Impacts to Natural Resources From the Point Reyes Tarball Incidents, 1997-1998 Final Report of Natural Resource Damage Initiation SEABIRD INJURIES FROM THE 1997-1998 POINT REYES TARBALL INCIDENTS Prepared By: Humboldt State University R.G. Ford Consulting Company National Park Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service California Department of Fish and Game National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PRTI Injury Report July 2003 SEABIRD INJURIES FROM THE 1997-1998 POINT REYES TARBALL INCIDENTS Harry R. Carter and Richard T. Golightly Editors Department of Wildlife Humboldt State University Arcata, California 95521 Cooperative Agreement No: 1443-CA-8530-99-003 Department of the Interior/National Park Service and Humboldt State University Foundation With Contributions by Staff From: Humboldt State University R.G. Ford Consulting Company Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary California Department of Fish and Game U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Oiled Wildlife Care Network Point Reyes National Seashore Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association U.S. Geological Survey FINAL REPORT July 2003 Suggested Citation: Carter, H.R. and R.T. Golightly, editors. 2003. Seabird injuries from the 1997-1998 Point Reyes Tarball Incidents. Unpublished report, Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, California. 215 pp. i PRTI Injury Report July 2003 Contributors Allen, Sarah G., National Park Service, Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes, California 94956 Capitolo, Phillip J., Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, California 95521 Carter, Harry R., Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, California 95521 Ford, R. Glenn, R.G. Ford Consulting Company, 2735 N.E. Weidler Street, Portland, Oregon 97232 Golightly, Richard T., Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, California 95521 Hampton, Steve, California Department of Fish and Game, Office of Spill Prevention and Response, P.O. Box 944209, Sacramento, California 94244 Haas, James, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Room 2605, Sacramento, California 95825 Himes Boor, Gina K., R.G. Ford Consulting Company, 2735 N.E. Weidler Street, Portland, Oregon 97232 Mazet, Jonna A. K., University of California, School of Veterinary Medicine, Wildlife Health Center, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616 Mortensen, Joseph, Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association, Fort Mason, Building 201, San Francisco, California 94123 Nevins, Hannah R., Humboldt State University, Department of Wildlife, Arcata, California 95521. Current address: Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, California 95093 Parker, Michael W., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, P.O. Box 524, Newark, California 94560 Roletto, Jan, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary, Fort Mason, Building 201, San Francisco, California 94123 Yee, Julie L., U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 7801 Folsom Boulevard, Suite 101, Sacramento, California 95826 ii PRTI Injury Report July 2003 Acknowledgments This report was prepared with funds from the U.S. Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, created through the 1990 Oil Pollution Act. Funding was provided to Humboldt State University (HSU) from the National Park Service (S. Allen, R. Dawson, C. Swaford) and to R.G. Ford Consulting Company (G. Ford, G. Himes Boor) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS; J. Haas). Much cooperative support was provided by: U.S. Coast Guard (National Pollution Funds Center); Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS; J. Roletto, L. Grella, E. Ueber); Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN; University of California Davis, Wildlife Health Center; J. Mazet, S. Newman), California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG; S. Hampton, P. Kelly, J. Tarpley, J. Yamamoto), USFWS (M. Parker, J. Buffa, M. Kolar); U.S. Geological Survey (J. Yee, D. Orthmeyer); Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association (J. Mortenson, M. Brown); and HSU (H. Carter, R. Golightly, P. Capitolo, B. Clueit, R. Okey, H. Nevins, E. Craig, J. Hamby). Live and dead birds were recovered from beaches by many individuals from many agencies and organizations (see Appendix C for collector where known or stated). Summaries of data on live and dead seabirds recovered from beaches were provided by the Point Reyes National Seashore and OWCN. Key field personnel for bird collections were S. Allen, J. Ames, C. Clumpner, D. Cooper, R. Dmytryk, A. Frank, L. Grella, J. Haas, J. Hall, J. Hardwick, M. Harris, J. Holcomb, D. Howard, R. Imai, S. McCallister, S. Newman, D. Press, A. Transou, J. Tarpley, T. Williamson, and