ANTI-CYCLONIC CIRCULATION AND THE LONG-RANGE FORAGING MOVEMENTS OF HAWAI´IAN PETRELS (PTERODROMA SANDWICHENSIS) IN THE NORTH PACIFIC Josh Adams*1, David G. Ainley2, Jay F. Penniman3, Cathleen Bailey4, Joy Tamayose4, Fern Duvall5, and Holly Freifeld6 1U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological research Center, 400 Natural Bridges Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, [email protected]; 2HT Harvey and Associates, San Jose, CA; 3Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI; 4Haleakala National Park, Makawao, HI; Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Kahului, Maui, HI, U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service Satellite telemetry studies of the movements of seabirds are now common and have revealed impressive flight capabilities and extensive distributions among individuals of many species at sea. Linking seabird movements with environmental conditions over vast expanses of the world’s open ocean, however, remains difficult. We applied a new method for quantifying the movements of far-ranging seabirds in relation to ocean winds measured by the SeaWinds scatterometer onboard the QuikSCAT satellite. We apply vector correlation to evaluate how the trajectories (ground speed and direction) of Hawaiian Petrels outfitted with satellite transmitters during the summer chick-rearing period were related to ocean winds. During three consecutive breeding seasons (2006–08), 17 birds from two colonies (Maui and Lanai) completed 23 clockwise, circular, long-distance 9716 ± 418 SE km foraging trips lasting 18.0 ± 0.9 days. We suggest that low variability in foraging trip distance (cv = 0.17) and duration (cv = 0.19) results from the petrels’ reliance on quartering tail-winds as they circle large anti-cyclones located to the north of Hawaii in the central-eastern North Pacific. Two tagged individuals classified as non- chick provisioning adults attending nest sites, and one individual outfitted with a transmitter who was not recaptured (all lost transmitters at sea) completed long-range, clockwise excursions into the North Pacific, similar to the completed loops of chick provisioning adults, but once southeast of the main Hawaiian Islands, all three exhibited meandering paths south to the North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC) and west as far as the Philippine Sea. Limited data from these individuals indicate that adults may seek productivity associated with the NECC and western Pacific during the winter non-breeding season. PACIFIC CONTINENTAL SHELF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (PACSEA): SEABIRD AND MARINE MAMMAL SURVEYS OFF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, OREGON, AND WASHINGTON COASTS Josh Adams*1, Jonathan Felis1, John W. Mason2, Jeff N. Davis3, K. Ben Gustafson4, David M. Pereksta5 and John Y. Takekawa6, 1U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, 400 Natural Bridges Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA, [email protected]; 2Environment International, Portland, OR; 3Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA; 4 U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon, CA; 5Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Region, Camarillo, CA; 6U. S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Vallejo CA. Interest has increased for developing renewable energy sources to reduce U. S. dependence on oil. Some policy makers include power generation along the continental shelf of the U. S. Pacific coast, beyond state waters. This region supports abundant populations of seabirds and marine mammals, but comprehensive, multi-seasonal aerial surveys were conducted two decades ago. Marine spatial planning, including potential site selection for offshore energy development, requires the description and quantification of recent species-specific and community patterns in distribution. To relate patterns of seabird abundance to physical and biological characteristics of ocean habitats, we conducted low- elevation aerial seabird surveys during January, June, and October 2011 (and continuing in 2012) along parallel strip-transects spanning continental shelf and slope waters from Fort Bragg, CA to Grays Harbor WA. Although effort focuses on Federal Waters outside of the 3-nautical mile state boundary, surveys include inshore waters to allow comparisons both within and adjacent to potential renewable energy developments. In the past, environmental analyses of aerial seabird surveys have relied on satellite- derived products of ocean optical properties that are coarse in scale or temporally-averaged to produce better spatial coverage. Therefore, in addition to aerial pyrometry to measure sea-surface temperature, we installed an on-board hyperspectral radiometer to collect remotely-sensed reflectance simultaneously with species