SEABIRDS

1. SEABIRDS POSTERS 3 - Seabirds as Indicators 2 - Seabird management and conservation

2. What kind and was it enough:Integrating stress physiology, stable isotopes and regurgitations to assess diet changes for Least auklets (Aethia pusilla) on St. Paul Island Z Morgan Benowitz-Fredericks, Alexander Kitaysky *, Alan Springer & Justine Sears, 3. Corticosterone: Long term energy balance 1. Stable isotopes: Trophic level & Inshore vs. offshore 2. Regurgitations: Short term prey composition Combined data suggest that Neocalanus is a better food source for LEAU, and when it was not available birds consumed euphausiids, hyperiids and crab juveniles, which, based on SIA data, appear to be at higher trophic level than Neocalanus. In 2003 and late July 2004, birds consumed high trophic level prey and experienced greater nutritional stress (elevated CORT). Whether the difference in LEAU CORT associated with different prey types is due to energy content or availability of prey remains undetermined. Funded by NPRB (#RO320) and Alaska EPSCoR (NSF #EPS-0346770)

3. What kind and was it enough:Integrating stress physiology, stable isotopes and regurgitations to assess diet changes for Least auklets (Aethia pusilla) on St. Paul Island Z Morgan Benowitz-Fredericks, Alexander Kitaysky *, Alan Springer & Justine Sears, Neocalanus is a better food source for LEAU than other taxa of zooplankton Alternate prey consumed by auklets were high trophic level taxa Birds experienced greater stress on diets of alternate prey Question of diet quality or quantity

4. Marine Birds and Cetaceans: Indicators of Zooplankton Biomass Near the Pribilof Islands George Hunt, Jaime Jahncke, Ken Coyle, Jeff Napp, and David Hyrenbach Numbers of seabirds at sea within ~100 km of the Pribilof Islands Figure courtesy of J. Jahncke

5. Marine Birds and Cetaceans: Indicators of Zooplankton Biomass Near the Pribilof Islands George Hunt, Jaime Jahncke, Ken Coyle, Jeff Napp, and David Hyrenbach Variable abundances of seabirds and cetaceans, late 1970s - early 2000s Proportional to abundance and community structure of zooplankton Physically driven by sea ice, water temperature, and stratification Possible implications on economically and ecologically important walleye pollock

6. The Seabird Tissue Archival and Monitoring Project (STAMP) and community involvement (David G. Roseneau, Paul R. Becker, Steven J. Christopher, Glenn K. Chen, Rusty D. Day, Michael B. Ellisor, David Point, Rebecca S. Pugh, Kristin S. Simac, Stacy S. Vander Pol, and Geoffrey S. York).

7. The Seabird Tissue Archival and Monitoring Project (STAMP) and community involvement (David G. Roseneau, Paul R. Becker, Steven J. Christopher, Glenn K. Chen, Rusty D. Day, Michael B. Ellisor, David Point, Rebecca S. Pugh, Kristin S. Simac, Stacy S. Vander Pol, and Geoffrey S. York). Collaboration among FWS, USGS, NIST, BIA, 19 Alaskan communities Monitor long-term (100 y) trends in about 100 contaminants Use seabird eggs and tissues, primarily murres and gulls 22 seabird colonies Expanding public participation, a key element in success of program US and Russia

8. Laysan albatross Photo: Paul Suchanek The AlaskaPelagic Seabird Observer Program, Year One by: Kathy Kuletz, Elizabeth Labunski, David Irons. U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska Common and Thick-billed murres Seabird survey transects, 2006

9. The AlaskaPelagic Seabird Observer Program, Year One by: Kathy Kuletz, Elizabeth Labunski, David Irons. U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska Need current information on the spatial and temporal distribution of birds at sea Supplements North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (historic data) Oceanographic and fisheries research vessels May - October 2006 logged 14,263 km of survey transects Numerous marine ecoregions

10. Protecting Aleutian Island Biodiversity: Island Habitat Restoration and Introduced Species Prevention Steve A. MacLean1, Stacey Buckelew2, Gregg Howald2, Vernon Byrd3 1 The Nature Conservancy 2 Island Conservation 3 Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

11. Protecting Aleutian Island Biodiversity: Island Habitat Restoration and Introduced Species Prevention Steve A. MacLean1, Stacey Buckelew2, Gregg Howald2, Vernon Byrd3 Partnership with Fish and Wildlife Service and Island Conservation Integrated plan to eradicate rats from the Aleutian Islands and prevent introductions Approach is highly effective Need to protect non-target species such as certain landbirds

