchers. PSG provides a forum for the research activities of its members, promotes the conservation of seabirds, and informs members and the public of issues relating to Pacific Ocean seabirds and their environment. PSG holds annual meetings at which scientific papers and symposia are presented. The group’s journals are Pacific Seabirds(formerly the PSG Bulletin), and Marine Ornithology (published jointly with the African Seabird Group, Australasian Seabird Group, Dutch Seabird Group, and The Seabird Group [United King- dom]; www.marineornithology.org). Other publications include symposium volumes and technical reports. Conservation concerns include seabird/fisheries interactions, monitoring of seabird populations, seabird restoration following oil spills, establishment of seabird sanctuaries, and endangered species. Policy statements are issued on conservation issues of critical importance. PSG mem- bers include scientists, conservation professionals, and members of the public from both sides of the Pacific Ocean. It is hoped that seabird enthusiasts in other parts of the world also will join and participate in PSG. PSG is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Ornithological Council, and. the American Bird Conservancy. Annual dues for membership are $25 (individual and family); $15 (student, undergraduate and graduate); and $750 (Life Membership, payable in five $150 install- ments). Dues are payable to the Treasurer; see Membership/Order Form next to inside back cover for details and application.

World Wide Web Site http://www.pacificseabirdgroup.org

Donations The Pacific Seabird Group is a nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of California. Contributions to the Pacific Seabird Group are tax deductible [IRS Section 501(c)(3)] to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Pacific Seabirds Pacific Seabirds(ISSN 1089-6317) is published twice a year in the spring and fall. It informs PSG members about regional seabird research and conservation news. Pacific Seabirds seeks submissions of short peer-reviewed articles, reports, and other items that relate to the conservation of seabirds in the Pacific Ocean. Abstracts of papers presented at the annual meeting are included in the Spring issue; the Fall issue contains a summary of ongoing research. All materials should be submitted to the Editor, except that conservation-related material should be submitted to the Associate Editor for Conservation. Information for contributors to Pacific Seabirds is published in each Fall issue. Back issues of the Bulletin or Pacific Seabirds may be ordered from the treasurer; please remit $2.50 each for volumes1‑8 (1974‑1981) and $5.00 each for volume 9 and later (see Membership/Order Form next to inside back cover for details).

Editor Vivian M. Mendenhall, 4600 Rabbit Creek Rd., Anchorage, AK 99516, USA. Telephone (907) 345-7124; Fax (907) 345 0686; e- mail: [email protected].

Associate Editor for Conservation Craig S. Harrison, 4953 Sonoma Mountain Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USA. Telephone: (202) 778‑2240, Fax: (202) 778 2201, e‑mail: [email protected] Assistant Editors for Conservation: S. Kim Nelson and Mark Rauzon.

Associate Editor for Regional Reports for this issue Don Lyons

Pacific Seabirds Submission Deadlines All items intended for publication in Pacific Seabirds must be received by The Editor or Associate Editor for Conservation prior to April 1 (Spring issue) and October 1 (Fall issue). Manuscripts may be submitted at any time.

Change of Address Send changes of address to the Treasurer, Ron LeValley, 920 Samoa Blvd., Suite 210, Arcaa, CA 95521, USA. Telephone (707) 326-0300; e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] PACIFIC SEABIRDS A Publication of the Pacific Seabird Group

Dedicated to the Study and Conservation of Pacific Seabirds and Their Environment Volume 34 2007 Number 1

Article Beach Watch: Sanctuary Ecosystem Assessment Surveys. By Shannon Lyday, Jan Roletto, Joe Mortenson, and Jamie Hall...... 2

Forum A more focused analysis of economic growth and environmental degredation. By Steve Hampton...... 7

Lifetime Achievement Award Michael P. Harris. By Scott A. Hatch...... 9

Obituary James O. Keith. By Daniel W. Anderson...... 13

Conservation Reports Conservation Report for Spring 2007...... 17 Correction...... 23 Conservation Report for Fall 2006...... 24

PSG News ...... 27

PSG Meeting News...... 29

Committee Reports Loon and Grebe Technical Committee...... 32 Marbled Murrelet Technical Committee...... 32 PSG Website...... 33 PSG 2020 Strategic Planning Committee...... 34

General Information Information on the Pacific Seabird Group...... Inside Front Cover Publications of the Pacific Seabird Group...... 36 PSG Committee Coordinators...... 38 PSG Life Members and Recipients of Awards...... 39 Membership Application and Order Form...... 40

PSG Executive Council for 2007...... Inside Back Cover ARTICLE

BEACH WATCH: SANCTUARY ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT SURVEYS Shannon Lyday, Jan Roletto, Joe Mortenson, and Jamie Hall

SUMMARY Beach Watch is a program of beach surveys for dead and live vertebrates established by the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanc- tuary in 1993. This pioneering federal marine program is now being integrated with the sanctuary Ecosystem Assessment Surveys (SEAS), which provide valuable ecosystem data on the marine environment to assist sanctuary management in resource protection. Shoreline surveys create a baseline data set that can be used to detect species mortality events and the effects of environmental factors such as oil spills. Dead and live bird and marine mammal counts can establish spatial and temporal trends and the interrelationships between beached and live species abundance. The use of volunteers in long-term monitoring is financially beneficial and, more importantly, allows the public to take an active role in environmental protection, thereby increasing awareness and the capacity for stewardship.

INTRODUCTION terization for the Gulf of the Farallones are: species identification, condition (rate Beach Watch is a long-term monitor- and Bodega regions. of decomposition), sex, age, evidence ing program of the Gulf of the Farallones of scavenging, probable cause of death National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS), METHODS (when possible), occurrence, extent and implemented by the Farallones Marine Currently, Beach Watch volunteers location of oil, and (if the specimen is Sanctuary Association. The program survey 42 beach segments every two tagged), tag number, color and location. was initiated in 1993 as a response to to four weeks on the central California Each dead specimen is photographed for the threat of oil spills in the sanctuary. coast. The Beach Watch area includes later verification by an ornithologist or a The goals of the Beach Watch program the Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey marine mammal expert to confirm spe- are to provide a baseline data set on the Bay National Marine Sanctuaries, be- cies identification, age, and sex. presence of live and beach-cast marine tween Bodega Head in Sonoma County Surveyors use 7–10 power binocu- organisms; assist sanctuary management and Año Nuevo State Reserve on the San lars to identify and count live birds and in the early detection of natural and Mateo/Santa Cruz County line (Figure marine mammals which pass within 90 human-caused environmental events; 1). From September 1993 through Sep- m landward and seaward of the beach, develop a network of volunteer expert tember 2004, 6419 surveys were com- as well as marine mammals that can surveyors who can respond during an pleted, monitoring 14,405 km of coast- be identified beyond 90 m. Animals oil spill; and educate the public about line. In 2004, ninety-two volunteers that cannot be identified to species are the coastal environment and how they conducted 771 surveys of 1,657 km of recorded to the nearest positively identifi- can make a difference in protecting their shoreline. To compare data among dif- able taxonomic grouping. beaches. ferent parts of the coastline, numbers of Beach Watch is now part of the dead and live vertebrates are quantified BENEFITS Sanctuary Ecosystem Assessment Sur- as encounter rates (i.e. number of birds Coastal surveys of live and dead veys (SEAS), a suite of monitoring per kilometer surveyed). birds and marine mammals are benefi- programs in the GFNMS. Other efforts The Beach Watch volunteers attend cial to sanctuary management. Consis- in SEAS include monitoring of the 80 hours of classroom and fieldwork tently gathered beached vertebrate data shoreline, intertidal, and pelagic habi- training. Surveys are conducted by teams from the shoreline of the sanctuary pro- tats, and collecting environmental data of one to four surveyors. Along each vide baseline species mortality rates for on physical oceanography as correlated beach segment, live birds and marine a large geographical area. Standardized with marine vertebrate and invertebrate mammals are censused, dead vertebrates beach surveys can detect oil and tarball abundance. Together, these assessments are documented, human and dog activity events. Unusual mortality events can be are designed to provide an overview of is recorded, and data are collected on detected, pinpointed, and their magni- ecosystem health and status to sanctu- oil and tarball presence, wrack, inver- tude evaluated. Live bird and mammal ary management to assist in resource tebrates, and stream and lagoon status counts reveal changes in beach usage protection. The goal of SEAS is to link (Roletto et al. 2005). Surveyors search over time. Live and dead vertebrate all of the monitoring data collected by the beach in a zigzag pattern, combing data can be compared to reveal trends the sanctuary and provide biological through wrack for beached specimens. and patterns. observational data and habitat charac- Data collected on each beached specimen Beach Watch surveys have been used

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 2 ARTICLE - Beach Watch surveys

of live fulmars at sea (Harvey et al. 2004, R. Stallcup pers. comm. 2004), perhaps indicating lack of food in the Gulf of Alaska and a displacement of the popula- tion to offshore California waters. A similar link between rates of beached bird deposition and encounter rates of live birds was observed at Francis Beach, designated Beach 4–05, a survey segment in Half Moon Bay State Park in San Mateo County (Figure 1). Beginning in January 2003, surveyors documented higher than normal numbers of dead A gulls. This elevated mortality rate lasted through April 2003 and occurred again in the winter and spring months of 2004. The mean monthly encounter rate of dead gulls during the mortality event peaked during the month of March at 0.34 gulls encountered per km, compared to previ- ous years (1996–2002), in which the monthly mean encounter rate in March was 0.01 gulls per km (Figure 3). During the 2003–2004 mortality events on Francis Beach, the majority of the beached gulls found in the peak N die-off months of January–April were Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glauce- scens) (Figure 4). The average March encounter rate of dead Glaucous-winged Gulls for the two years was 0.21 birds per km (65.5% of all dead gulls encoun- tered), compared with Western Gulls Fi g u r e 1. Map of locations of beach segments monitored by Beach Watch. (Larus occidentalis) at 0.08 birds per km (24.5% of all dead gulls encountered) to discover oil and tarball events, assess an unusual number of Northern Fulmars (Figure 4). The species composition of their damage, and contribute data for the (Fulmarus glacialis) were found beached dead gulls changed seasonally (Figure selection and scaling of restoration proj- from Oregon down to Southern Califor- 4). Glaucous-winged Gulls migrate out ects. Regular baseline data of beached nia (Harvey et al. 2004). This pattern of of the Gulf of the Farallones during the birds can provide historic mortality rates deposition rates reflected a winter irrup- upwelling season (NOAA 2003), and in and known species composition which tion of fulmars through the central and September and October there is an annual can be compared to the species beached northern California region (Harvey et al. die-off of recently fledged Western Gulls during oil spills. Oil spills and tarball 2004, NOAA 2003). Annually, Beach in central California (Page et al. 1982). events can be clearly demarcated because Watch data show a slight to moderate The peak in counts of all dead gull of the low background level of beached increase in mortality from November species on Francis Beach mirrors live oiled birds in the sanctuary (Roletto et through March as Northern Fulmars counts seasonally and annually. This al. 2003). Surveyors are trained in oil migrate to the Gulf of the Farallones to beach has historically been a roosting site and tarball documentation, which allows feed. In November 2003, the dead fulmar for large numbers of gulls in the winter, them to respond quickly during an oil encounter rate peaked at 5.04 fulmars with a maximum mean encounter rate spill event. encountered per km (Figure 2), a fourfold of 26.3 live gulls per km during Janu- Standardized beached bird sur- increase over any previous year. The sud- ary in 1996–2004. The presence of the veys reveal patterns of bird mortality den die-off in Northern Fulmars, as seen convergence of two fresh water streams in coastal areas (Page et al. 1982). For in higher numbers of beached fulmars, and a nearby landfill may attract gulls example, in the winter of 2003–2004, occurred at the same time as high counts to this beach. Similar to the numbers

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 3 ARTICLE - Beach Watch surveys

Fi g u r e 2. Mean encounter rate of dead Northern Fulmars for all beaches for the sequential months of Beach Watch, Sep 1993–Sep 2004. Fi g u r e 3. Mean monthly encounter rate of dead gulls on Francis Beach (Beach 4–05, Half Moon Bay), Jun 1996–Sep 2004. Data were not collected Apr¬–Nov 2000, Nov 2001–Aug 2002, and Dec 2003.

Fi g u r e 4. Mean monthly encounter rate for dead gulls on Francis Fi g u r e 5. Mean monthly encounter rate of live gulls on Francis Beach (Beach 4–05, Half Moon Bay), Jan 2003–Sep 2004. Data Beach (Beach 4-05, Half Moon Bay), Jun 1996–Sep 2004. Data were not collected in Dec 2003. were not collected Apr–Nov 2000, Nov 2001–Aug 2002, and Dec 2003. of dead gulls encountered, the numbers After the die-off was detected, fresh different age classes showed that the of live gulls increased during January– and unscavenged specimens were col- majority of beached gulls were first year March 2003–2004 (Figure 5). Numbers lected by surveyors on Francis Beach (hatch year) birds. In 2004, 54.2% of the of live gulls encountered were highest in in 2004 and 2005 so that California dead Western Gulls were first year birds January, with a mean monthly encounter Department of Fish and Game wildlife and 31.3% were adults. A larger percent- rate of 67.4 gulls per km (Figure 5). veterinarians could determine the cause age of the beached Glaucous-winged The pattern of gull deaths mirrors the of death. The sample is presented in Gulls were first-year birds, 79.6%, while seasonality of live sightings, which can Table 1. Necropsy revealed that eight out 9.1% were adults. In 2003, the age and be seen in Beach Watch data. Again, as of nine gulls died because of emaciation species breakdowns were similar. It is with the Northern Fulmars, the number and secondary respiratory disease caused suspected that immature, inexperienced of beached birds is correlated with the by the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. An gulls found it more difficult to find abundance of live birds. analysis of the Beach Watch data for the enough food to sustain health and thus

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 4 ARTICLE - Beach Watch surveys were attracted to the nearby landfill. the coastline is financially prohibitive. and intertidal habitats throughout the A debilitated state can cause a higher Volunteers are able to provide govern- sanctuary. SEAS monitoring programs susceptibility to the respiratory fungal mental and non-profit organizations the assess abundance and distribution pat- disease aspergillosis, the spores of which data needed to effectively manage natural terns and link habitat quality parameters. occur in decaying vegetation (D. Jessup, resources. Beach Watch volunteers con- The sanctuary is developing an offshore pers. comm. 2005). Alternatively, the age tribute over $150,000 worth of volunteer monitoring program to assess occurrence ratio detected on beach surveys simply hours annually. Volunteer monitoring patterns of vertebrates using standardized reflects that found in offshore waters. programs are a cost-effective method to at-sea methodology. This will enable While volunteers are surveying a collect data sets (Goffredo et al. 2004). Beach Watch to determine how beach beach, it is valuable for them to count live The majority of Beach Watch sur- deposition rates of each species, as well birds and marine mammals. Although not veys are conducted by highly trained as age classes within species, compare a population assessment, this live count volunteers from the general public. Vol- to those found offshore. We can, in turn, is useful as a species index. Live bird and unteers do more than collect and provide infer whether a perceived mortality mammal data can provide known loca- data. Volunteers get to know their stretch event simply reflects higher abundance tions of threatened and endangered spe- of coastline, which allows them to detect offshore, or has an environmental or cies to better direct resource protection unusual sightings or events. Although the epidemiological component. efforts during oil spills. Documentation main goal of Beach Watch is to collect Beach Watch data will be dissemi- of visitor and dog activity can provide data, a secondary goal is to connect with nated in a variety of ways to increase the insight into human and bird interac- the public by providing an opportunity to accessibility of the database. All SEAS tions, such as analyzing the effect of become sanctuary stewards. Sanctuary data sets will be available to regional high visitor use on the number of live citizen-scientists help protect beaches marine research and integrated ocean shorebirds. and their transitory and resident verte- observing systems, such as the Central The majority of beached bird pro- brate populations through direct outreach and Northern California Integrated grams collect only dead vertebrate data. to the public and through the provision of Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS) The Beach Watch program and the Sea- local expertise to managers. Beach Watch from Point Conception, California to bird Ecological Assessment Network thereby develops sanctuary stewards by Oregon. CeNCOOS is a marine research (SEANET) on the east coast, which was allowing the public to take an active role consortium consisting of public and established in 2002, also include live in environmental protection. private institutions in the central and bird counts (Harris et al. 2005). Given northern regions of the California coast. the relationship between beached and INTO THE FUTURE The Beach Watch database now allows live counts, and the increasing numbers Beach Watch will continue long- for easy access to the live and dead verte- of coastal residents and recreationalists term monitoring with increased fre- brate data through a suite of standardized (Heim 1998), future research should quency as part of the overall Sanctuary queries. This database is available to the examine the relationship between these Ecosystem Assessment Surveys (SEAS). public on a computer workstation at the three classes of variables. SEAS will incorporate data sets from a GFNMS headquarters, and will be avail- Using paid staff to regularly survey suite of surveys in the coastal, pelagic, able online by the end of 2008.

Ta b l e 1. Results for dead gulls collected on Francis Beach (Beach 4–05, Half Moon Bay), necropsied by California Depart- ment of Fish and Game.