M. Ziccardi. Dead seabird carcasses were stored for several years in a large evidence freezer at the CDFG Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center (Santa Cruz, California), under the supervision of D. Jessup. Examinations of thawed carcasses also were conducted at this center, facilitated by D. Jessup and M. Miller. HSU carcass examinations were conducted by L. Algee, J. Adams, D. Adams, S. Allen, K. Andrews, P. Capitolo, H. Carter, M. Chapla, G. Cunningham, A. Den Besten, C. Hamilton, H. Harris, J. Harvey, J. Hawkes, L. Henkel, M. Murphy, H. Nevins, K. Neuman, S. Oates, H. Steed, and G. Veldink. Standardized data on beached seabirds collected by the Beach Watch Program in 1996-2000 were provided by GFNMS (H. Flett, L. Grella, J. Hall, J. Mortenson, D. Osorio, J. Roletto, and M. Van Tolksdorf). Wind data for the trajectory model were obtained from the National Data Buoy Center, administered by the National Weather Service (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA). Hydrographic data used in the modeling were obtained from GEODAS, a dataset compiled by the National Geophysical Data Center (NOAA). Modeling support and products were provided by the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration, HAZMAT (G. Watabayashi, M. Hodges, J. Galt). Aerial photographic surveys of Common Murre colonies in 1996-2000 were conducted mainly by the Common Murre Restoration Project, with oversight by the Apex Houston Trustee Council (D. Welsh, J. Takekawa, J. Buffa, D. Lollock, P. Kelly, E. Ueber). Aircraft and skilled pilots were provided by CDFG Air Services, Sacramento, California (L. Heitz, R. VanBenthuysen, B. Morgan, and B. Cole). In 1998, supplemental flights were conducted by Ecoscan Resources, iii PRTI Injury Report July 2003 Freedom, California (B. VanWagenen). Aerial survey permits (GFNMS/MBNMS-03-96) were provided by NOAA (J. Roletto, S. Kathey, H. Golde). Aerial photography was assisted by J. Boyce, P. Capitolo, H. Carter, G. Collins, E. Craig, H. Gellerman, C. Hamilton, G. McChesney, W. McIver, E. McLaren, D. Nothhelfer, M. Ortwerth, M. Parker, N. Rojek, S. Schubel, V. Slowik, and R.Young. Information on Brown Pelicans, Marbled Murrelets, and Western Snowy Plovers was provided by D. Anderson, E. Burkett, P. Capitolo, F. Gress, D. Jaques, and G. Page. HSU report preparation was managed by B. Clueit, with assistance from R. Okey. The cover photo was provided by S. Hampton. iv PRTI Injury Report July 2003 Table of Contents Preface....................................................................................................................................vi Executive Summary...............................................................................................................vii Chapter 1. Spill event and response..................................................................................1 Chapter 2. Observations of oil and injury.........................................................................7 Chapter 3. Estimated total number of beached birds ........................................................11 Chapter 4. Trajectory backcast .........................................................................................29 Chapter 5. Population impacts to Common Murres at the Drake’s Bay Colony Complex, California.......................................................................................43 Literature Cited ......................................................................................................................69 Appendix A. Listing of scientific names .............................................................................79 Appendix B. Chapter 5 appendices......................................................................................81 Appendix C. Master PRTI bird database for birds recovered.............................................93 Appendix D. Summary of birds recovered by region, found status, and period.................213 Appendix E. Summary of Brown Pelicans recovered .......................................................215 v PRTI Injury Report July 2003 Preface Between November 1997 and March 1998, national media focused on the large numbers of dead or dying oiled seabirds on beaches in Point Reyes National Seashore and elsewhere in central California during a series of tarball oil spill incidents from unknown sources. Agency responses to these oiling events were hampered by the lack of a known responsible party, stormy winter weather conditions, and incomplete response plans. Multiple waves of oiled seabirds reached shore during a four-month period and, at times, threatened to overwhelm personnel and resources. In spite of these challenges, detailed information on the numbers of beached seabirds was gathered by Point Reyes National Seashore, Gulf of the Farallones National