12. PRESENTATIONS Seabirds as indicators Including how they use habitat Possible effects on populations of environmental variability

13. HotOceanography A Seabird Story From The Pribilofs Alan Springer, Vern Byrd, and Sara Iverson August 2003 SST Anomaly

15. PDO OCH NO3 SST VLF CO2 PSU BFD

16. Least Whiskered Brie Drummond Bob Pitman Aethia Auklets Parakeet Crested Brie Drummond

17. Auklet Size v Diet Euphausiids, Large Neocalanus, Much Other Parakeet 300 g Euphausiids, Large Neocalanus, Small Neocalanus, Other Crested Large Neocalanus, Euphausiids, Small Neocalanus, Other Whiskered Body size Prey size 100 g Small Neocalanus, Calanus, Large Neocalanus, Other Least

18. Major Least Auklet Colonies Summer diets typically dominated by Neocalanus and Calanus

19. “Historic” Least Auklet Diets on the Pribilofs Year Date/interval % Neocalanus % Calanus Source St. George 1977 chick period 71 not identified Hunt et al. 1978 1984 Mid-Jul - Early Aug "dominant"" Roby and Brink 1986 1985 Mid-Jul - Early Aug 51 27 Bradstreet 1985 St. Paul 1976 chick period <3 69 Hunt et al. 1978 1977 chick period 66 not identified Hunt et al. 1978 1992 Mid-Jul - Early Aug 85-90 < 10 Flint and Golovkin 2002

20. Least Auklets

21. Least Auklets

22. St. Paul St. George Copepod mass % in diet

23. Copepod FA Biomarkers 35 early 2003: late 30 Mass % total fatty acids early 25 2004: late 20 15 10 5 0 20:1n11 20:1n9 20:5n3 22:1n11 22:1n9 22:6n3

24. 5 8 5 7 . 8 3 3 . 4 5 7 . 6 3 3 . 3 3 3 . 2 5 7 . 4 3 3 . 1 3 3 3 2 . 9 5 7 . 2 3 2 . 8 3 2 . 7 5 7 3 2 . 6 3 2 . 5 3 2 . 4 5 6 . 8 3 2 . 3 3 2 . 2 5 6 . 6 3 2 . 1 3 2 3 1 . 9 5 6 . 4 3 1 . 8 3 1 . 7 5 6 . 2 3 1 . 6 5 6 - 1 7 2 - 1 7 1 . 5 - 1 7 1 - 1 7 0 . 5 - 1 7 0 - 1 6 9 . 5 - 1 6 9 - 1 6 8 . 5 - 1 6 8 Mean Salinity Below the Pycnocline July 26 - August 19, 2004 Mean salinity blow the thermocline, showing the 32.4 isohaline dividing the shelf and oceanic zooplankton communities near the Pribilof Islands, July – August 2004. Dots indicate CTD station locations. From Coyle et al. (in press).

25. S a l i n i t y ( P S U ) D i s t a n c e ( k m ) 0 5 0 1 0 0 1 5 0 3 3 . 1 5 3 3 3 2 . 8 5 3 2 . 7 3 2 . 5 5 3 2 . 4 3 2 . 2 5 3 2 . 1 3 1 . 9 5 3 1 . 8 3 1 . 6 5 3 1 . 5 3 1 . 3 5 3 1 . 2 3 1 . 0 5 3 0 . 9 3 0 . 7 5 3 0 . 6 0 20 40 Depth (m) 60 80 100

26. Station groupings from canonical correlation Group 2 Group 3 Group 1 Distribution of CalVET station groups separated by canonical correlation comparing physical oceanographic parameters with abundance of the major zooplankton taxa on the southeastern Bering Sea shelf, July – August 2004. From Coyle et al. (in press).

27. From L. Eisner

28. M2 Integrated water column temperature From P. Stabeno

29. Seabirds as Indicators Hot Oceanography - Temporal and Spatial Context So What?

30. Copepods May SST Anomaly - SE Bering Sea Shelf 2 Gone early Gone middle 1.5 1 Gone by late .5 Degrees C 0 -.5 -1 -1.5 Present middle -2 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

31. Colder Warmer A Shifting Front?

33. Seabirds as Seabirds Dietary Stress So What?

34. 1 2 1 0 8 Baseline CORT (ng/ml) 6 2002 4 2 0 0 3 2 2 0 0 4 0 J u n e E a r l y J u l y L a t e J u l y Least Auklet Stress Index at St. Paul I. From M. Benowitz-Frederichs et al.

35. Acknowledgements North Pacific Research Board U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Marine Fisheries Service St. Paul I. Stewardship Program