Date of Necropsy Species Age Sex Cause of death

10 Feb 2004 Western Gull Hatch year Female Aspergillosis/Emaciation 10 Feb 2004 Western Gull Hatch year Female Aspergillosis/Emaciation 10 Feb 2004 Western Gull Hatch year Female Aspergillosis/Emaciation 10 Feb 2004 Western Gull Hatch year Male Aspergillosis/Pneumonia 10 Feb 2004 Western Gull Hatch year Female Aspergillosis 14 Jan 2005 Glaucous-winged Gull Immature Female Emaciation/Aspergillosis 1 Feb 2005 Western Gull Adult Female Emaciation/Aspergillosis 1 Feb 2005 Glaucous-winged Gull Adult Female Gastointestinal problem 1 Feb 2005 Western Gull Adult Male Aspergillosis/Emaciation

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 5 ARTICLE - Beach Watch surveys

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Abstract, Pacific Seabird Group, 32nd of evaluating natural and human caused We thank all of the dedicated Beach Annual Meeting, Portland, OR. http:// seabird mortality. Unpublished report, Watch volunteers, past and present, who www.pacificseabirdgroup.org Point Reyes Bird Observatory, Stinson have tirelessly walked their beaches to Harvey, J., H. Nevins, S. Hatch, J. Adams, Beach, CA. For the U.S. Department provide this data. Thank you to Rich J. Hill, J. Amers, J. Parkin, K. Newton, of Energy, report number CX No. DE- J. Roletto, J. Mortenson, J. Hall, and T. AC03-79EV10254. Stallcup for identifying and aging every Hass. 2004. An Unusual Mortality of Roletto, J., S. Lyday, and D. Devlin.. 2005. dead bird slide for the past 12 years. Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis). Beach Watch Manual. Gulf of the Faral- Thank you to the office volunteers who Abstract, Pacific Seabird Group, 31st lones National Marine Sanctuary, Fort have helped catalog slides and check Annual Meeing, La Paz, Baja California Mason, Bldg 201, San Francisco, CA. data, especially Emma Moore and Mar- Sur, México. http://www.pacificsea- Roletto, J., J. Mortenson, I. Harrald, J. Hall, guerite Finney. Thank you to Jim Ferlin birdgroup.org and L. Grella. 2003. Beached bird surveys for making the data readily available Heim, M. 1998. County population projec- and chronic oil pollution in Central Cali- through his Access interfaces. We are ap- tions with race/ethnic detail. California fornia. Mar. Ornithol. 31:21-28. preciative of the editors and their helpful Department of Finance, Sacramento, comments, especially Jennifer Saltzman CA. Shannon Lyday, Farallones Marine and Peter Pyle. NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmo- Sanctuary Association, P.O. Box spheric Administration), National Centers 29386, San Francisco, CA 94129, for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCO). REFERENCES USA; [email protected] 2003. A biogeographic assessment off Goffredo, S., C. Piccinetti, and F. Zaccanti. Jan Roletto, Gulf of the Faral- North/Central California: To support 2004. Volunteers in Marine Conservation lones National Marine Sanctu- Monitoring: a study of the distribution the Joint Management Plan Review for Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones, and ary, Fort Mason, Building 201, of seahorses carried out in collaboration San Francisco, CA 94123, USA with recreational scuba divers. Conserv. Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuar- and Far- Biol. 18 (6):1492-1503. ies: Phase 1 – marine fishes, birds, and Joe Mortenson Jamie Hall, Harris, R., F. Tseng, M. Pokras, and S. mammals. Unpubl. Rep., Biogeography allones Marine Sanctuary As- Newman. 2005. The Seabird Ecologi- Team, NCCO and National Marine Sanc- sociation, P.O. Box 29386, San cal Assessment Network (SEANET): tuary Program, Silver Spring, MD. Francisco, CA 94129, USA citizen scientist and veterinary student Page, G.W., L.E. Stenzel, and D.G. Ainley involvement in beached-bird surveys. 1982. Beached bird carcasses as a means [This is a peer-reviewed paper]

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 6 FORUM

The Forum section gives PSG members a place to express their opinions on topics of concern to the group. Viewpoints published here belong to the individual writers and do not represent PSG policy. Another viewpoint on the issue discussed below appeared in Pacific Seabirds for Fall 2006.

A MORE FOCUSED ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGREDATION Steve Hampton The views expressed here are solely those of the author.

Several organizations of profession- Consumption refers to both goods with different solutions and policy pre- al biologists, from The Wildlife Society and services. Economic growth, as a scriptions. Simply calling for an end to to the Pacific Seabird Group (PSG), have public policy, is not a well-defined pro- economic growth will not address the recently found themselves confronted by gram; it is simply a goal. Like capitalism, specific problems. Arguably, a cessation calls to address global economic issues it may occur without any government of growth could lead to greater poverty associated with environmental degrada- policy or promotion (or in spite of it) and environmental harm. tion. Specifically, it has been suggested whenever two individuals make a trade that these organizations adopt a policy and each believes they are better off. II. MARKET FAILURES IN THE statement that “economic growth” is Economic growth enables people to rise WEALTHY NATIONS out of poverty and to consume more fundamentally at odds with environmen- In wealthy nations, population is goods and services. Such growth is a tal protection. The statements go on to relatively stable but consumption is goal of every nation, ideally achieved suggest that governments should adopt increasing. This has resulted in exploita- with population steady and per capita macroeconomic policies that promote a tion and pollution of natural resources. consumption rising. Achieving this goal “steady state economy” without growth. These are market failures. Two of the is not always easy and regularly eludes This paper addresses this debate. Part I most common market failures that oc- policy-makers (e.g. in times of recession; challenges this premise as overly vague cur in growing economies are: 1) pil- throughout many of the world’s poor na- and general by providing a more detailed lage of the commons; and 2) negative tions). Moreover, environmental degra- examination of the components of eco- externalities. dation occurs just as often, perhaps more nomic growth. Part II focuses the discus- Pillage of the commons occurs when often, in poor nations without economic sion on specific economic problems that an individual or company seeks to over- growth as well as in wealthy nations dur- result in environmental harm in wealthy exploit an open-access resource for per- ing times of recession. nations, and identifies specific policies sonal gain, often as quickly as possible Focusing on the equation for eco- that address these problems. Part III before competitors arrive to share in the nomic growth, it is easy to imagine how does the same for poor nations. Part IV plunder. A classic example of this is the either booming populations or consump- concludes and suggests that PSG adopt historical egging industry on the Farallon tion can lead to environmental harm. In an environmental code of ethics consis- Islands in the 1800s, which devastated today’s divided world of rich and poor tent with these concerns. the colonies of Common Murres (Uria societies, the different components of aalge) there. the growth equation are displayed in I. ECONOMIC GROWTH Negative externalities are side ef- stark relief. Populations are relatively fects of an economic activity that result in Economic growth may be measured steady in wealthy nations, but per capita harm to others. Environmental examples in many ways, but is typically an increase consumption is high and increasing. The would include oil spills and accidental rat in “gross domestic product” (GDP). It situation is reversed in poor nations, introductions as a result of modern oil has two multiplicative components as where per capita consumption is much extraction and shipping, seabird bycatch seen in the equation below: lower and often not increasing, while as a result of long-line fishing, global populations are rising quickly. Envi- warming as a result of fossil fuel use, Economic Growth = ronmental harm occurs in both contexts, the destruction of grebe nests as a result Per Capita Consumption x Population. but for very different reasons, and thus of recreational watercraft, or the loss of

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 7 FORUM a seabird colony as a result of human III. UNSUSTAINABLE RE- free up hundreds of billions of dollars development, whether it be a hotel or SOURCE USE IN THE POOR annually for education and other ser- a fishing camp. In these examples, the NATIONS vices, or fairer trade, may simultaneously producers and consumers are interested In poor nations, consumption is contribute to seabird colony protection in impoverished nations. in other goods and services and may care often relatively flat (or even declining) little about the birds, even though others but population is increasing. The mar- IV. OUR NEXT STEP in society may care a great deal. Unless ket failures described above may exist. they are constrained or made to pay for Indeed, pillage of the commons and Whether it be against unrestrained these injuries, they have no incentive to negative externalities are often worse consumption in the United States, or alter their behavior. than in wealthy nations, as impover- exploitation in Africa, PSG and other The standard solution to these mar- ished governments are hard-pressed to associations of professional biologists ket failures is government intervention, restrict exploitation, either because they are well positioned to address these either by direct regulation or by taxes cannot enforce laws or are unwilling to problems. We come largely from the or subsidies that alter the incentives of increase costs for an industry. The pri- wealthy nations. That is where greater producers and/or consumers. Examples mary problem in poor nations, however, government regulation is needed, and include hunting regulations, pollution is that impoverished individuals may be that is where debt relief and improved terms of trade with poor nations must control measures, and restrictions on making rational decisions to exploit their come from. Rather than focusing on public access to seabird nesting islands. own privately-held resources. economic growth in general, I suggest Truly functioning markets that protect One out of every six people on the our efforts be targeted at specific mar- the interests of society require such earth lives in extreme poverty. Faced ket failures, urging our governments to intervention to constrain or to alter the with a daily struggle to meet basic food needs, they are essentially cashing in the force private individuals and companies incentives of private individuals, who to respect the larger interests of society. may seek to over-exploit or pollute for earth now in order to stay alive. The re- sult is degradation on an equally or more To address the exploitation associated personal gain. Economic growth can with poverty, I suggest we also join the and does occur when these market fail- massive scale than what a First World company could do. The most common calls for Third World debt relief, an end ures are corrected. Moreover, in such example is the massive deforestation and to extreme poverty, and support for the contexts, economic activities that might United Nation’s Millennium Develop- habitat destruction that arises from the rely on the otherwise injured or depleted ment Goals. need for wood for cooking fuel and land resources become sustainable, while the Finally, PSG could set an example to plant crops. The denuded landscape larger interests of society are protected. by simultaneously restricting our own of Haiti, whose border with the more The Farallones are now protected and consumption. We can pledge to avoid forested Dominican Republic is easily eggs come from chicken farms. In New fish species associated with bycatch and seen from space, provides the most dra- Zealand, Maoris regulate themselves perhaps even build in a budget for car- matic example of the close relationship bon offsets into every research proposal, regarding the sustainable harvest of between poverty and environmental making travel to distant seabird islands Sooty Shearwater chicks. All new oil destruction. In this context, seabird carbon-neutral. In this way, we would be tankers are now double-hulled. Com- colonies are viewed as opportunities for applying the true social cost of our fuel mercial anglers in Alaska are required a protein windfall, not resources to be use as we seek to study and protect sea- to alter their fishing methods. These sustainably managed. Seabird colonies birds. We can start making a difference measures may involve extra expense or around the world are threatened by ex- while waiting for government to act. cost short-term economic gains, but they ploitation by the desperate poor; many reflect the overall desires of society and are already extirpated. In a discouraging Steve Hampton, Ph.D. incorporate society’s wishes to protect positive feedback loop, such poverty these resources from unsustainable Resource Economist leads to larger family size, which further Office of Spill Prevention and Re- exploitation or degradation. While the fuels the cycle. sponse price of oil or fish may rise as a result The obvious solution here is, ironi- California Dept of Fish and Game of such new regulations, the higher cost cally, economic growth and the elimina- PO Box 944209 more closely reflects the true social cost tion of extreme poverty. Measures such Sacramento, CA 94244-2090 of producing the product. as Third World debt relief, which would [email protected]

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 8 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Pacific Seabird Group occasionally honors outstanding contributors to seabird science and conservation with Lifetime Achievement or Special Achievement Awards. At the 34th Annual Meeting on 10 February 2007, PSG honored two outstanding people: Michael P. Harris for Lifetime Achievement and Edward F. Melvin for Special Achievement. Our tribute to Mike Harris follows; that to Ed Melvin will be printed in a following issue.

MICHAEL P. HARRIS Scott A. Hatch

In the sciences, the measure of one’s career is based in large part on the legacy of published research products one leaves in the wake of a life spent in pursuit of original knowledge. But there is another dimension, less tangible or quantifiable—namely, the influence exerted on the lives and works of others in the same discipline—which has the potential to multiply one’s impact many- fold. Perhaps the best way I can describe this latter effect in the case of M.P. Harris is by way of a personal anecdote. When I was just getting started in seabird research in the mid 1970s, working as a new and inexperienced graduate student on the Semidi Islands in Alaska, I spent a fair amount of time Mike Harris reaching down a seabird burrow around 1964… in camp during slow or rainy periods reading papers on seabirds—just about …and in 2004 anything and everything I could get my hands on. I was a tabula rasa when it came to seabird science, and certainly I had not yet contributed anything to the field myself. So I was actively in search of role models. At that time, my reading included multiple papers and/or books by a num- ber of authors who came to constitute in my mind a sort of pantheon of sages and luminaries in the world of seabird biology. Even now, a few names come readily to mind: L.E. Richdale, D.L. Serventy, M.P. Harris, J.C. Coulson, N.P. Ashmole, C.M. Perrins, R.M. Lockley, V.C. Wynne-Edwards, W.R.P. Bourne, J.B. Nelson, among others.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 9 LIFETIME ACHIEVENMENT AWARD - M.P. Harris gulls, shearwaters, oystercatchers, storm petrels, albatross, tropicbirds, flightless cormorants, etc. murres, kittiwakes, puffins, puffins shags, razorbills

6 EGI NC/ITE/CEH (Skomer/ (St. Kilda/Isle of May) Skolkhom/ “Retirement” 20 Galapagos) 5

4 15

3

10 d

e 2 h d s i e l h b s i l 5 u

b Primary author p u Papers per year 1 p s

r s r e

e Sole author Running average p p a a 0 P P 0 4 7 4 7 0 3 6 9 2 5 8 1 9 2 5 8 1 2 5 8 1 4 1 4 7 0 3 6 9 7 9 2 5 8 0 0 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 0 5 6 6 6 7 9 9 9 0 0 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 0 5 6 6 6 0 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 9 9 9 9 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1

Year Year

Fi g u r e 1. A lifetime of sustained output—the publishing history of Fi g u r e 2. M.P. Harris demonstrates consistent leadership in the M.P. Harris. (Acronyms are defined in the text.) publication of research findings.

There were a couple of things that muttering to myself the question, “Who 1985, when he and Sarah Wanless visited impressed me about this cadre of seabird is this guy?” Alaska on a sightseeing excursion, and gurus. First, they all seemed to be sub- As time went on and I was privileged my boss at the time, Cal Lensink, was jects of the British Crown. Second, they to travel to meetings, at which some kind enough to introduce us. My recol- seemed not to have any given names, of the people on my A-list of personal lection is that we all went for a day trip only initials. That oddity, of course, only heroes happened to be present, I was by car on the Kenai Peninsula south of tended to enhance the aura these people able gradually to decode some of the Anchorage, and it was a great thrill for assumed in the minds of those of us who mysterious initials, putting not only me to make the personal acquaintance. read all the papers and books and, natu- faces, but also first names together with All these years later, myself having rally, wondered what their authors might the surnames. This always felt like a sort somehow survived in the seabird busi- be like in person. For me, one name on of mini career achievement of my own ness, it is personally gratifying to record, the list stood out in relief—M.P. Harris. when I was able to do it. I felt more and on behalf of the Pacific Seabird Group, I kept a little 3-by-5 card file at more like I was part of the “in-crowd” a few notes pertinent to the Group’s the time to index all the papers I had perhaps, because I knew that J.B. Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, so richly accumulated—sorted alphabetically, and was Bryan Nelson, J.C. Coulson was deserved by a colleague whose initials, usually carrying little notes on content actually John Coulson, W.R.P. Bourne of all things—but more importantly, once I had read them. Regrettably, this was Bill Bourne, C.M. Perrins was whose life’s work—made such a lasting was not a discipline I maintained for Christopher Perrins (probably “Chris” impression on me during my early, most many years, and today the mere existence to most who knew him—still Christo- formative years as a professional. of a 3 by 5 card file seems quaint. pher to me—but this, nevertheless, was Mike Harris spent his own forma- Nevertheless I still have the thing in my progress). And so it went, although I tive years in Wales, completing both office, and when I consulted it recently I must admit there are still some on that his undergraduate and graduate work found that I had already in those years— early list of heroes whose initials I have at the University College of Wales in the mid 1970s—no fewer than 18 papers not yet decoded. Swansea. His external examiner for the by M.P. Harris—more I think than any I do not recall exactly when I was PhD degree, conferred in 1962, was other single author. Of course I learned able to decode the “M” in M.P. Harris to none other than David Lack—so we see subsequently that the 18 papers at issue Michael—and then, better still, to just at once that Mike has a solid academic were in fact just a fraction of what M.P. “Mike” (as in “Hey, Mike, good to see pedigree. Lack apparently was impressed Harris had produced already by that point you again, how’s it going?”)—but surely enough with the scientific aptitude of the in his career. Like Butch Cassidy and the that was a wondrous thing. I know the young M.P. Harris that he brought him Sundance Kid, I found myself repeatedly first time I met Mike in person was in to the Edward Grey Institute at Oxford

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 10 LIFETIME ACHIEVENMENT AWARD - M.P. Harris

University (EGI), where Mike stayed, or residing in Edinburgh for a brief time, at least remained affiliated, for the next then landing a position with what was ten years. He worked under two post- then the Nature Conservancy (NC; later doctoral research fellowships while at to be called the Institute of Terrestr.ial the Edward Grey Institute. The first was Ecology [ITE], and later still the Centre an assignment to study the seabirds on for Ecology and Hydrology [CEH]). In the Pembrokeshire islands of Skomer particular, he moved into that agency’s and Skolkholm, and in particular to re- Banchory field station, a few kilometers vitalize the work on Manx Shearwaters from Aberdeen. (Puffinus puffinus) that had been started At the outset, Mike’s marching there by R.M. Lockley in the 1930s. The orders in his new job were to investigate second post-doctoral position took him the pattern and causes of a steep Katie O’Reilly gives Lifetime Achievement to the Galapagos Islands, where he was decline in numbers of Atlantic Puffins Award to Mike Harris. charged with investigating the ecology of (Fratercula arctica) on the west coast Mike a foothold on that wonderful little storm petrels, of which three species bred of Scotland. He chose to do this through island in the Firth of Forth, close to his in the islands, including the uniquely a comparative study of the species at home, easy of access, and rich in seabird diurnal Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel, St. Kilda, representing the west coast, life. The work on the Isle of May has Oceanodroma tethys. In addition to doing and the population on the Isle of May continued uninterrupted to the present a characteristically thorough job on the on Scotland’s southeast coast, where day. Over the years, Mike progressively storm-petrel project, Mike also studied puffins were increasing in number. and published extensively on a number Mike conducted his characteristically added more species to the core program of other seabirds in the Galapagos, in- ground-breaking work on puffins with of monitoring and research on the Isle cluding Waved Albatross (Phoebastria great thoroughness and skill, publishing of May, including Kittiwakes (Rissa irrorata), tropicbirds (Phaethon spp.), many papers in a series that continues tridactyla), Common Murres (Uria flightless cormorants (Phalacrocorax up to the present time, and resulting in aalge), Shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), harrisi), and others, and in 1975 he pub- the definitive monographic treatment and Razorbills (Alca torda). lished the first complete field guide to all of Atlantic Puffins, a book published in A defining characteristic of the birds of the Galapagos Islands. 1984, titled simply and appropriately, Mike’s career has been his exceptional There was a lot of shuttling between “The Puffin.” productivity of high-quality published the Galapagos and Britain during those The decision to go to the Isle of May products from his research. He lives by a years, 1963 to 1972, but finally in 1972 in the early 1970s proved in retrospect credo which, in his own words, states that Mike moved back to Britain to stay, to be a momentous one, because it gave the publication of one’s research findings is an obligation, not an option. It is not feasible to review here in even a cursory manner all of Mike’s published findings, Ibis but a few metadata may convey a sense Bird Study British Birds of how Mike has conducted his career Atlantic Seabirds according to his convictions. J. Avian Biol. Waterbirds Scottish Birds J. Anim. Ecol. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. J. Zool (Lond) Breeding Biology Condor Diets & Feeding Biol. Conserv. Pop. Dyn./Demogr. J. Appl. Ecol. Ring. & Migr. Status, Trends, Conserv. Auk Species Accounts Ardea Methods Nature in Wales “Other”: Anim. Behav. Ringing & Migr. Parasitology Biometrics J. Field Ornithol. Func. Ecol. Behavior ICES J. Mar. Sci. J. Exp. Biol. Parasites/Disease Mar. Biol. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. Contam./Physiol. Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinb. Beh. Ecol. Sociobiol. Timing of Breeding Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria etc., etc. Bull. Brit. Ant. Surv. Mar. Ecol./Fish Sula Inverts./Passerines Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. Book chapters 30 At-Sea J. Exp. Biol. Books 2 Others (21 titles) 0 10 20 30 40 50 0 10 20 30 40 Papers/journal Number of papers