observations. Herein, we discuss survey methods and describe inter-seasonal trends in abundance and distribution for marine birds and variability in the ocean environment, and introduce aerial hyperspectral radiometry as a potential tool for delineating fine-scale ocean habitat features (fronts and watermasses) based on ocean color. CASPIAN TERN (HYDROPROGNE CASPIA) FORAGING ECOLOGY AND PREDATION ON JUVENILE SALMONIDS IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY, CALIFORNIA Lindsay J. Adrean*1, Daniel D. Roby1, Donald E. Lyons1, Ken Collis2, and Allen F. Evans2,1U.S. Geological Survey – Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 104 Nash Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA, [email protected]; 2Real Time Research, Inc., 52 S.W. Roosevelt Ave., Bend, Oregon 97702, USA. Brooks Island in San Francisco Bay is a proposed relocation site for some Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) currently nesting in the Columbia River estuary. A bioenergetics modeling approach and radio-tracking of Caspian Terns nesting on Brooks Island in 2008 and 2009 were used to estimate consumption of Endangered Species Act–listed juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) and examine availability of other forage fish resources. Estimated salmonid consumption was ca. 205,000 smolts in 2008 and ca. 167,000 smolts in 2009. Estimated predation rates on threatened Central Valley spring-run Chinook (0.1%) were lower than those on unlisted fall-run Chinook (1.0%). Assuming mortality from Caspian Tern predation is 100% additive, the proposed enhancement of the colony to 3,000 individuals would at most cause declines in annual population growth rates (λ) of 0.02% for spring-run Chinook and 0.28% for fall-run Chinook. The median foraging distance from the colony was greater in 2009 compared to 2008 (20.6 km vs. 14.0 km), average number of foraging trips per day was higher (4.4 vs. 3.4 foraging trips), and average adult colony attendance was lower (43% vs. 52% of daylight hours). Caspian Terns used a number of core foraging areas within 30 km of Brooks Island, one overlapping with a release site for juvenile salmonids in eastern San Pablo Bay. Individual Caspian Terns displayed foraging site fidelity, suggesting that foraging at the hatchery release site for salmonids is a learned behavior. Consumption of juvenile salmonids by Brooks Island terns would be largely curtailed by modification of hatchery release practices. MODELING THE DEMISE AND REBIRTH OF WEST MAUI’S NEWELL’S SHEARWATER AND HAWAIIAN PETREL COLONIES David Ainley* and David Zajanc, H.T. Harvey & Associates, Los Gatos CA 95032, [email protected] Several hundred endangered Hawaiian Petrels (HAPE, Pterodroma sandwichensis) and <100 threatened Newell’s Shearwaters (NESH, Puffinus auricularis newelli) remain in colonies in West Maui, Hawaii. These may be genetically distinct populations, raising issues for endangered species’ recovery programs that seek preservation of genetic diversity. Population modeling indicates that HAPE and NESH could be extinct from West Maui within three decades and two decades, respectively. On the basis of interest and resources, First Wind, as mitigation for the Kaheawa Wind Power I and II wind energy projects, propose to reverse extinction of these two species from West Maui by establishing predator-free colonies. As part of that effort, we developed a deterministic population dynamics model, with demographic values taken from the literature, for evaluating growth of ‘artificial’ colonies at Makamaka'ole (West Maui). Modeling results and experience with similar projects in New Zealand show that reversing the trend is possible, if this mitigation option is implemented soon. Through “social attraction,” these new artificial colonies would “borrow” recruits from the decreasing nearby colonies. The new colonies would experience growth quickly, but existing colonies would experience an increased rate of decline. Overall however, based on population modeling, the species populations’ trends would change from decreasing to increasing within 30 years, despite the hastened population decrease in the existing colonies. Within 20-30 years, depending on species, self-sustaining, growing colonies of HAPE and NESH should exist once again in West Maui. FATAL LIGHT ATTRACTION AND SAVE OUR SHEARWATERS Tracy Anderson, Save Our Shearwaters 3-825 Kaumualii Hwy , Lihue, HI 96766, USA, [email protected] Young federally threatened Newell’s Shearwaters (Puffinus newelli) and Hawaiian Petrels (Pterodroma sandwichensis) fledging from their natal burrows in the mountains become confused and unable to navigate when confronted with urban light arrays. This “fatal light attraction” results in disoriented birds circling lighting structures until they are exhausted and “fallout” to the ground. Once