Fi g u r e 3. Many of the world’s leading biological journals have Fi g u r e 4. The research interests of M.P. Harris run the gamut of published the work of M.P. Harris since 1959. potential topics in the population ecology of seabirds.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 11 LIFETIME ACHIEVENMENT AWARD - M.P. Harris

100 our profession— In a recent biographical sketch that the rate at which John Croxall and Sarah Wanless prepared

80 senior-authored pa- on the occasion of Mike’s receiving the pers have appeared Godman-Salvin medal of the British has remained high, Ornithologists’ Union (Ibis 148:591-592, 60 at 3 to 5 papers per 2006), the authors expound his extraor- year, sustained over dinary productivity, of course. But they

40 a period of about 45 also reveal the surprising fact That Mike years. (quoting here) “hates to write.” Thus, I

e s Mike publish- might summarize all this by noting that,

a g 20 p es mainly in high- for someone who hates to write, 11,000 e d quality, high-impact pages of manuscript is an astonishing

P r i n t 0 journals (Figure 3). display of self-discipline. 8 5 2 9 6 3 0 7 4 1 7 4 1 8 5 2 9 9 9 9 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 0 0 0 6 6 6 5 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 9 9 9 9 Over the years, he These days, Mike freely expresses 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 has favored with his personal debt to Sarah Wanless, who Year his work the pages is not only the wise choice he made as Fi g u r e 5. The formidible output of M.P. Harris—a seabird scien- of The Ibis more a life partner, but who has also been tist who “hates to write.” consistently than an invaluable partner in research— any other journal, particularly on the Isle of May, where For starters, I plotted the number of but there is scarcely a notable journal Sarah’s work, in conjunction with Mike papers published by M.P. Harris in each that might conceivably publish the results and others, is continuing the long tradi- year from 1959 to the present time, and of seabird research that has not accepted tion of a steady stream of high-quality smoothed the plot a little by computing and published one or more of Mike’s publications on seabird biology. Upon the 5-year running average (Figure 1). papers—many of them 5, 10, or more of his retirement in 1999, Mike officially We see that Mike’s productivity has his contributions. passed the baton for leadership of this basically increased steadily over his As to the breadth of Mike’s inter- group and their continuing efforts on the career, starting at a “mere” 3 papers or ests in seabirds and his contributions Isle of May to Sarah. I think Mike would so per year and climbing to anywhere to our understanding of them, he has agree readily that the scope of his lifetime from 5 to 10 contributions a year, with been solidly grounded in what I would achievement includes not only his large notable spikes, such as the 18 papers that characterize as the “Big 3” of colony- personal contribution of research find- appeared with Mike’s name on them in based seabird research—breeding biol- ings, but also his vision and realization 1997. But, alas, notice how dramatically ogy (with more than 40 papers), diets of a unique research station that no doubt Mike’s influence has declined since his and feeding ecology (with close to 40 will foment seminal research on oceanic retirement in 1999, with only 5 to 10 pa- papers), and population dynamics and birds and their environment for many, pers published annually since then—but demography, also with nearly 40 papers many years—truly the kind of gift that including, admittedly, 5 papers already (Figure.4) . keeps on giving. published or in press in the first half of A final bit of quantitative work on It is interesting to juxtapose two pic- 2007. Mike’s publication record shows the tures, taken about 40 years apart, showing All kidding aside, the total of Mike’s number of printed pages (again, as a the young Mike Harris, and the young-at- publications—counting journal articles, 5-year running average) that have ap- heart Mike Harris, with his arm down a book chapters and so on—now exceeds peared under M.P. Harris’s byline an- seabird hole on a Scottish isle. One has 260. And there have been a couple of nually since 1959 (Figure 5). Again, we to wonder how many seabirds saw those books thrown in for good measure. Most find a distinctly increasing trend over the same terrible fingers approaching them at impressive, to say the least. course of the career, with the running one time or another in the interim. And Lest one imagine that all this pro- average generally falling in the range of the peril has not passed—in winter 2007 ductivity has somehow resulted from rid- 20 to 80 or 90 printed pages a year. Mike could be found preparing, eagerly ing on the coattails of others, note that, on The total of all that comes to some- and impatiently, for yet another season the contrary, Mike has been the senior or thing over 2300 printed pages in journal amidst the heather, the ocean, and the sole author of a very large percentage of articles, book chapters, and so on, plus birds on the Isle of May. all the works that bear his name (Figure two books, which brings the overall to- It is with great admiration and pride 2). The plots are both running averages, tal to nearly 2700 printed pages. In the that the members of the Pacific Seabird and we see that while the number of publishing business, about one printed Group confer the society’s Lifetime sole authorships has declined over the page is planned for every four pages of Achievement Award on Michael P. Har- latter half of Mike’s career—consistent manuscript. So the 2700 printed pages ris, a founding member of PSG, and with the tendency toward collabora- represents something on the order of a continuing inspiration to seabird re- tion and teamwork in field research in 11,000 manuscript pages. searchers, young and old, worldwide.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 12 OBITUARY

JAMES O. KEITH Daniel W. Anderson

James O. Keith, longtime PSG Was it this life-long mischievous nature member, died on 30 May 2006 at his of Jim’s that nearly always endeared home in Centennial, Colorado after a him to people he met for the first time— long bout with pulmonary fibrosis. except perhaps for Berniece right at the Jim was born on 20 March 1932 beginning? Not always, because those in Pasadena, California. He married whom Bad Jimmy did not like—such as Berniece Schultz in Tulare, California in blustery, know-it-all bureaucrats, “sell- 1949, and stayed married until his death. out” scientists, or lying politicians from Berniece and Jim had five children: Ed- his adult life—got the message from his ward, Paul, Joan, Ellen, and Ann. Sadly, wonderful sense of humor, but also his Paul and Joan predeceased him. dead-serious attitude about things that Jim graduated from Cathedral High really mattered in life, that one had bet- School in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1949. ter always strive to be on his good side. He received a BA in Zoology from And with Berniece, “Bad Jimmy” soon the University of California, Berkeley wore off anyway, and a marriage that in 1953; an MS from the University endured Bad Jimmy’s antics lasted over of Arizona in Tucson, working on the fifty years. ecology of Abert’s squirrels, Sciurus In fact, I only now call him “Bad aberti; and a PhD in 1978 from the Ohio Jim” because we teased him about it all Jim on Brown Pelican survey, Isla San Fran- State University in Columbus, where he the time (as he teased back). He was cisco, Gulf of California. (Others on cruise studied contaminant/food interactions in proud of the “handle,” and everybody were Dan Anderson, Ken Briggs, and Ron California Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus knew it was used only as an oxymo- Cole.) 26 April 1982 occidentalis californicus) and Ringed ron among his friends and colleagues. large cabrilla that were there, and next Turtle Doves (Streptopelia risoria). Jim Shucks, he called me “Tidy Two Shoes” day, they promptly came over and fished was employed by the U.S. Forest Service because I had to have the boat clean it out. Radio-tagged pelicans also each from 1956 to 1961 and by the U.S. Fish and orderly all the time; I couldn’t help got an individual name; Sunday’s Gal and Wildlife Service (USFWS) from myself. But how many times did Bad was Jim’s favorite. He started it all. 1961 to 1989, when he retired. He was Jimmy come along behind me as I dili- Importantly, it was Jim and Berniece an expert natural historian, ecologist, gently scrubbed the decks of the boat? who helped make me want a family. For ecotoxicologist, and wildlife manage- He would drop some food or kick some example, when I first went to Mexico ment specialist. Jim produced over 50 dirt onto my clean surfaces and look up at with Jim in 1971, on one occasion we publications during his career, some me with this same grin of his, as if to say: somehow ended up in Bahía de Kino, of them becoming “classics.” But this Lighten up and enjoy the journey, not just Sonora, with most of his family. (All doesn’t say anything about Jim Keith as the destination. Anybody and everybody were there but Ed, including giggly little a person and a friend. who came with us into the Sea of Cortez Annie, serious/contemplative Ellen, and A long time ago in Tulare, Jim Keith (or any of our other study sites) got a easy-going Paul—they were all differ- told me more than once about how his nickname (and still gets one). Various ent.) We were camped in the trailer park younger charms had wooed away one of places on the islands also received our near the Kino Motel, a favorite hangout this little town’s best-looking and most personal touches: Jim’s Beach, Ander- of the gringo campers. Jim and Berniece talented young ladies. But in fact, as son’s Uplands, Dez’s Uplands, Zig-Zag welcomed me in like a family member. Berniece tells the story, it was she who Canyon, Kirke’s Beach, Rod’s Rocks, Drinking beer, soon I found myself fac- first called him “Bad Jimmy.” This was Covelett, Cobblestone Beach, Lost Basin, ing a group of four or five mean-looking because, as a sixth-grader and new arrival Cholla Basin, Big Cactus Basin, Lost rednecks from Oklahoma, and drunker in town, Jimmy Keith pestered her and Basin, Downtown, Suburbia, and many and rowdier than us. We had all been tricked her into giving him bike rides others. And Fishing Rocks—this was attracted to the noise when we saw while he held onto her waist, probably Jim’s favorite place, until we foolishly these big mean guys harassing a skinny, with this “Jim Keith grin” on his face. told some local fishermen about the many hippy-looking kid of about 14, whose

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 13 OBITUARY - Jim Keith

I came to consider Jim as one of the “heirs-apparent” for future USFWS di- rectorship or other high-level leadership. There was good reason for this; Jim was a rising star in the USFWS when I first met him. In that regard, I had also frequently admired Jim’s fearlessness and frank honesty in speaking out at meetings with his superiors (always truthfully, as there was never any “BS” in anything he did professionally; Jim Keith was the “real item”). Of course, some of his superiors didn’t like it, but I hoped that eventually a lot of this truth and bravado would rub off on me. To heck with the superiors! I remember one instance when Jim had turned down an opportunity to move up in the bureaucracy. (I think it was to go to Washington, D.C. to head up some big program). Using his type of outspo- Dinner on stern of Pelícano Uno, anchored off Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, in a wind kenness myself, I scolded Jim when he storm. 14 March 1973. turned down this opportunity (as I saw it). But Jim scolded me right back: parents were a couple tents down the line night, too. It was getting to know Jim’s “Listen Dan, dammit, I could go but were apparently afraid to come out family, I think, that made me realize this on to become a bureaucrat, and when to defend their son. Well, these redneck was the only way to live a life. Many of I eventually retire, they will give me a cowards were acting tough and ganging my scientific colleagues were so intense nice watch with a nice engraving on the up on this kid. The kid was scared as hell in their scientific pursuits that it domi- back; I will put it into my pocket, tell and didn’t have a chance against them. I nated every moment of their lives. That everybody thank you, and then walk out. looked at Paul, Jim’s youngest son; Paul could have been me, too, but for Jim and Everybody will soon forget who I was. looked at me as I decided to walk over Berniece. Since then, we’ve shared ex- But if I continue on as a scientist, I will and defend that kid. Jim said, “Be care- periences with each other’s families; and publish my work. If it is good, it will be ful, I am not coming over to pick you up that was Jim’s most important role to me there for all time.” when they knock you on your ass.” But as a lifelong mentor: making me realize How many stories could I tell? Well, stupidly, I walked over there anyway and that family always comes first. many. But most important, we’ve come told them to quit. They stood up and all Then Berniece also reminded me safely through a lot of really bad weather faced me directly, scowling; it looked recently that it had worked both ways. in the Sea of Cortez together, too. Lots of like I was in for a beating perhaps or at Just a couple of years ago, Jim was antici- that weather was of the kind that people least a little kick in the ass like Jim had pating attending an important scientific do not come home from (and a lot of warned. I know I was thinking “Oh-oh, meeting; but to do it, he would have to kayakers, fishermen, and even some I am in for it; I’m alone.” But I looked postpone his 50th wedding anniversary. scientists didn’t come home from it). But right behind me and there stood big old Turning Jim’s own philosophy around we always made it. I especially remem- Paul, all of 16 years old, but ready to help this time, I told him: “Get your butt home ber one instance early on, when Jim got me take them on, no fear whatsoever. The for that anniversary.” He went home for antsy while we waited for a windstorm to rednecks backed down, the kid was left the anniversary. subside in Bahía de los Angeles. This was alone to scurry away back to his parents, Then there was Jim’s professional late 1972, and a combination south plus and soon I was back with Jim drinking scientific mentoring, no less important east wind was blowing hard. (When the the beer he handed me as I returned. to me. After working with Jim in the south winds get really bad, the locals call I knew then, however, that anybody field for many years, I came to regard them the Chubascos; and Jim’s advice for who had a brave son like Paul had to be him as one of (if not THE) very best of any bad wind was always duck into some a good parent. Yes, Berniece always had our scientists and field biologists in eco- safe cove and wait it out.) This time, a lot to do with it, too. Those lucky kids toxicology. Jim was a genuine original wind was whipping up “white horses” had great folks! The rednecks stayed thinker. As a new, green scientist in the (large, wild whitecaps) on top of six- to quiet and sheepish for the rest of the USFWS, and as I got to know the agency, eight-foot rollers. But also this time, Jim

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 14 OBITUARY - Jim Keith had forgotten his own advice and gotten los Angeles or someplace else, planning was playing. Soon he returns with a new, impatient when we had to wait around so and scheming our next moves. Jim leaned nicer necklace. He presents it to Katie long. This day he just couldn’t take it any over and quietly encouraged me: “Dam- with a smile. Now how could you think more, because he had recently arrived on mit, I am glad you turned her around, I he was Bad Jimmy? Katie talks about this a long trip from Denver, and he wanted to didn’t like it out there at all.” incident to this day at twenty-six. get to the islands. But Rod DeWeese and And the only time I recall where Jim Yes, “Bad Jim” lived up to his en- I had been in the Gulf of California for and I might have come to some disagree- dearing nature. Five or six years ago, my about four weeks already and had been ment were the kinds of times, right up teenage daughters Helen and Katie spent fighting those damned winds (from one to our last trip to the Sea of Cortez in some time with Jim and me, Eduardo direction or another) most of the time— 2002, where we debated who was going Palacios, and others in Bahía de los An- we wanted no more of them. The Oestes to be the “boss” this time. But we always geles at Tony Resendiz’s Campo Arche- were really the worst winds, and even worked it out, and once it was decided, lon. It was one of our favorite places, and Antero Diaz (the “king” of the Cortez) there was never any more argument. It Tony was (and still is) one of our best feared them. Jim and I, and others, had was: “Okay, Jim, you are in charge to- mutual friends. Jorge Mendoza might had our share of Oestes as well. day,” or “Okay, Dan, you are in charge have been there, too, but I don’t remem- But back to that day. At that stage of today.” No more problems: “Let’s get out ber any more (I hate getting old!). Jim my own career, I was still in awe of Jim and get some science done.” was in camp relaxing with the girls one and not wanting to challenge his author- I would sum up Jim’s mentoring afternoon, walking around in his sandals. ity. So I relented, we packed the boat, with an old term that has been tossed The girls looked at his feet and said, “Jim, and we headed south for San Lorenzo, around a lot amongst biologists (I don’t those feet look awful, let’s fix ’em up.” right into the winds. Antero was leaving, know the originator, but what the heck, For the next hour or so, there the three too, in his 90-foot San Augustine, and the it might have been Jim himself—he sure sat, Jim leaning back, drinking the beers waves were rocking him around as well. practiced it): Be firm, but gentle. It’s ap- I carried to him, with his feet up on the The three of us in Pelícano (all of 20 feet plicable to the handling of animals, peo- table, and Katie and Helen each giving long) were following Antero and trying ple, and equipment (maybe spouses, too). one of Jim’s feet a pedicure. The rest of to get some relief in his wake—it wasn’t Bad Jim always had fun doing research, the week, Jim walked around camp with working. Pelícano was rolling up, down, always; just like me. That was something pretty red-polished nails. and sideways in the waves, an occasional about each of us that we shared. He loved El Niño was also a big part of our wave almost breaking over the bow and ten-foot waves with “white horses” and research. But during such an event, the spraying us all until we were soaked. We he loved dead-calm waters, wandering marine ecosystem in the Gulf of Califor- were wet, cold, and miserable, and we the desert identifying plants and animals, nia just “shuts down,” so there isn’t much got about as far as the channel between talking about his work and the work of work to do regarding Brown Pelican Isla Cabeza de Caballo and Islas los others, as well as the ramifications of it nesting and productivity—few birds, few Hermanitos, taking a beating all the way. all in the bigger view, always in a person- nests, few young—a 3-day survey turns We were about to enter the “open water able way. I saw Bad Jimmy angry, but I into a half-day survey or less. Thus we country” of the Canal de los Ballenas, never saw him unfair. did a lot of sitting around at camp dur- with thousands of “white horses” coming I remember the first PSG meeting ing the 1998 El Niño, so much, in fact, up from the south. that was held in La Paz, Baja Califor- that Tony Resendiz temporarily changed About that time, and quite uncom- nia, México, the 1986 Annual Meeting. the name of our research project from fortable with the situation, I recalled Our then 6-year-old daughter, Katie, “Pelican Research Project” to “Beerlican something Jim had told me before: The nervously engaged in a little rock and captain of the boat always makes the final roll with Jim at one of the local bars one decisions. I looked him straight in the eye night, while we were dining and partying and said: “I don’t want to risk this any after the meetings. On one of the spins, more and I am the captain; we’re going Jim’s finger accidentally caught Katie’s back.” Bad Jim (I was thinking “You got brand new Mexican necklace, ripped it me into this”) nodded his head “yes” off her neck, and scattered beads all over without an argument, and we turned the floor. Other people dancing around around. It was an easy journey back with the two were tripping on the beads and following waves, but nobody spoke until Katie was devastated and cried loudly we had the boat safely anchored out in for a few minutes. Next thing you know, front of Casa Diaz. As usual (and to our Jim disappears and we go on with our Jim setting a time-lapse camera to record last days together), we sat around and eating and drinking, still listening to that brown pelican behavior, Isla Animas, 20 May drank a few beers, safe back in Bahía de crazy Mexican rock and roll music that 1980. By Dan Anderson.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 15 OBITUARY - Jim Keith

Project.” time, I intended to return from Mexico than 20 minutes before I broke it, in defi- I could tell many more “Bad Jimmy” with an expensive and exotic bottle of ance of the still-blowing strong Oeste. A stories, but I’ll stop here. In fact, I only Cuban rum (“Havana Club, siete años 60-mph gust of wind at Smith Island had retain that nickname because Jim liked it añejo”), smuggle it into the U.S., and ripped my boat off its two anchors in pitch so much himself. Last spring, when Jim make a visit to Denver in August to sip darkness and blown it onto these rocks. was getting sicker (more than I could this fine rum with Jim, perhaps for one Ultimately the boat was saved; but when imagine), he advised me once again. He last time. a very unseasonable Oeste had blown like told me that he had decided to only drink But even that was not to be. In fact, this all the night before, and so strongly, the very best of his favorite liquors: “No one day in late May at Bahía de los Ange- it just felt as if something was terribly more of that cheap stuff for me.” At the les, I returned from the islands with a first- wrong, somewhere. And it was. Jim died second PSG meeting in La Paz, in 2004, time-in-my-life disaster—a compound on 30 May 2006. I will raise my glass of we had shared a $100-dollar bottle of dislocation of my middle left finger. That Cuban rum to you, Bad Jim, because you Scotch whiskey that was a gift to me from was the same finger I had raised to the certainly made my life much richer. Mike Harris; and it had been fun. This sky from a small offshore rock, no more

Jim Keith with colleagues on Isla Animas (San Lorenzo Norte), Gulf of California, Mexico: celebrating Jorge Mendoza’s birthday after a day-long pelican and peregrine census. From left to right: Jorge, Dan Anderson, Ed Keith (Jim’s son), Jim, and Renato Mendoza. 21 May 1980. By Dan Anderson.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 16 CONSERVATION REPORT Compiled by Craig Harrison

A Seabird Hero: Maui U.S. Fisheries Act Now Improved Prospects Man Saves a Seabird Emphasizes Seabird for Hawaiian Petrel? Colony Conservation It was recently discovered that a For most of his 74 years, Isao The US Congress reauthorized the previously little-known population of Nakagawa considered Hawea Point, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conserva- a federally endangered Hawaiian Petrel Maui, as simply a good place to catch tion and Management Act, the US’s (Pterodroma sandwichensis) is actually bait fish. About seven years ago, he key legislation for conservation and abundant on the forested slopes of the discovered 22 dead Wedge-tailed management of its fisheries, in De- island of Lanai, Hawaii. A team of re- Shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus) that cember 2006. Thanks to the American searchers, headed by Jay Penniman of the had been killed by feral cats or dogs. Bird Conservancy’s intensive lobbying State of Hawaii Department of Natural Resources and the University of Hawaii He was inspired to launch a one-man for the past several years, the statute Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, reports campaign to remove predators from the for the first time directly references that the population is larger than anyone area to protect shearwaters that come seabird interactions with fisheries. had previously expected. Some estimate ashore in late March and April to nest Congressional staff have stated that that the Lanai population may contain in burrows. In 2005, 127 fledglings no other organization worked on the as many as 5000 birds, which would far were banded, and his efforts have addition of seabird language to the exceed the 1200 petrels estimated to nest inspired volunteers to adopt Wedge- act. The amended statute includes at the other major site in Haleakala Crater tailed Shearwater colonies elsewhere provisions for incentive programs that on Maui. The Lanai population could be on Maui. While most of Hawaii’s may be established by regional fishery more accurately assessed in the future Wedge-tailed Shearwaters nest in the management councils in their Fish- using radar techniques. Northwestern Islands, several colonies ery Management Plans (FMPs). The The history of the Lanai population can still be found in the main islands, goal of incentives would be to reduce is a puzzle. Around 1900, the eminent where they are vulnerable to attack fishery-seabird interactions, bycatch ornithologist George Munro could by dogs, cats, mongooses (Herpestes rates, total bycatch, and post-release not find any petrels there, but tapes of javanicus) and rats (Rattus sp.). The mortality in fisheries. The revisions vocalizations made in 1968 suggest a 275 burrows at Hawea Point represent also emphasize coordination to provide population level that may have been the largest of seven known colonies information to fishery participants, similar to the present one. The popula- on Maui. Shearwaters were scarce on including outreach to industry on new tion has benefited from the eradication the island before Nakagawa began technologies and methods; projects that of feral goats in 1982, which preserved his work, due largely to predation by would mitigate for seabird mortality; and restored their habitat on Lanai. After cats, both feral and domestic. In addi- and actions at appropriate international the goats were removed, the uluhe fern tion, fishermen, campers, and hikers fishery organizations to reduce seabird (false staghorn; Dicranopteris linearis) brought their vehicles into the area and interactions in those fisheries. Finally, association in which the petrels nest let their dogs run loose. Eventually the the statute now requires annual reports began recovering. owners of the land where the colony is to Congress that must describe funding, Lanai has little urbanization and no located deeded an easement to the Maui gear technology developments, and light pollution. There also are no intro- Open Space Trust, and the area is now improvements in bycatch reduction, as duced mongooses (Herpestes javanicus) managed by the Maui Coastal Land well as proposals to address remaining or pigs on Lanai, but feral Axis (Cervus Trust. Nakagawa arranged for barri- bycatch or seabird interaction prob- axis) deer have begun to range on the ers to keep vehicles out and for signs lems. One option for NOAA Fisheries steep cloud-forest slopes of Lanaihale advising people to keep their dogs on to consider when implementing this where the nesting Hawaiian Petrels were leashes during the nesting season. He program is further development of the found. For the past 40 years, much of the still checks the traps daily, turning over regional bycatch teams through which colony seems to have persisted without captured felines to the Maui Humane its National Bycatch Strategy is being human assistance, and it has not been Society, and spreads rat poison. implemented. hurt by cats. However, the extremely

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 17 Conservation Report invasive plant strawberry guava (Psidium tribe must devise a management plan in considered since 1996 to be critical habi- cattleianum) is making inroads, and parts coordination with state and federal agen- tat for Marbled Murrelets, a threatened of the colony have been lost, although cies. Initially, 514 ha will be devoted to species under the Endangered Species slopes of healthy uluhe remain. Straw- murrelet habitat, as restoration for those Act (ESA). No marine areas are cur- berry guava could eventually destroy the killed by the oil spill. The management rently designated or being proposed for nesting habitat if appropriate actions such goal is that two-thirds of the property designation, because USFWS is unable as biocontrol are not taken. The owner of will contain suitable nesting habitat and to define specific areas that are essential the property, Castle & Cooke, has begun be protected. A core area of about 970 ha for conservation of the species. Of the to fence the watershed to keep ungulates will be managed specifically as habitat, 3.6 million acres (1.45 million ha) in out, and the team led by Penniman is while the rest of the land will serve as California, Oregon and Washington that are currently critical habitat, 3.37 mil- trapping cats and eliminating introduced buffer property that may be logged as lion acres (1.36 million ha) would be barn owls (Tyto alba). long as disturbances of the birds are excluded because those areas are already Satellite tracking by a multi-agency minimized. protected under the existing Northwest and university group has yielded another PSG objected to several aspects of Forest Plan, state and tribal management major discovery: Hawaiian Petrels feed the draft conservation easement, includ- plans, or habitat conservation plans. An thousands of miles from Hawaii. The ing the plan for no long-term protection additional 1.6 million acres (650,000 birds are flying to the Aleutian Islands of occupied habitat (murrelet habitat ha) were considered but not included in during the chick-rearing period—9000 to would be logged when “new” habitat the proposal because USFWS believes 13,000 km on a round-trip feeding run. became available, although there was the areas are being managed to meet no provision for a guarantee of murrelet the needs of Marbled Murrelets. These use). In response, the trustees stated that include federal wilderness areas, tribal the draft conservation easement was conservation easements, and state and strengthened to require comprehensive national parks. Of the 222,000 acres New Carissa Oil short- and long-term monitoring de- (89,000 ha) still listed as critical habitat Spill Funds Protect signed to quantify Marbled Murrelet use. under the proposal, 54,000 acres (22,000 Marbled Murrelet In addition, the trustees responded that ha) would be newly designated. If the any tree cutting in the highest protection proposed exclusions are finalized, the final critical habitat designation will The New Carissa sank near Coos areas must occur outside the breeding season, and the land cannot be sold to include about 112,000 acres (45,300 ha) Bay, Oregon, in 1999. It spilled about in California; 83,000 acres (33,600 ha) in 100,000 gallons of fuel, killing 262 a third party without approval by the trustees. Within the buffer protection Oregon; and 27,000 acres (10,900 ha) in threatened Marbled Murrelets (Brachy- areas, any tree cutting occurring must Washington. Most of the critical habitat ramphus marmoratus) and over 2000 minimize or avoid disturbance to mur- would be land owned by cities, coun- other seabirds. In 2004 the owner of the ties or states (80%), with the remainder relets. The conservation easement now ship paid $10.5 million for cleanup and owned by the private sector (19%) or the also contains an extensive list of activi- restoration, about $4 million of which federal government (1%). The proposed ties that are prohibited on the property was earmarked to create Marbled Mur- critical habitat is comprised of lands to minimize disturbance to murrelets. relet habitat (Pacific Seabirds 32:16, not covered by a management plan that PSG will monitor management of this 2005). In July 2007, the natural resources provides protection to Marbled Murrelets property to ensure the management plan trustees announced the acquisition of a and their habitat. truly provides for long-term protection conservation easement over 1569 ha of USFWS believes that the vari- of murrelets and their habitat. forested land for the Marbled Murrelets ous management plans in the Pacific and other forest species. The $15 mil- Northwest already provide protection for murrelet habitat, and that these plans lion purchase price was supplemented make the designation of critical habitat by about $10 million of federal oil-spill redundant. (However, the federal Bureau trust funds. USFWS Proposes to of Land Management is now proposing The land was transferred from pri- Shrink Critical to remove all habitat protections in west- vate timber companies to the Confederat- Habitat for Marbled ern Oregon under the Northwest Forest ed Tribe of Siletz Indians to be managed Plan). USFWS says the current proposal as a habitat for murrelets. While the tribe Murrelets recognizes the value of conservation will be allowed to continue commercial efforts, and that it encourages landown- logging on about one-third of the proper- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ers and organizations to continue these ty, the intent is to secure nesting grounds (USFWS) proposed in September 2006 endeavors for long-term environmental for the threatened birds in perpetuity. The to remove 95% of the area that has been benefits.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 18 Conservation Report

The USFWS proposal designates increase murrelet reproduction, the forest The report said that the declines only those areas of suitable habitat known landscape and its surroundings must be were estimated for various sites over to be occupied by Marbled Murrelets protected to provide large, contiguous essentially the entire northern range of and to contain features essential to the blocks of suitable nesting habitat. the species, and it raised concerns about species’ survival. Under the ESA, areas PSG emphasized that the Marbled the species’ status. It found that part, but designated as “critical habitat” contain Murrelet was listed in 1992 primarily not all, of the declines were accounted for resources essential for the conservation because of significant losses of nesting by human causes such as logging, habitat of a species that is listed as threatened or habitat through logging and develop- fragmentation, oil spills, and bycatch in endangered, and the areas may require ment in coastal forests of Washington, gillnets. It is likely that a combination of special management considerations. A Oregon, and California. An objective these factors, together with changes in designation does not set up a preserve of the Marbled Murrelet recovery plan the prey base, has led to the continued or refuge and has no specific regulatory is to stabilize the population at or near decline of murrelets in Alaska and Brit- impact on landowner actions on non- current levels by maintaining and/or in- ish Columbia. federal land, unless the actions involve creasing productivity and removing and/ The report also tied part of the federal funds, authorization, or permits. or minimizing threats to survivorship. Alaska population to birds in Califor- However, landowners must avoid actions PSG noted that the amount of murrelet nia, which has been a key argument for on their property that could harm or kill nesting habitat has continued to decline American Forest Resources Council and protected species or destroy their habitat, since 1992 and about 10% of suitable other groups arguing for its delisting. The unless they first obtain a permit, regard- nesting habitat was lost between 1992 study placed the birds in three groups ge- less of whether critical habitat has been and 2003. PSG concluded that reducing netically: central California; the western designated. USFWS believes that the the amount of critical habitat is inadvis- and central Aleutian Islands of Alaska; designation of critical habitat provides able at this time, considering the current and the rest of the Aleutians combined little additional protection to most listed status of the population and threats posed with south and southeast Alaska, British species, while preventing the Service to the population. Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and from using its scarce funds and person- northern California. nel for activities that would have greater The American Forest Resources conservation benefits. The agency says Council responded that the report con- that in almost all cases, recovery of listed tains a lot of good news, including that species has come through voluntary Survey Finds Cause For timber harvesting is not the main source cooperative partnerships, not regulatory Concern IN Marbled of population fluctuations. It asked how measures such as critical habitat. Murrelet’s Decline a population that still has hundreds of In November 2006, PSG filed com- thousands of the birds along the Pacific ments with USFWS objecting to the A population status review by the Coast be listed as threatened. agency’s proposal. PSG addressed the U.S. Geological Survey has revealed a The full report, “Status Reivew of current status of murrelet populations 70% decline in Marbled Murrelets in the Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus and their suitable habitat, in addition Alaska and British Columbia during the marmoratus) in Alaska and British Co- to the importance of critical habitat. last 25 years. USFWS decided in 2006 lumbia,” can be seen at http://pubs.usgs. PSG also urged USFWS to reconsider to request the review of the murrelet’s gov/of/2006/1387/ the inclusion of critical marine forag- status under the ESA, in response to a ing habitats that are necessary for the lawsuit from the timber industry. The species survival. PSG noted that the proposal to remove the bird from the list murrelet population of Washington, of threatened species hinged on grouping Oregon, and California is estimated to the smaller Pacific Northwest population Are Ivory Gulls be 22,000 birds. Population modeling with the supposedly more robust popu- Endangered? indicates that this population will be lations in Canada and Alaska (Pacific extinct in Oregon and California within Seabirds 32:57-58, 2005). Ivory Gulls (Pagophila eburnea) 100 years, unless there are changes in the The status review took a compre- may be endangered due to global warm- amount and quality of nesting habitat and hensive look at population surveys in ing. Apparently the wholesale retreat of in demographic trends. Low fecundity Alaska and British Columbia. It found ocean pack ice from shore is a threat to levels imply that this population cannot that murrelet populations in Alaska have a species that depends entirely on edges currently maintain itself. A high rate of dropped from an estimated one million of sea ice to find food. Moreover, the dis- nest failure is caused primarily by nest birds less than two decades ago to about appearance of natural barriers that keep predation, which in turn is affected by 270,000 birds today. The review esti- Ivory Gulls safe at their inland breed- forest fragmentation and proximity to mated there are about 54,000 to 92,000 ing sites seems to be a problem. Their human development. Thus, in order to birds in British Columbia, and that they isolated inland nesting havens—usually diminish the threat of nest predation and have experienced similar declines. outcroppings of barren rock surrounded

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 19 Conservation Report by ice and snow—can no longer keep boldt (S. humboldti), White-flippered anchored in Long Beach harbor, Cali- such predators as arctic foxes (Alopex (Eudyptula albosignata albosignata), fornia, was destroyed when one of the lagopus) away. Ivory Gulls breed on and Yellow-eyed (Megadyptes antipo- barges was towed to another location. remote islands and in coastal zones of des) Penguins. The agency said that the The colony, which numbered up to 1,000 Canada, Greenland, Norway and Rus- petition did not contain substantial in- pairs, was unusual in this area. One of the sia. In the early 1970s, aerial surveys formation to indicate that listing may be barges was towed to Santa Barbara for a of wintering habitats in Canada and warranted for the Snares Crested Penguin Fourth of July fireworks show, but was Greenland indicated as many as 35,000 (Eudyptes robustus) or the Royal Pen- forced by the U.S. Coast Guard to return birds. Recent surveys suggest that the guin (E. schlegeli). to port because its permits were not in population has dropped dramatically. USFWS will take public comment order. After the barge was towed away, Eastern Canadian populations may have on the penguins and should decide within over 400 dead tern chicks were found dropped by 75 percent from 1993, and a year whether or not to formally propose washed ashore along with 23 live birds. by 85 percent since the 1980s, when the a threatened or endangered listing. The Upon the barge’s return the International Canadian population was thought to be agency is asking for information on the Bird Rescue Research Center says that about 2400 birds. The latest Canadian penguins, the effects of climate change it was “absolutely clean” of bird drop- Wildlife Service survey found only 200 on the species, and information on other pings while the barge that remained was Ivory Gulls. In 2006, the World Conser- threats, such as commercial fishing. cleared of birds. vation Union designated the Ivory Gull The California Department of Fish as near-threatened, and Canada listed the and Game and USFWS investigated to bird as a species of special concern under determine if there were any violations its Species at Risk Act. of law. In January 2007 the agencies Progress in Longline forwarded the results of a seven-month Fisheries Deterrence investigation to the Long Beach City at- torney’s office for criminal prosecution. in the Pacific In late May 2007, three tugboat operators U.S. May List 10 Penguin were accused of intentionally destroying In December 2006 the Western and Species As Endangered the young terns and were charged with Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, a seven misdemeanor counts, including regional fisheries management organiza- animal cruelty. If the men are convicted, In July 2007, the USFWS deter- tion that controls fishing in international mined that listing “may be warranted” they will face up to a year in jail for each waters, adopted new measures to prevent for ten penguin species in South America, count. The attorney for the defendants the incidental take of seabirds by longline southern Africa and Antarctica. The stated that his clients “had no ill will” fishing vessels in the Pacific. This is the agency initiated a formal status review, and inadvertently scared the birds off a first tuna commission to make use of at the first step in the process of listing. barge they had intended to tow to Santa least two deterrent measures to prevent The Center for Biological Diversity had Barbara. He stated that the men did not seabird bycatch. The new rules will apply petitioned to list 12 penguin species, use high-pressure hoses to spray the nest- to all vessels fishing in “albatross wa- arguing that their polar habitat is shrink- ing birds from the barge. The trial has not ters”— those above 23˚ north or below ing due to global climate change. In its yet taken place. petition, the center said industrial fishing 30˚ south latitude. The introduction of the During summer 2007, about 250 and climate change have led to declines new rules will be staggered. Small ves- Caspian Terns nested and raised chicks in penguin species across the Southern sels in the South Pacific, where Taiwan on the deck of the Arctic Challenger, Hemisphere. Krill (Euphausiidae), one operates about 1000 small vessels, do not a 300-foot icebreaker barge anchored of the penguins’ main sources of food, have to comply with the new rules until off the shores of Long Beach. This is a has declined severely. December 2009. different barge than where the incident USFWS stated that the petition occurred in 2006, and the owner prom- included substantial scientific or com- ised not to disturb the boat until the birds mercial information indicating listing migrate later this summer. This was the third time in three years that Caspian may be warranted for 10 penguins: Criminal Charges Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri), South- Terns have established a nesting presence ern Rockhopper (Eudyptes chrysocome Filed In Death of 400 in San Pedro Bay, apparently drawn to chrysocome), Northern Rockhopper Terns the bay by schools of anchovies. Barges (E. c. moseleyi), Fiordland Crested offer relative isolation from predators (E. pachyrhynchus), Erect-crested (E. In June 2006, a colony of Caspian and human populations and the harbor sclateri), Macaroni (E. chrysolophus), and Elegant Terns (Sterna caspia and is near long-established nesting sites at African (Spheniscus demersus), Hum- Thalasseus elegans) on two barges Bolsa Chica State Beach.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 20 Conservation Report

Chevron Abandons abandoning the project. There is specula- USFWS estimates there are 16,500 Yel- Coronado LNG Project tion that the plan was no longer feasible low-Billed Loons in the world, including for business reasons, because Sempra 3700 to 4900 that breed in Alaska. More Energy LNG and Shell International Gas than 75% of Alaskan breeders nest in In March 2007, the Chevron Corpo- Ltd. were cooperating to build a compet- the petroleum reserve. Smaller numbers ration abandoned plans to build a $650 ing LNG terminal at Costa Azul, 22 km breed on the Seward Peninsula and St. million liquefied natural gas (LNG) north of Ensenada, México. receiving terminal near the Coronado Lawrence Island. [See also “Committee Islands in northern Baja California, Méx- Reports,” page 32] ico. PSG and other conservation groups had objected to the facility because of probable impacts on Xantus’s Murrelet Black-footed (Synthliboramphus hypoleucus) and five other seabirds listed as threatened Albatross in Canada Caspian Tern Update or endangered in México and/or the US (Pacific Seabirds 31:6-7, 2004). The Canada’s Committee on the Status In November 2006 the USFWS pub- company withdrew the three key Mexi- of Endangered Wildlife has assessed the lished its Record of Decision on manage- can permits that were required to develop Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria ni- ment of Caspian Terns (Sterna caspia) in the project. gripes) as a species of “Special Concern the Columbia River estuary. PSG filed Despite ongoing opposition to the in Canada.” This committee is the inde- comments with federal agencies con- terminal since it was proposed in 2003, pendent scientific body that determines cerning the issues to be addressed in the Chevron said the decision was based on species status in Canada. After the initial environmental impact statement (EIS) its business needs. Chevron decided to assessment, any species that has been (Pacific Seabirds 30:11-12, 2003) and ship the natural gas from its Greater Gor- identified as “at risk” is reviewed by on the draft environmental impact state- gon gas fields off northwest Australia to government for formal listing under the ment (Pacific Seabirds 31:51-52, 2004). Japan instead of to the Coronado Islands. Species at Risk Act. A decision whether Under the terms of the settlement in a law Initially, Chevron designed its facility for to list the Black-footed Albatross will suit brought by conservation groups, the the offshore islands because residents likely be made by 2008. Although Ca- Final EIS and Record of Decision were to and environmentalists objected to plans nadian waters represent only a small be completed by February 2005. While proportion of the species’ range, listing by other companies to build LNG ter- the federal government did not meet the would be a formal recognition of the fact minals on the coast. The southernmost schedule, the terns were not harmed by that Canada is one of the countries with of the islands was to have served as a the delay. Caspian Terns on East Sand responsibility for it. breakwater for a 980-foot-long concrete Island continue to do well, with 9201 island with two regasification plants, breeding pairs in 2006, near the peak storage tanks, a heliport, and a dock. count of 2003. The sharp growth in the About four LNG tankers would have colony that was projected in the EIS has berthed at the plant each week. not occurred. Opponents of the facility petitioned USFWS to Consider The major change in the final EIS the Commission for Environmental Protection Status Of is that new habitat for tern nesting at Cooperation, an agency created by the Yellow-Billed Loon Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge North American Free Trade Agreement has been eliminated from the document, to study environmental issues (Pacific In June 2007, the USFWS an- due to objections by the National Marine Seabirds 32:15-16, 2005). In February, nounced that it is considering giving the Secretariat of the Commission for Fisheries Service. To compensate for Yellow-Billed Loons (Gavia adamsii) loss of this proposed new colony site, Environmental Cooperation recom- protected status under the Endangered mended an investigation into whether the tern numbers and habitat area have been Species Act. The agency made the de- Mexican government followed its own adjusted upward for East Sand Island. cision to seek public comment on the environmental laws in issuing permits USFWS originally wanted to reduce the status of the bird following a petition to Chevron for the Coronado project. numbers of Caspian Terns at East Sand Specifically, they called for examination submitted to it three years ago by several Island to 2500 to 3125 pairs. The Army of whether the government correctly environmental groups. The groups argue Corps of Engineers (COE) prepares habi- analyzed alternatives to the project, the that the species’ breeding habitat in the tat for the terns on East Sand Island each impacts of the terminal on endangered National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska spring, currently treating 2.4 ha. Tern species, or the cumulative effects on is under threat from increased oil and numbers on the island will be reduced the Coronados ecosystem. It is unclear natural gas drilling. Following a 90-day by preparation of a smaller habitat area. whether this recommendation lead to public comment period, USFWS may USFWS originally proposed to reduce the Chevron’s announcement that it was issue a proposed rule to protect the loons. prepared habitat to 0.4–1 ha. However,

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 21 Conservation Report the agency has now boosted the number Seabirds 27:65, 2000; Pacific Seabirds (about 18% of state waters in that area). of terns to 3125–4375, and 0.6–0.8 ha of 30:12, 2003). The designation significantly increases habitat will be prepared. During recent The full EIS can be seen at www. the protection that marine life in each years the terns have been using about fws.gov/pacific/migratorybirds/CATE. area receives, including long-term safe 1.8 ha of the 2.4 ha prepared for them. htm havens for various species of fish and No lethal control will be authorized to other marine life. The program was de- achieve the desired numbers. signed to improve conservation of marine Caspian Tern nesting sites that will resources for their long-term sustainable be established or expanded include two use, while also enhancing outdoor recre- in San Francisco Bay, about 960 km Successful Rat ation and ocean research opportunities from East Sand Island: the Don Ed- Project in the Bonin along the coast. wards National Wildlife Refuge (0.2 to Islands The network of marine protected 0.4 ha; about 3000 terns), and Hayward areas includes: (1) 15 State Marine Con- Regional Shoreline (0.2 ha; about 3000 Tatsuo Yabe, a rodent ecologist servation Areas, which limit recreational terns). If these sites attract terns within with Rat Control Consulting in Japan, and commercial fishing; (2) 13 State Ma- three years, a third San Francisco Bay has eradicated roof rats (Rattus rattus) rine Reserves, where no take is allowed; site (0.4 ha on Brooks Island) would not and (3) one State Marine Recreational on a 49-ha island, Nishijima, in the be enhanced. Other sites where the agen- Managed Area, where recreational fish- Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands. His group cies hope to attract nesting terns include ing is limited or restricted. Ninety per- distributed diphacinone rodenticides three in central Oregon: Fern Ridge (0.4 cent of the central coast remains open to on the island in March 2007, and then ha), Summer Lake (0.6 ha) and Crump fishing. A main goal of the Marine Life Lake (0.4 ha). No sites are chosen in checked the results in April and early Protection Act is to utilize the protected Washington State. There is supposed to September by setting live traps and ob- areas as research sites where scientists be a 2:1 ratio for replacement habitat—2 serving rat sign. They could not find any can gain a greater understanding of Cali- ha are to be established for each hectare signs of living rats. They will check again fornia’s marine and coastal environment, lost on East Sand Island. If more habitat in October and hope then to be able to including interactions by animals and is established later, the habitat and num- declare their success publicly. plants where human disturbance is low or ber of terns at the East Sand Island could The group set about 800 bait boxes, absent. The second phase of the initiative, decrease further. which were made from plastic T-joints of covering the North Central Coast region While the redistribution of the terns pipes to prevent hermit crabs (Paguroi- from San Mateo County to Mendocino is expected to be completed between dea) from entering. The bait boxes were County, is underway. 2010 and 2015, it is uncertain when set all over the island at 25 m intervals. For more information see www.dfg. the project will be begin. The COE is Once the rats are eradicated, ecosystem ca.gov/mlpa. responsible for the estimated $2.4 mil- recovery will be monitored by ornitholo- lion in first-year construction and habitat gists, entomologists and plant ecologists. enhancement costs. Congress did not Yabe found that the food for the rats was appropriate funds for alternative nesting in short supply in February and March, Marine Reserves In habitat in 2007, so the COE prepared 2.4 which made that season the best time to ha of habitat on East Sand Island again, conduct the eradication campaign. Oregon as it has done for many years. Until Con- PSG wrote to Oregon’s Ocean gress appropriates funds, 2.4 ha of habitat Policy Advisory Council in April 2007 will be prepared each year, because new to support the establishment of a system habitat must be established before the of marine reserves in Oregon’s coastal habitat on East Sand Island decreases. California’s Marine waters, and urged that the council rec- In addition, USFWS is responsible for Life Protection Act ognize the importance of certain areas population monitoring, which is esti- Launched of the ocean for marine birds. PSG noted mated to cost from $100,000 to $269,000 that marine birds are top predators and a year. USFWS already has a network in In September 2007, California’s require healthy stocks of forage fish place reporting on tern numbers on East Marine Life Protection Act went into and invertebrates for their continued Sand and Crescent Islands. effect in the law’s Central Coast Region, success, but that these resources are The COE still owns East Sand from Santa Barbara County to San Ma- patchily distributed and are strongly Island, despite PSG’s advocating for teo County. The central region will be influenced by oceanographic features. at least seven years that it be placed composed of 29 marine protected areas, In particular, PSG pointed to three at-sea in a National Wildlife Refuge (Pacific representing approximately 530 km2 areas in Oregon that are outstanding in

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 22 Conservation Report their importance for foraging sea birds: thanked PSG for our views on the im- to make a profit on trips to the remote Astoria Canyon, Heceta/Stonewall Banks, portance of seabirds in planning marine atoll (Pacific Seabirds 29:10-11, 2002). and Cape Blanco/Port Orford Reef. PSG reserves. He pledged to give thoughtful USFWS is working on a draft plan and emphasized the limited information on use consideration to areas around major may start a regularly scheduled visitor of at-sea areas by marine birds, noting the seabird areas as potential candidate sites program that would probably accom- inability of scientists to adequately explain for the state’s limited system of reserves. modate about 30 visitors at a time. The the current die-off of puffins and auklets He noted that the governor’s office had public can currently only get to the island off Oregon’s coast. PSG also noted that already indicated a desire that the council by boarding a cruise from Asia, hitching Oregon’s three federal wildlife refuges work closely with USFWS in planning a ride with resident government workers, (Oregon Islands, Cape Meares, and Three marine reserves in Oregon. or volunteering for three months of en- Arch Rocks) protect the nesting sites of vironmental duty. Midway, located 2000 birds but have no jurisdiction over the sur- km northwest of Honolulu, is at the tip of rounding ocean habitat. Marine reserves the new Northwestern Hawaiian Islands near those refuges seem to be opportunities Visits to Midway Atoll Marine National Monument (Pacific that the council should explore. Finally, May Resume Seabirds 33:19, 2006). The atoll provides PSG suggested that the federal govern- nesting habitat for hundreds of thousands ment should follow Oregon’s lead in state Midway Atoll National Wildlife of seabirds, including Laysan (Phoe- waters and establish similar reserve areas Refuge may reopen to visitors on a bastria immutabilis) and Black-footed in federal waters off the Oregon coast. limited basis. Access was largely cut Albatrosses, Bonin Petrels (Pterodroma Scott McMullen, Chairman of the off in 2002 when USFWS’s sole tourist hypoleuca), and Red-tailed Tropicbirds Oregon Ocean Policy Advisory Council, operator pulled out, saying it was difficult (Phaethon rubricauda).

CORRECTION

Due to an editorial error, the wrong Conservation Report was published in the Fall 2006 Pacific Seabirds (volume 33, number 2). Most of that Conservation Report had appeared already in a previ- ous issue. The correct Conservation Report for Fall 2006 is printed in this issue, starting on the next page. The editor apologizes to the readers for this mistake. I especially apologize to Craig Harrison, the Associate Editor for Conservation, who works very hard to assemble each Conservation Report.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 23 CONSERVATION REPORT FOR FALL 2006 Compiled by Craig Harrison

The following Conservation Report was omitted by mistake from the previous issue of Pacific Seabirds (Volume 33, Number 2). Some items that are updated in the Spring 2007 Report (above) are not included below.

PSG SUPPORTS DELISTING considered.” The California Fish and albatross chicks is a crippling condition THE CALIFORNIA BROWN Game Commission is expected to accept known as “droopwing,” and damage to the finding of “warranted” before the various internal organs is likely. Lead PELICAN end of this year, which would begin the levels in the blood of chicks with droop- formal notice-and-comment process to wing are ten times the concentration that In December 2005, the Endangered remove the subspecies from the state list. would be considered lead poisoning in Species Recovery Council filed peti- USFWS is expected to make its decision humans. With the recent designation tions to remove the California Brown on whether to propose delisting by late of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands as a Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis cali- 2006 or early 2007. National Monument, PSG believes that fornicus) from the state and federal lists the time is ripe to resolve this conserva- of endangered species (Pacific Seabirds 33:20, 2006). Following the Executive tion problem. Efforts in 2003 to fence Council’s conference-call meeting in areas to protect Laysan albatross chicks summer 2006, PSG sent letters to the PSG ASKS USFWS were generally a failure, as were efforts U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) TO REMOVE LEAD in 2004 and 2005 to place tarps around and the California Department of Fish PAINT FROM MIDWAY some of the buildings. and Game (CDFG) in support of these ALBATROSS COLONY petitions. PSG noted its strong interest in the conservation of the California Acting in concert with the American Brown Pelican, including its support of Bird Conservancy and other conservation USFWS PROPOSES proposals by federal and state trustees organizations, PSG requested that the TO AMEND LIST OF to spend money from several pollution U.S. Department of the Interior make the MIGRATORY BIRDS settlement funds to benefit California remediation of lead paint from 95 build- Brown Pelicans, including the Ameri- ings on Midway Atoll National Wildlife USFWS has proposed to amend the can Trader and Jacob Luckenbach oil Refuge a high priority, and to provide list of migratory birds protected by the spill trust funds and from the Montrose DDT settlements. PSG also noted that funds to prevent the continued poisoning Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), the it had petitioned USFWS and the State of thousands of Laysan Albatross chicks. first such amendments in more than 20 of California to list the Xantus’s Mur- The cost of completing this work is esti- years. It proposes adding 152 species and relet (Synthliboramphus hypoleucus), mated to be about $6 million. removing 12 from the list of protected which resulted in California listing that Midway Atoll supports the world’s migratory birds, which will bring the species as threatened. PSG emphasized largest breeding population of Laysan Al- total number of species protected by the that it has approached this issue from an batross (Phoebastria immutabilis). Aging MBTA to 972. The Migratory Bird Treaty even-handed scientific perspective and US Navy structures and other buildings Act is one of the nation’s earliest conser- has concluded from all available infor- on Sand Island have been shedding chips vation laws, enacted in 1918 to imple- mation that the California Brown Pelican of lead-based paint for decades. Many ment a series of treaties for the protec- has fully recovered. Thus, it no longer historic buildings were constructed dur- tion of shared migratory bird resources warrants being listed as “endangered” ing World War II and have been painted signed by the United States with Canada, because it is not currently in danger repeatedly with this paint. Deteriora- Mexico, and eventually also with Japan of extinction. Nor should it be merely tion of the buildings in the warm salt and Russia. The MBTA prohibits take of down-listed to “threatened” because it is air has peeled off the paint, depositing protected species, their nests, and eggs, not likely to become endangered within lead-laced paint chips near the buildings except as authorized and permitted by the foreseeable future. and throughout Sand Island. Laysan USFWS. Some of the treaties list groups A CDFG memorandum in early Albatross chicks ingest these chips and of birds that are to be protected, rather October 2006 found that “the petitioned suffer lead poisoning, which may be than individual species. action may be warranted, and that killing thousands of chicks per year. An One hundred forty-nine species are the petition should be accepted and obvious symptom of poisoning in the proposed for addition: 2 that are covered

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 24 CONSERVATION REPORT for FALL 2006 by Japanese and Russian treaties, but that oversight; this problem may not have installed large balls on its power lines to were mistakenly omitted from the 1985 changed substantially in the final rule. A help flying birds avoid the cables. The list; 26 species that were documented ac- 2000 ruling by the US Court of Appeals electric utility runs the program as part cidentally or occasionally in the United for the District of Columbia Circuit of its downed-bird mitigation plan with States prior to April 1985, but that were in Humane Society v. Glickman found USFWS. The County of Kauai, which not included in that list; 60 species that federal facilities are subject to the oversees the airport and many parks, whose occurrence in the United States MBTA. The Navy’s conduct of training has also been put on notice. Businesses was confirmed only since April 1985; activities in the Northern Mariana Islands likewise are being asked to cooperate. 27 species that occur naturally in the violated the MBTA, according to the USFWS has told Norwegian Cruise US-associated Pacific Islands, although outcome of a 2002 lawsuit, although the Line that passenger boats must turn off not in the 50 states; and 37 that were for- judge ultimately decided not to issue an or shield nonessential lights. In addition, merly considered subspecies of protected injunction. the Kauai Seabird Habitat Conservation species and were recently elevated to full Plan’s coordinator contacts businesses species status. near where dead or injured birds have The 12 species proposed for removal been found and urges the establishments from the list include 11 that are no lon- KAUAI DIMS LIGHTS to voluntarily dim their lights. ger recognized as occurring within the TO SAVE CRASHING While a bird-rescue operation has boundaries of the United States, and one been in place on Kauai for 25 years, that is now treated as a subspecies of a SHEARWATERS AND some seabird populations have declined, still-protected species. PETRELS although it is difficult to undertake an Among the added species are four accurate census of nocturnal burrow- albatrosses, eight petrels, three storm- In a novel use of the Endangered nesting species. It appears that lights and petrels, and the Long-billed Murrelet Species Act (ESA), USFWS is insisting obstructions are contributing greatly to (Brachyramphus perdix). The complete that businesses and the county of Kauai the declines. Under the ESA, it is illegal list can be found at http://migratorybirds. turn down their lights at night. The to “take” a listed species. “Take” under fws.gov agency is concerned about three seabirds this law means to kill, hunt, harm, or that breed on Kauai: the endangered Ha- harass the animal or to harm its envi- waiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichen- ronment; “take” need not be intentional. sis), the threatened Newell’s Shearwater USFWS contends that lights and obstruc- RULE EXEMPTING DOD (Puffinus newelli), and the Band-rumped tions on Kauai are causing take. FROM MIGRATORY Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma castro; this species may soon be listed pursuant to a BIRD TREATY NEARS May 1989 petition by Craig Harrison). FINALIZATION Artificial lights can confuse nocturnal- SEABIRD WRECK ON nesting seabirds and cause them to crash UNALASKA ISLAND A long-awaited Interior Department into telephone lines and other objects, rule is expected effectively to exempt the especially on moonless nights. Easily In September 2006, thousands of Department of Defense (DOD) from the confused juveniles make up the bulk of seabirds died over a two-day period MBTA. The military is said to be happy downed birds on Kauai. Injured and dead near Unalaska, in the Aleutian Islands with the final rule, which is undergoing birds have been found along the island’s of Alaska. Several hundred Sooty Shear- final review before going into effect. roadsides for decades. People who find waters (Puffinus griseus) died after flying The defense authorization bill for Fiscal downed birds can deposit them in over- into a crabbing boat in Unalaska Bay, a Year 2003 provided DOD with a blanket night boxes at fire stations all over the phenomenon that lasted half an hour. exemption from MBTA restrictions for island. Specialists pick up the birds in the The crew threw the dead and dying birds military readiness activities, until the In- morning and take them to a veterinarian, overboard. Biologists found more than terior Department developed regulations where about 95% recover. 1600 bird carcasses on shores near homes that would allow DOD to incidentally USFWS has asked that all nones- in Unalaska and along beaches outside “take” migratory birds under MBTA dur- sential lights at malls, resorts, parking the community. Most birds did not appear ing its training exercises. The new rule is lots and restaurants be turned off between to be thin and were not oiled, although Interior’s response to the requirement. September 15 and December 15, when some had twisted necks as if they had The MBTA prohibits any harm or juvenile birds leave their nests for the smashed into something. Among contrib- killing of designated migratory birds open sea. The Kauai Island Utility Co- uting factors in these “wrecks” may be (termed “take” in the law). Environ- operative has darkened all of its 3000 the process of molting, when the birds’ mental groups disagree with the rule that streetlights, turning some off completely ability to fly can be compromised, or was proposed in 2004, saying it limits and shielding others. The utility has also starvation.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 25 CONSERVATION REPORT for FALL 2006

MANAGING RAT should address rodent control verses vironmental shifts than are most physical INVASIONS IN ALASKA eradication issues. Eradication may be measures. In the Pacific Ocean, changes impossible or very costly in many situ- in seabird productivity and survival rates PSG commented in August 2006 ations (it depends on remoteness, size were among the first reported indications on the Alaska Department of Fish and of island, non-target species, landscape of large-scale impacts associated with El Game’s draft, “Wildlife and Humans challenges, etc.), so the ongoing costs Niño and La Niña. at Risk: A Plan for Returning Alaska to of control and the risk of bait resistance PSG also observed that the docu- its Rat-Free State.” The plan contains a should be examined in more detail. ment’s overriding emphasis is on human needs assessment and a strategic action use of ocean resources or ocean-related plan aimed at preventing rats (Rattus impacts on humans. Even if a human- spp.) from being introduced into areas centered approach is necessary, it will that would harm wildlife in Alaska. Rats PSG COMMENTS ON not be possible to understand the marine are especially likely to colonize an island ecosystem and the issues without attention when an infested vessel anchors nearby NATIONAL SCIENCE to the middle and upper trophic levels. or is wrecked there. The plan also focuses REPORT ON OCEAN Furthermore, there is little attention to the on eradicating rats where they occur, SCIENCE AND government’s role as a trustee for natural and on restoring rat-damaged habitats, TECHNOLOGY resources or its responsibility to regulate especially in seabird-rich areas such as contaminants, fishery harvests, or the the Aleutian Islands. PSG commented on a draft plan by maintenance of healthy populations of PSG strongly supported the prepara- a National Science committee entitled seabirds and marine mammals. tion of the rat plan. PSG urged that the “Charting the Course for Ocean Science The draft report leaps from physical final report make major strides toward a in the United States: Research Priorities oceanography to humans, with minimal concrete action plan. The needs assess- for the Next Decade” in October 2006. attention to productivity, coral reef sys- ment (existing conditions, rat biology, The draft plan is a needs assessment and a tems, pathogens, invasive species, etc. the Alaskan infrastructure) is important strategic action plan that contains national The intermediate and upper ecosystem for persuading some that rats are a real ocean research priorities for the coming components (fishes, birds, mammals) only problem. However, a strategic action decade. PSG applauded the effort by the appear to be implied. This approach could plan is the part that will ultimately pay lead to flawed programs. For example, off. PSG urged more focus on the im- Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science the research plan ignores the potential mediate actions that would be needed to and Technology to provide US institu- for “top-down” impacts on ecosystems stop rats during a crisis. tions and agencies a template that will and ocean regimes, and appears to as- PSG asked for more details on how guide ocean research for the next decade, sume “bottom-up” control, which has an inter-agency team would respond and urged that the final report provide a not always been supported. One example to a “rat spill” from a wrecked vessel, concrete plan of action plan. including which agency would actually PSG highlighted a failure of the plan is the potential “top-down” force on the lead, which others would follow, and to acknowledge the increasingly impor- recruitment and abundance of commer- a description of the responsibilities of tant role of seabirds and other apex preda- cially important fish species by larger fish, each. It is proposed that an Alaska In- tors as indicators of ecosystem function seabirds, and marine mammals. Higher vasive Rodent Advisory Committee be and health. Seabirds are secondary and trophic levels are mentioned within the established; this might develop many tertiary consumers, the same trophic level context of large-scale ecosystem mod- of the action plan’s details and address as commercially exploited fish. Moreover, els, but fully understanding interactions federal and state jurisdictional issues. seabird prey includes the juveniles of among trophic levels will require addi- PSG noted the key role of the U.S. Coast many commercial species. In some cases, tional approaches. Guard. As first responders, the Coast seabirds may compete with fish for the PSG supported the acquisition and Guard is critical for preventing rodent same prey. For all these reasons, seabirds management of up-to-date data, and colonization from shipwrecks, and is also can be excellent samplers of fisheries enhanced communication, availability of the port inspector with the authority to stocks. PSG noted that because seabirds databases,­ GIS applications, and model- quarantine cargo to avoid rodent infesta- are conspicuous, accessible, and sensitive ing. PSG added that the plan should tions. Clarifying responsibilities would to physical and biological fluctuations in recognize the existence of many valuable be a major contribution to preventing the marine environment, they can provide data sets that, for lack of support, are not rat invasions and hopefully would result an early warning of toxins and contami- currently fully integrated into accessible is an approach that would allow inter- nant accumulation, and can signal natural databases. These data sources could prove agency teams to respond if a catastrophe or human-caused changes in the ocean valuable in evaluating long-term changes, were to occur this winter. environment. Upper-trophic-level preda- as well as the validation of new models. PSG emphasized that the report tors are more sensitive indicators of en- Finally, PSG strongly supported the

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 26 CONSERVATION REPORT for FALL 2006 suggestion to share research platforms THIRD NORTHWESTERN Hawaiian Islands. The Smithsonian Insti- among different aspects of ocean science HAWAIIAN ISLAND tution, Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, research, as well as emphasizing long- and Hawaii-Pacific Islands Cooperative term observation systems. To be success- SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM ful, a program must approach both of these PROCEEDINGS Studies Unit made these resources widely goals by fully incorporating the middle available. See http://www.botany.hawaii. and upper trophic levels in its conception The proceedings from the Third edu/faculty/duffy/atoll.htm and operation. Because seabirds are long- Northwestern Hawaiian Island Scien- lived and are among the most conspicuous tific Symposium are available online. and easily studied of marine organisms, they can play an important role as moni- In addition, historical issues of the Atoll tors, sensors, and indicators of marine Research Bulletin are also available, sev- ecosystem health and dynamics. eral of which focus on the Northwestern

PSG NEWS

JOIN PSG ONLINE General fund, PSG Conservation Fund, for several years in two other countries, or PSG Student Travel Fund. Try these Canada and the United Kingdom. Most PSG’s web site (http://www.pacif- out! non-US members have now switched to icseabirdgroup.org) has a Membership If you encounter any problems joining or renewing online (see preced- page where you can join PSG or renew with the Membership/Donation page ing article). This is especially convenient your membership. Online payments are or PayPal, please contact the Treasurer, because your credit-card company will processed through “PayPal,” a system for Ron LeValley, at membership@pacific- automatically convert the payment to US secure credit-card transactions. seabirdgroup.org or ron@madriverbio. dollars. Activity in PSG’s non-US bank The Membership page recently com accounts has been very low recently, and experienced a few problems, but it has therefore they have been closed. now been updated and the PayPal but- If you live outside the US, but it is tons are working again. Once you are on not convenient for you to join or renew the Membership page, select the type of via the web site, you may download a membership you want, then the buttons membership form from the site. Or you that route you to PayPal. If you already NON-US MEMBERS ARE have a PayPal account, you can skip RENEWING ONLINE may contact the Treasurer, Ron LeValley, some steps and transfer money directly at [email protected] to PSG. For the convenience of many mem- or [email protected]. Other contact We have also added buttons that bers who reside outside the United information for Ron is on the inside cov- allow you to donate directly to the PSG States, PSG maintained bank accounts ers of this issue.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 27 P S G N E W S

MOVING? UPDATE YOUR Please let PSG know when you Libraries will automatically con- ADDRESS WITH PSG! move! The Keeper of the Mailing List is tinue to receive Pacific Seabirds through the PSG treasurer, Ron LeValley. Contact the mail, since this can be important for Have you moved recently? Filed him at membership@pacificseabird- reliable archiving. your change of address with the U.S. group.org or [email protected]. (This notice will be repeated in the Postal Service, but forgotten to let PSG Additional contact information for Ron next 3 issues of Pacific Seabirds.) know? If that’s true, and if you’re read- is on the inside covers of this issue. ing this, it’s probably the last Pacific Seabirds you’ll get for awhile. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will NOMINATE SOMEONE FOR forward Pacific Seabirds to you if they PACIFIC SEABIRDS WILL A PSG AWARD have your change of address. They also GO MOSTLY ELECTRONIC let us know your new address, and we PSG gives two awards for contribu- update our records. But there are some Starting in 2009, Pacific Seabirds tions to seabird research, conservation, or problems with this: will be mailed only to those members education. Any member may nominate a person for PSG’s Lifetime Achievement • The Postal Service will forward the who specifically request it. All members who do not request a hard copy of Pacific Award (LAA) or Special Achievement journal for only 12 months. At that Award (SAA). The LAA is given in point you will stop getting it; your Seabirds via mail will be able to down- load every issue from the PSG website, honor of highly significant, long-term copy is returned to PSG. contributions in the field of seabird • After 18 months PSG will not be noti- www.pacificseabirds.org The paper and electronic versions of the journal will still work, in the Pacific or worldwide; the fied of your new address, because SAA is given for outstanding service to look the same. the USPS computer deletes it. Your PSG or for exemplary accomplishment Volume 34 (2007) and Volume 35 Pacific Seabirds is returned with for seabirds. (2008) will continue to arrive in the mail “Not Known” stamped on it. Then To nominate someone, submit a one- as usual, in addition to being posted on we have to enter a blank in our mail- page summary of the person’s accom- the website. You are welcome to con- ing list after your name, and you plishments and contributions to the Past tinue receiving Pacific Seabirds in the won’t get any mail from PSG until Chair, who is coordinator of the Awards mail as long as you wish. However, any you send us a new address. Committee, by 30 June of any year. member who wants to continue receiving • All forwarded or returned mail costs If your candidate is approved by the copies by mail after 2008 must contact us money. PSG has to pay extra for Executive Council, you will participate the Treasurer each such item (because we pay a , Ron LeValley. His e-mail in the awards ceremony at PSG’s Annual low “bulk” rate for the initial mail- is [email protected]; phone (707) Meeting. You will give a short talk (15- ing). For a recent issue, 26 journals 326-0300; address Mad River Biologists, 30 minutes) about the individual’s career were forwarded or returned, for 920 Samoa Blvd., Suite 210, Arcata, CA and accomplishments. The tribute will which we paid $69.50 above the 95521, USA. be based information from the person, original mailing cost. The PSG Executive Council decided and possibly from his or her colleagues; Pacific Seabirds PSG cannot re-forward your mail in favor of distributing it often includes photographs of past when is returned to us, and we cannot electronically because many journals activities. we track you down if we don’t have your already are electronic (including our Pacific Seabirds publishes a written mailing address. We are happy to update other journal, Marine Ornithology), and report on each award in the next issue. your address if we know it. However, because the change will save printing You should submit a short article (1-5 our nonexistent staff does not have the and mailing costs. Some people prefer pages), based on your presentation at time (or money) to pursue your problem to receive their journals online. However, the awards ceremony, in time for that further. we will continue to send Pacific Seabirds issue’s deadline. Mail sent outside the U.S. is subject through the mail to anyone who requests PSG welcomes nominations from to different rules, but some of those Pa- it, because some members cannot get it any member. In some years we may give cific Seabirds also are returned each year over the Internet conveniently or may no awards, if suitable candidates are not (and also cost us money). just prefer a paper copy. approved.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1• Spring 2007 • Page 28 PSG MEETING NEWS

2007 PSG MEETING AT Verena Gill, PSG’s Chair-elect, or- results of a 25-year study of individually ASILOMAR ganized a stimulating scientific program. marked Common Murres. The schedule included 119 oral presenta- Instead of a third plenary lecture, tions and 48 poster presentations, includ- Dan Anderson and Craig Harrison pre- ing 29 talks and 19 posters from students. sented a debate panel. Dan spoke on Presenters traveled to the meeting from “Point-counterpoint?—Some myths and across the globe: North America, Japan, points surrounding a relisting proposal Poland, Peru, New Zealand, China, for the California Brown Pelican,” and Germany, Scotland, England, Eritrea, Craig countered with “Recognizing the France, and Norway. recovery of the ‘endangered’ California There were two plenary lectures. Brown Pelican.” (The debaters agreed Henri Weimerskirch presented “Forag- on many issues and were 100% profes- ing strategies of seabirds in relation sional. Some in the audience may have PSG members in sun, Asilomar’s Hearst Hall to environmental conditions.” Weim- been hoping for fireworks, but what erskirch is a research director at the they saw was scientific disagreement at Centre d’études biologiques de Chizé, its best.) PSG’s 34th Annual Meeting was France. He specializes in albatross life- Special paper sessions included held on 7-11 February 2007 at Asilomar, history strategies in the Southern Ocean Seabird Tracking and Remote-sensing Pacific Grove, California. PSG held most and on the foraging ecology of tropical Applications (organized by Rob Suryan, of its early meetings at Asilomar, includ- seabirds, especially boobies and frigate- Scott Schaffer, and David Hyrenbach), ing 4 of the first 5 (starting in 1975). In birds. Michael P. Harris spoke on “The and Surveying Seabirds at Sea: Applica- 2007, we returned to this venue for the Isle of May long-term murre study: from tions, Transect Methodology and Statisti- first time in 20 years. To some longtime mundane monitoring to scintillating sci- cal Treatment (organized by John Piatt PSG members, our meeting at this cen- ence.” Harris is an Emeritus Fellow at and Martine Renner). Other sessions tury-old conference center in its forest by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at focused on foraging ecology, diving the sea was a bit like coming home. Banchory, Scotland. He focused on the strategies, habitat selection, and the role

Bob Day gives Best Student Paper Award to PSG 2007 banquet audience: Bob Pitman, Ken Morgan, Pat Baird (face hidden), Lisa Ballance, Samantha Richmond (top) and Best Student Hanna Herron, Doug Forsell, Aravis Herron, Lora Leschman, Joe Herron, and Bill Hebner. Poster Award to Chris Thaxter (bottom).

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 29 PSG Meeting News

Student travel awardees from the US and Canada Student travel awardees from countries outside the US and Canada. of genetics in species identification, as Students who won awards for their Thaxter (University of Leeds, United well as the usual topics of population presentations were Samantha Richman Kingdom). dynamics, breeding biology, physiol- (University of Wyoming) for best paper, Scientists from outside North ogy, diet, and conservation. As usual, a and Chris Thaxter (University of Leeds, America who received travel awards few things defied categorization, so one United Kingdom) for best poster. were Liliana Ayala (Peru), Lei Cao Saturday afternoon session was entitled Travel grants were awarded for the (China), Dariusz Jakubas (Poland), Nele “A seabird smorgasbord.” first time under PSG’s new tripartite Markones (Germany), and Andy Webb Evening events included mixers in system. Students in the US or Canada (United Kingdom). Merrill Hall and at the Monterey Bay who received awards were Louise Blight —Vivian Mendenhall and Verena Aquarium, a lecture by Carl Safina, and (University of British Columbia), Jill Gill a Mexican-themed banquet. The weather Bluso (Humboldt State University), Brie was calm and bright for the Sunday field Drummond (Dalhousie University), Kyle trips: seal viewing at Año Nuevo State Elliott and Britt Harter (University of Manitoba), Nathalie Hamel and Steph- Park, pelagic trips on Monterey Bay, and PSG’S 2008 MEETING kayaking in Elkhorn Slough. The local ani Zador (University of Washington), committee, chaired by Jim Harvey and Christopher Latty (University of Alaska WILL BE AT SEMIAHMOO, Hannah Nevins, did an outstanding job Fairbanks), Jamie Morris-Pocock and BLAINE, WASHINGTON with complex arrangements. Scott Taylor (Queen’s University), Sa- Aw a r d s mantha Richman (University of Wyo- The 35th Annual Meeting of the PSG’s Lifetime Achievement Award ming), Rachel Sprague (University of Pacific Seabird Group will be held on was given to Mike Harris, and the Special Montana), and Yasuko Suzuki (Oregon 27 February–2 March 2008 at the Semi- Achievement Award was bestowed on Ed State University). ahmoo Resort in Blaine, Washington. Melvin. Ed is at Washington Sea Grant Students from countries other than Semiahmoo is located at the tip of a mile- at the University of Washington. For the the US or Canada who received travel long natural spit, which juts into Puget past 11 years he has done research and grants were Nils Guse and Nicole Sound and is framed by Semiahmoo outreach to solve conservation-related Sonntag (University of Kiel, Germany), (“half-moon”) Bay. Built on the site of problems, including seabird bycatch, Motohiro Ito (Hokkaido University, an historic salmon-packing cannery, the in the US and international fishing in- Japan), Nina Seifert and Jorg Welcker Resort is within view of Peace Arch Park dustries. (Norsk Polarinstitut, Norway), and Chris at the U.S./Canadian border. Windows of the restaurant and some other rooms are directly over the water. Blaine is less than an hour by road from Vancouver, BC, and two hours from Seattle. Drive the world-famous Chuckanut Drive and be rewarded with one the of the most scenic stretches of highway in the Pacific Northwest, or visit the Mt. Baker ski area at the edge of the wilderness in the heart of the Scientist travel awardees: Nele Markones, Dariusz Jakubas, Andy Webb Northern Cascades. Our last meeting

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 30 PSG Meeting News at Semiahmoo was in 1999, and we are “Compensatory Mitigation.” A sympo- pacts on Seabird Ocean Habitats (Falk looking forward to viewing rafts of loons sium will be held on “The Salish Sea Eco- Huettmann), and Marine Protected Areas during mealtimes. system: Status and Impacts of Changes (Doug Bertram). A workshop is planned on “R,” a language and environment for The theme of the meeting is “Sea- on Marine Birds.” Special sessions will statistical computing and graphics. More birds in Marine Ecosystems.” Plenary be on Forage Populations (organized by information is on the PSG website, www. speakers will include John Piatt and John Mayumi Arimitsu), Marine Wind and pacificseabirds.org Croxall; there will also be a debate on Tidal Power (Dan Esler), Economic Im- —Tom Good

Yellow-billed Loon in Elkhorn Slough

Great Egret on Asilomar Beach. Meeting photos by Vivian Mendenhall.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 31 COMMITTEE REPORTS

PSG’s committees report each year to the Executive Council. These reports for 2006 were submitted in February 2007. A full list of PSG committees appears at the back of this issue.

LOON AND GREBE cies Act. There is much conservation the Asilomar Conference Center as part TECHNICAL COMMITTEE concern because the US population pri- of PSG’s 2007 Annual Meeting. The fol- Compiled by Joel Schmutz marily breeds in the National Petroleum lowing report closely follows the notes Reserve–Alaska, where development from that meeting. activities are substantively increasing. The Washington Department of Ba c k g r o u n d This committee formed a year ago. Several members of the Loon and Grebe Natural Resources (WDNR) is develop- Its primary impetus was to discuss issues Technical Committee served on the ing a Marbled Murrelet Long-Term Con- about particular species of conservation expert panel convened by USFWS and servation Strategy. WDNR completed concern, and to do so under the recog- the US Bureau of Land Management to the report of strategy recommendations nized umbrella of a large and taxonomi- discuss management and conservation of in July 2007. They are currently looking cally germane professional organization the species. Members of the committee for outside reviewers. Completion of the such as PSG. Joel Schmutz is currently also made written contributions to the strategy is still more than a year away; the chair ([email protected]). Conservation Agreement. Contact Joel environmental impact statement, Habitat Schmutz ([email protected]). Conservation Plan (HCP) amendment, Ac t i v i t i e s Du r i n g Pa s t Ye a r (3) Membership and melding of in- Biological Opinion, and Record of De- (1) A pair of workshops was held formation: The Loon and Grebe Techni- cision are still on the horizon. For more to discuss status of Western Grebes cal Committee is really an amalgamation information, contact Peter Harrison at (Aechmorphorus occidentalis). De- of two entities, people who coalesced [email protected]. clines in numbers of Western Grebes in around concern for the Western Grebe, Bill Ritchie of Washington Depart- some breeding areas, as well as in some and the Alaska Loon and Grebe Work- ment of Fish and Wildlife is investigating coastal wintering areas, have prompted ing Group, which has focused on the the effects and implications of ecosystem significant conservation concerns for 6 species of loons and grebes that are changes on Marbled Murrelet breeding this species. Two workshops were held common nesters in Alaska. The combi- success and recruitment. For more in- in October 2006 to discuss the state nation of these 2 groups constituted the formation, or to join a discussion group, of knowledge of the species, concerns initial e-mail distribution list for the new contact Bill at [email protected]. about their conservation status, and PSG committee. The Alaska subgroup Ritchie also reconvened the Inland information needs. One was held in Ed- was already developing species-specific Survey Protocol working group. The monton, Alberta, and the other in Delta, conservation plans for the species that working group is discussing several is- British Columbia. The two locations breed there. These plans are being final- sues related to Marbled Murrelet survey maximized attendance by people with ized in fall 2007 and will be distributed training, including the frequency of re- pertinent information, and reflected a to the entire committee membership. We certification for experienced surveyors, breeding and a wintering area. Contact will include queries about how much as well as the flexibility of the timing of Sean Boyd ([email protected]) for more broadly we should pursue a similar survey training, depending on the level of more details. strategy for other species in other areas. bird activity. Contact Bill at ritchwpr@ (2) A Conservation Agreement was Contact Joel Schmutz (jschmutz@usgs. dfw.wa.gov if you would like to partici- finalized regarding management of Yel- gov) for more information. pate on the working group or would like low-billed Loons (Gavia adamsii). An more information. approximate 1.5-year process concluded Washington Department of when the U.S. Secretary of Interior’s Natural Resources has been conducting office signed a Conservation Agreement high-elevation surveys in northwest specifying information needs, manage- MARBLED MURRELET Washington. High elevation areas are ment objectives, and plans for this spe- TECHNICAL COMMITTEE logistically very difficult and expensive cies. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Danielle Prenzlow Escene to survey. DNR is working with U.S. (USFWS) was petitioned in 2004 to list Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Yellow-billed Loons as threatened or The Marbled Murrelet Technical and others to develop a protocol that endangered under the Endangered Spe- Committee met on February 7, 2007 at clusters the surveys on consecutive days

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 32 COMMITTEE REPORTS in order to compensate. Contact Peter [email protected] for more information. The site was visited by about 21,000 at [email protected] for more USFWS published its “Proposal to different individuals (technically, by information. Revise Designation of Critical Habitat” different IP addresses for individual Falk Huettmann of University of in September 2006. Most of the reduc- computers). There were 30,650 visits Alaska-Fairbanks and Carolyn Burks tion in critical habitat, in comparison to the site (some individuals visited the Meyer of the University of Wyoming with the 1996 designation, is attributed site more than once). About 75% of these have been leading the Global Marbled to exclusions under the 4(b)(2) balancing visits were for less than 30 seconds, but Murrelet Modeling Team. The team is process, primarily lands of the Northwest almost 20% lasted between 30 seconds working to gather and organize inland Forest Plan, as well as several large and 15 minutes. survey data, nest data, marine survey HCPs. USFWS must now revise the About 25% of visits to a page were data, terrestrial habitat data, and marine proposal based on thousands of public directed to the site by a search engine, habitat data. The team is hoping to fin- comments, complete an economic analy- primarily Google, but also others such ish compiling and merging the data by sis, and publish the final designation in as Yahoo, Netscape, and Dogpile [sic]. the end of this year, in order to begin September 2007. Contact Deanna Lynch More than 5000 keywords were used building the models by next year. If you at [email protected] for more during these searches; common ones would have data or data management information. included Pacific, seabirds, group, jobs, skills to contribute, or if you would like murrelet, albatross, conference, Alaska, more information, contact Falk at fffh@ California, and marine. Another 6.6% of uaf.edu. visits came via links to other websites John Piatt of the U.S. Geological such as Birdnet and Marine Ornithol- Survey led the work to publish the report PSG WEBSITE REPORT ogy. “Status Review of the Marbled Mur- Lisa T. Ballance, PSG Webmaster Visitors averaged 2.66 pages per relet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) in visit. Statistics for the top 25 pages are Alaska and British Columbia,” available We b s i t e a d d i t i o n s i n 2006 interesting—our publications page is at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1387/ The “Gallery” page of seabird getting a fair bit of air time. Murrelet numbers declined at five of photos has been restored to the website. Computers from 23 different coun- eight trend sites since the early 1990s, at This is a work in progress; I welcome tries visited our website. The vast ma- annual rates of –5.4% to –12.75%. Piatt comments and new photos. jority were of United States origin, fol- et al. applied these rates of decline to the A password-protected membership lowed by Canada, the European Union, historical population estimate of 1 mil- directory for 2006 was posted. I would Australia/New Zealand, and Japan. There lion birds to project the current murrelet like to update this each year, at whatever were also visits from countries in Latin population in Alaska to be approximately time the Exco or Treasurer deems most America, south and east Asia, eastern 270,000 birds, or a 70 percent decline appropriate. Europe and Russia. over the past 25 years. They updated PSG’s Handbook was posted. It will the population estimate for British Co- be updated when I receive revisions. We b s i t e c o n c e r n s lumbia to between 54,000 and 92,000 Other material posted on the site My main issue is a request for birds, a decline from the 2002 estimate. includes letters on conservation issues updates from Exco and the PSG mem- For more information, contact John at from the Vice-Chair for Conservation, bership. When you see something on [email protected]. PSG Chair, and Chair-Elect; job ad- the web site that is outdated, or when a The Canadian Marbled Murrelet vertisements; official minutes of Exco new publication, letter, etc. is produced, Recovery Team recently held two meetings; and PSG Publications (Pacific please bring it to my attention and I will workshops on habitat identification and Seabirds, PSG Symposia, PSG Techni- marine distribution and radar monitor- cal Publications, and abstracts from past address it as soon as possible. ing. Also, the Nesting Habitat Recovery Annual Meetings). Please continue to send requests and Implementation Group submitted an ac- questions regarding the website to me at [email protected] tion plan in March 2006. Contact Doug We b s i t e a d d i t i o n s p l a n n e d f o r 2007 Bertram at [email protected] I plan to post a complete list of for more information. all Lifetime Achievement and Special Acknowledgments a n d n e w t e c h n i - USFWS is continuing the Northwest Achievement Award recipients, together c i a n Forest Plan, Population and Habitat with a short summary of each person’s 2006 saw a number of changes in Monitoring. The 2006 population esti- contribution. technical support for the webmaster. mate for Zones 1–4 is 15,680 to 21,560. Anna Klimaszewski passed the baton to The seven-year mean is 20,600. Nesting We b s i t e a c t i v i t y d u r i n g 2006 Annette Henry, who maintained the site habitat analyses will be conducted again The program AWStats gave statistics during the Annual Meeting rush, with in 2008. Contact Gary Falxa at Gary_ on our website’s activity. great assistance from Janet Lowther.

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 33 COMMITTEE REPORTS

Effective as of the PSG 2007 Annual mar) and then will seek input from the II. Annual Meetings Meeting, I have a new Data Manager PSG membership via the PSG listserve. • Whether PSG should hold its meetings working for me who will be receiving [Editor’s note: Posting on the listserve is internationally every few years, so most of my queries regarding website now expected for November 2007.] In as to support seabird research and issues. He is Thomas J. Moore and I hope the future the committee will revise the conservation in developing nations. he will be with us for awhile. list and discuss their recommendations (If so, how would we finance such to the Exco. meetings, what would be the com- The committee views this as an position of the local committee, iterative process. Close communication how often?) with the Exco, the Past Chairs, and the • Whether PSG should provide financial PSG 2020 STRATEGIC membership of PSG at large will be an support for student travel awards PLANNING COMMITTEE annual part of committee. Mechanisms • Whether there should be different Lisa T. Ballance are already in place for this communica- student travel award categories tion via the Exco’s two yearly meetings depending upon proximity to meet- Ba c k g r o u n d (at PSG’s Annual Meeting and the sum- ing site The PSG 2020 Strategic Planning mer conference call), the Past Chairs • Whether PSG should provide financial Committee was established by the Exco meetings, and the PSG listserve. support (travel and/or lodging and/ at the 2006 Annual Meeting in Girdwood. or registration and/or per diem) for Its purpose is to engage in long-range Dr a f t l i s t o f i s s u e s i d e n t i f i e d by PSG Special Achievement Award and planning for PSG. The committee’s man- 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award Re- date is to review PSG’s current operating The draft list (as of January 2007), cipients. (If so, which categories, structure and activities, and to evaluate which may be modified at the Exco and and how would PSG finance this?) how well they are matched to PSG’s Past Chairs meetings, will be distributed • Whether PSG should strive to address goals of studying and conserving Pacific to all members via the listserve. On the the issue of the carbon footprint of seabirds and their environment over the listserve, we will solicit input from the its annual meetings. (Rationale: An- next decade and a half. members in the form of a questionnaire. nual meetings require long flights by Committee members are Lisa T. It will ask for yes/no answers and will many participants and other impacts Ballance (Chair), Jaime Jahnke, Ron provide space for comments on how to on our carbon footprint. Our inter- LeValley, Ken Morgan, Kim Nelson, achieve the objectives. est in conservation of seabirds and Iain Stenhouse, and Shiway Wang. The their habitats suggests we consider committee’s review will include: I. PSG membership this issue.) • Whether PSG should strive to keep • PSG’s membership and infrastruc- retiring seabird biologists involved III. PSG publications (Pacific ture in the society Seabirds, Marine Ornithol- • Annual meetings • Whether PSG more actively encour- ogy [MO], website, others) • Membership and structure of Exco age participation from persons and other PSG committees • Whether PSG should provide financial outside of the US and Canada. (Ra- • PSG publications (including Marine support for MO. (The Exco cur- tionale: If PSG is truly dedicated Ornithology) and website rently provides support for MO up to the conservation and study of • Conservation issues and PSG’s role to $6,000 per year from the Endow- “Pacific” seabirds, we should strive • Other issues as determined by the ment Fund.) to actively involve those from the committee entire Pacific, including and specifi- IV. PSG and conservation cally, those working in the Southern Co m m i t t e e Ac t i v i t i e s d u r i n g 2006 • Whether PSG should be more pro- Hemisphere) As of January 2007, all discus- active as an advocate of seabird sion between committee members has • Whether PSG should more actively conservation worldwide. (Rationale: occurred via e-mail. The first official encourage participation from stu- Currently PSG is mostly reactive— meeting of the committee will be in dents in all aspects of the running of we respond to petitions, lawsuits, February 2007, at PSG’s Annual Meet- the PSG, including the Exco etc. Being proactive could mean we ing in Asilomar. The committee expects • Whether there are other groups or peo- would correspond with governments this meeting to produce a draft list of ple PSG should actively encourage in countries in the Pacific basin issues requiring input from PSG 2020. to join/participate in the society and elsewhere about emerging and They will get input on the draft list at • Other ideas about increasing member- ongoing conservation issues, make the Past Chairs Meeting (also at Asilo- ship and participation recommendations for actions or

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 34 COMMITTEE REPORTS

studies, and promote involvement face problems both on land and in marine environment have impacts in multinational agreements.) the marine environment, such as on seabirds just as much as fish and • How PSG should use funds we have bycatch, oiling and other contami- zooplankton. We also need to raise received from individual philan- nants, competition with fisheries, our own understanding of these thropists for “Conservation,” and and climate change). Many PSG impacts. We should invite ocean- what oversight should be arranged members work with other agencies ographers and fisheries scientists to for their use and other disciplines, including fish- talk at our annual meetings and we eries and oceanography. If we hope V. PSG’s goals and objectives for to conserve seabirds, PSG should do the same at their meetings 2020 and beyond work to become more embedded • Other ideas for taking PSG to 2020 • Whether PSG should strive to in- in these communities. We need to and beyond; other goals and objec- crease the multidisciplinary nature raise awareness among agencies and tives we should we be striving for; of the society. (Rationale: Seabirds other disciplines that changes in the other changes we should make

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 35 PUBLICATIONS OF THE PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP

The Pacific Seabird Group publishes symposia and other works. PSG Symposia are occasionally held at Annual Meetings; those, which have been published, are listed below. Technical Reports prepared by PSG working groups also are listed. To order one of these PSG publications, please see instructions after each item. Abstracts of papers and posters given at PSG meetings are published annually. Abstracts for meetings of 1974 through 1993 appeared in the PSG Bulletin (Volumes 2–20); for meetings of 1994 through 2003, in Pacific Seabirds (Volumes 21–30); and for meetings of 1997 and later, at www.pacificseabirdgroup.org PSG publishes the journals Pacific Seabirds (www.pacificseabirdgroup.org) and Marine Ornithology (www. marineornithology.org). Current and past issues of both journals are available online or by subscription. Back issues may be obtained online; those of Pacific Seabirds also are available from the PSG Treasurer (order form on last page).

SYMPOSIA

SHOREBIRDS IN MARINE ENVIRONMENTS. Frank A. Pitelka (Editor). Proceedings of an International Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group. Asilomar, California, January 1977. Published June 1979 in Studies in Avian Biology, Number 2.A vailable free of charge at http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/cooper/sab.php

TROPICAL SEABIRD BIOLOGY. Ralph W. Schreiber (Editor). Proceedings of an International Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group, Honolulu, Hawaii, December 1982. Published February 1984 in Studies in Avian Biology, Number 8. Available free of charge at http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/cooper/sab.php

MARINE BIRDS: THEIR FEEDING ECOLOGY AND COMMERCIAL FISHERIES RELATIONSHIPS. David N. Nettleship, Gerald A. Sanger, and Paul F. Springer (Editors). Proceedings of an International Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group, Seattle, Washington, January 1982. Published 1984 as Canadian Wildlife Service, Special Publication. Out of print; available free of charge at www.pacificseabirdgroup.org

THE USE OF NATURAL VS. MAN-MODIFIED WETLANDS BY SHOREBIRDS AND WATERBIRDS. R. Michael Erwin, Malcolm C. Coulter, and Howard L. Cogswell (Editors). Proceedings of an International Symposium at the first joint meeting of the Colonial Waterbird Society and the Pacific Seabird Group, San Francisco, California, December 1985. Colonial Waterbirds 9(2), 1986. $12.00. Order from: Ornithological Societies of North America, PO Box 1897, Lawrence, Kansas 66044; phone (800) 627-0629; no online orders.

ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR OF GULLS. Judith L. Hand, William E. Southern, and Kees Vermeer (Editors). Proceedings of an International Symposium of the Colonial Waterbird Society and the Pacific Seabird Group, San Francisco, California, December 1985. Published June 1987 in Studies in Avian Biology, Number 10. $18.50. Available free of charge at http://elibrary. unm.edu/sora/Condor/cooper/sab.php

AUKS AT SEA. Spencer G. Sealy (Editor). Proceedings of an International Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group, Pacific Grove, California, December 1987. Published December 1990 in Studies in Avian Biology, Number 14. Available free of charge at http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Condor/cooper/sab.php

STATUS AND CONSERVATION OF THE MARBLED MURRELET IN NORTH AMERICA. Harry C. Carter, and Michael L. Morrison (Editors). Proceedings of a Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group, Pacific Grove, California, December 1987. Published October 1992 in Proceedings of the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Volume 5, Number 1. $20.00. Order from PSG Treasurer (order form on last page), or available free of charge at www.pacificseabirdgroup.org

THE STATUS, ECOLOGY, AND CONSERVATION OF MARINE BIRDS OF THE NORTH PACIFIC. Kees Vermeer, Kenneth T. Briggs, Ken H. Morgan, and Douglas Siegel‑Causey (editors). Proceedings of a Symposium of the Pacific Seabird

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 36 PSG PUBLICATIONS

Group, Canadian Wildlife Service, and the British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Victoria, British Columbia, February 1990. Published 1993 as a Canadian Wildlife Service Special Publication, Catalog Number CW66-124‑1993E. Order free of charge from: Publications Division, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A OH3, Canada.

BIOLOGY OF MARBLED MURRELETS—INLAND AND AT SEA. S. Kim Nelson and Spencer G. Sealy (Editors). Pro- ceedings of a Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group, Seattle, Washington, February 1993. Published 1995 in Northwestern Naturalist, Volume 76, Number 1. $12.00. Order from PSG Treasurer (order form on last page), or available free of charge at www.pacificseabirdgroup.org

BEHAVIOUR AND ECOLOGY OF THE SEA DUCKS. Ian Goudie, Margaret R. Petersen and Gregory J. Robertson (editors). Proceedings of the Pacific Seabird Group Symposium, Victoria, British Columbia, 8-12 November 1995. A special publication compiled by the Canadian Wildlife Service for the Pacific Seabird Group. Published 1999 as Canadian Wildlife Service Occasional Paper number 100, catalog number CW69-1/100E. Order free of charge from: Publications Division, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A OH3, Canada, or available free of charge at www.pacificseabirdgroup.org

SEABIRD BYCATCH: TRENDS, ROADBLOCKS AND SOLUTIONS. Edward F. Melvin and Julia K. Parrish (editors). Proceedings of an International Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group, Blaine, Washington, 26-27 February 1999. Published 2001 by University of Alaska Sea Grant, Fairbanks, Alaska. Publication no. AK-SG-01-01. $40.00. Order from publisher.

BIOLOGY, STATUS, AND CONSERVATION OF JAPANESE SEABIRDS. Nariko Oka (editor). Proceedings of an Inter- national Symposium of the Japanese Seabird Group and Pacific Seabird Group, Lihue, Hawaii, February 2001. Journal of the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology 33(2); Symposium (5 papers), pp 57-147, other papers pp. 148-213. In English with Japanese abstracts. $75.00. Order from PSG Treasurer (order form on last page).

OIL AND CALIFORNIA’S SEABIRDS. Harry R. Carter (convener) and Anthony J. Gaston (editor). Proceedings of a Sym- posium of the Pacific Seabird Group, Santa Barbara, California, February 2002. Published 2003 inMarine Ornithology 31(1). Available free of charge at www.marineornithology.org

NEW! The Biology and Conservation of the American White Pelican. Daniel W. Anderson, D. Tommy King, and John Coulson (editors). Proceedings of a Symposium of the Pacific Seabird Group. Waterbirds, Volume 28. Special Publication 1, 2005. Published by the Waterbird Society. $15.00. Order from PSG Treasurer (order form on last page).

Information on presenting symposia: Pacific Seabird Group Symposia or Paper Sessions may be arranged by any member who is interested in a particular topic. Before planning a special session, refer to Meetings/Symposia Guidelines at www.pa- cificseabirdgroup.org; also contact the Coordinator of the Publications Committee and the Scientific Chair for the meet-ing.

TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS

EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL SEABIRD RESTORATION WORKSHOP. Kenneth I. Warheit, Craig S. Harrison, and George J. Divoky (editors). Exxon Valdez Restoration Project Final Report, Restoration Project 95038. PSG Technical Publi- cation Number 1. 1997. Available free of charge at www.pacificseabirdgroup.org

METHODS FOR SURVEYING MARBLED MURRELETS IN FORESTS: A REVISED PROTOCOL FOR LAND MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH. Pacific Seabird Group, Marbled Murrelet Technical Committee. PSG Technical Pub- lication Number 2. 2003. Available free of charge at www.pacificseabirdgroup.org

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 37 PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP COMMITTEE COORDINATORS ______

Committees do much of PSG’s business, as well as the conservation work for which PSG is respected. The committees welcome (and need) participants; contact the coordinators for information. ______

AWARDS COMMITTEE The Awards Committee consists of the Past Chair, Chair, and Chair-elect. Committee members for 2006 are Katie O’Reilly (chair), Verena Gill, and Doug Bertram; contact information is on inside back cover.

CONSERVATION COMMITTEE Craig S. Harrison, 4953 Sonoma Mountain Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USA. Telephone: (202) 778‑2240, e-mail: charrison@hunton. com

CONSERVATION SMALL GRANTS COMMITTEE Robert Day, ABR, Inc.–Environmental Research and Services, P.O. Box 80410, Fairbanks, AK 99508-0420, USA; telephone (907) 455-6777; e-mail [email protected]

ELECTION COMMITTEE Pat Baird, Simon Fraser University, Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6. Telephone (604) 928-5510; e-mail [email protected]

JAPAN SEABIRD CONSERVATION COMMITTEE Koji Ono, office: Hokkaido Seabird Center, Kita 6-1, Haboro, Tomamae 078-4116 Japan. Telephone: 011-81-1646-9-2080, fax: 011-81-1646-9-2090; home: 2-506, Sakaemachi 93-12 Haboro, Tomamae 078-4123 Japan. Telephone and fax: 011-81-1646-2-1324, e- mail: [email protected]; and John Fries, Laboratory for Wildlife Biology, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi Bunkyo-ku, 113 Tokyo, Japan. Telephone/fax: 011-81-356-89-7254, e-mail: [email protected]

LOON/GREBE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE Joel Schmutz, U.S. Geological Survey, 1011 E. Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK 99503, USA. Telephone: (907) 786-3518; e-mail joel_ [email protected]

MARBLED MURRELET TECHNICAL COMMITTEE William P. Ritchie, P.O. Box 1102, Port Angeles, WA 98362-0209, USA. Telephone: (360) 902-2365; fax: (360) 417-3302; e-mail: ritchwpr@ dfw.wa.gov PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Patrick Jodice, 2002 Forestry Scientces Laborataory, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331. Telephone: (541) 750-7393, e-mail: [email protected]

SEABIRD MONITORING COMMITTEE Scott Hatch, Biological Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Biological Science Center, 1011 E. Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK 99503 USA. Telephone: (907) 786‑3529, fax: (907) 786‑3636, e-mail: [email protected]

XANTUS’S MURRELET TECHNICAL COMMITTEE Melinda Nakagawa, 1039 Garden St., East Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA. Telephone: (650) 804-2503; e-mail: [email protected]

PSG DELEGATES TO THE AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY Craig S. Harrison, 4953 Sonoma Mountain Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USA. Telephone: (202) 778‑2240, e-mail: charrison@hunton. com; and Malcolm C. Coulter, P.O. Box 48, Chocorua, NH 03817 USA. Telephone: (603) 323‑9342, e-mail: [email protected]

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 38 PSG LIFE MEMBERS 2006 ______

Sarah G. Allen Judith Latta Hand Katie O’Reilly Daniel W. Anderson Craig S. Harrison Julia K. Parrish Edgar P. Bailey Scott A. Hatch Robert Pitman Pat Herron Baird Monica Herzig Zürcher C. John Ralph Lisa Ballance Nancy Hillstrand William P. Ritchie Mrs. Don Bishop Joel D. Hubbard Chad Roberts Kenneth T. Briggs David B. Irons Daniel D. Roby Joanna Burger Sarah Keller Gerald A. Sanger Ellen W. Chu James G. King Palmer C. Sekora Roger B. Clapp Kathy Kuletz Nanette Seto Cheryl Conel James Kushlan Kouzi Shiomi Malcolm C. Coulter Lora Leschner Douglas Siegel Kathy Cousins David B. Lewis Kitty Simonds Theodore L. Cross Peter Major William E. Southern Robert H. Day Eugene Y. Makishima Arthur L. Sowls Tony DeGange Vivian Mendenhall Jeffrey A. Spendelow Jan Dierks Gayle Merlen Takaki Terasawa George J. Divoky Godfrey Merlen W. Breck Tyler Stewart Fefer Pat Mock Enriqueta Velarde Gonzalez Lloyd C. Fitzpatrick Ken Morgan Kees Vermeer Elizabeth Flint Edward C. Murphy John S. Warriner Douglas J. Forsell Maura Naughton Yutaka Watanuki Michael Fry S. Kim Nelson Jennifer Wheeler Lisa Haggblom David R. Nysewander Jeff Williams Haruo Ogi

RECIPIENTS OF PSG’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Philip and Myrtle Ashmole Charles Guiguet= James G. King James C. Bartonek Michael P. Harris Spencer G. Sealy W.R.P. Bourne Thomas R. Howell Robert E. Ricklefs Richard G.B. Brown George L. Hunt, Jr. Miklos D.F. Udvardy= G. Vernon Byrd Karl W. Kenyon= John Warham

RECIPIENTS OF PSG’S SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Malcolm Coulter Hiroshi Hasegawa Arthur L. Sowls = George J. Divoky Edward Melvin Steven M. Speich Craig S. Harrison Mark J. Rauzon =Deceased

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1 • Spring 2007 • Page 39 Pacific Seabird Group Membership Application/Publication Order Form (Please copy)

Membership (includes subscription to Pacific Seabirds) Individual and Family $30.00 $______$______Student (undergraduate and graduate) $24.00 $______$______Life Membership1 $900.00 (optional payment plan: five $180 installments) $______Sponsored Membership $30.00 Name of Sponsored Member______$______Contributions2 To the Endowment Fund1 $______Other (please specify)______$______

PACIFIC SEABIRD GROUP PUBLICATIONS A full list of PSG publications appears on the preceding pages. If the publication you want is not listed on this page, please order according to information in the publications list.

Back issues of Pacific Seabirds (can also be downloaded from www.pacificseabirds.org) Vols. 1-8 (1974-1981) ______x $2.50 $______Vols. 9 (1982 to present) ______x $5.00

PSG Symposia Status and Conservation of the Marbled Murrelet in North America ______x $20.00 $______Biology of Marbled Murrelets: Inland and at Sea ______x $12.00 $______Biology, Status, and Conservation of Japanese Seabirds______x $75.00 $______The Biology and Conservation of the American White Pelican ______x $15.00 $______

TOTAL ENCLOSED Prices include postage (surface rate) and handling.

SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER (payable in US dollars to the Pacific Seabird Group) to: PSG Treasurer, Ron LeValley, 920 Samoa Blvd., Suite 210, Arcata, CA 95521, USA. MEMBERSHIPS (new and renewing) and DONATIONS may also be paid online at www.pacificseabirdgroup.org ______1 Proceeds from Life Memberships go to the Endowment Fund, which supports the publications of the Pacific Seabird Group. Contributions may be given for a specified purpose; otherwise they also go to the Endowment Fund. 2 Contributions may be tax-deductible; see inside front cover for more information.

Member/Sponsor or Order Deliver/Ship to (if different) Name______Name______Address______Address______Telephone______Telephone______Fax______Fax______E‑mail______E‑mail______

Pacific Seabirds • Volume 34, Number 1• Spring 2007 • Page 40 PSG EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 2007

Of f i c e r s Chair Verena A. Gill, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, 1011 E. Tu- dor Rd., MS 341, Anchorage, AK 99503-6199, USA. Telephone: (907) 786-3584; fax: (907) 786-3816; cell phone: (907) 250-3721; e-mail: [email protected] Chair-Elect Doug Bertram, Canadian Wildlife Service, Institute of Ocean Sciences, 9860 West Saanich R., P.O. Pox 6000, Sidney, BC, Canada V8L 4B2. Telephone: (250) 363-6735; fax: (250) 363 -6390; e-mail: [email protected] Past Chair Katie O’Reilly, Department of Biology, University of Portland, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd., Portland, OR 97203. Telephone: (503) 943-7146; fax: (503) 943-7784; e-mail: [email protected] Vice-Chair for Conservation Craig S. Harrison, 4953 Sonoma Mountain Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, USA. Telephone: (202) 778‑2240; e-mail: [email protected] Treasurer Ron LeValley, Mad River Biologists, 920 Samoa Blvd., Suite 210, Arcata, CA 95521, USA. Telephone: (707) 326-0300; fax (707) 826-0540; e-mail: [email protected] Secretary Mark Hipfner, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, RR#1, 5421 Robertson Rd., Delta, BC, Canada V4K 3N2. Telephone: (604) 940-4720; Fax: (604) 946-7022; e-mail: [email protected] Editor, Pacific Seabirds Vivian Mendenhall, 4600 Rabbit Creek Rd., Anchorage, AK 99516, USA. Telephone: (907) 345-7124; fax (907) 345-0686; e-mail: [email protected]

Re g i o n a l Representatives

Alaska and Russia Shiway Wang, P.O. Box 2495, Seward, AK 99664, USA. Telephone (cell): (907) 362-2494; e-mail: [email protected] Canada Ken Morgan, Institute of Ocean Sciences. P.O. Box 6000, 9860 W. Saanich Rd., Sidney, B.C., Canada V8L 4B2. Telephone: (250) 363-6537; fax: (250) 363-6390; e-mail: morgank@pac. dfo‑mpo.gc.ca Washington and Oregon Don Lyons, Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. Telephone: (503) 791-2958; e-mail: [email protected] Northern California Esther Burkett, California Dept. of Fish and Game, 1416 Ninth St., Sacramento, CA 95814. Telephone: (916) 654-4273; fax: (916) 653-2588; e-mail: [email protected] Southern California Dan Robinette, PRBO Conservation Science, Vandenberg Field Station, 205 N. H St., Suite 217, Lompoc, CA 93436, USA. Telephone (805) 735-7300; fax (805) 735-8817; e-mail drobinette@ prbo.org Non-Pacific United States Melanie Steinkamp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 11510 American Holly Dr., Room 206C, Laurel, MD 20708, USA. Telephone (301) 497-5678; fax: (301) 497-5706; e-mail: Melanie_ [email protected] Pacific Rim Linda Elliott, Hawaii Wildlife Center, P.O. Box 5006, Hawi, HI 96719. Telephone and fax: (808) 884-5576; e-mail: [email protected] Old World Mark Tasker, JNCC, Dunnet House, 7 Thistle Place, Aberdeen AB10 1UZ, Scotland, UK. Telephone: 011 (from USA/Canada only), then 44-1224‑642863; fax: 011 44‑1224‑6214-88; e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Student Representative Jo Smith, School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, University of Washington, P.O. Box 355020, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Telephone (206) 221-5294; e-mail: [email protected]