Population Characteristics of Common Murres and Rhinoceros Auklets Entangled in Gillnets in Puget Sound, Washington, from 1993 to 1994

Thompson, Christopher W.; Wilson, Monique L.; Pierce, D. John; DeGhetto, Darlene

doi:10.2307/3536837

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…As that timing coincides with chick departure (Regehr and Rodway 1999), it is possible that females were attending nest sites, whereas males were on the water caring for the chicks and were subsequently caught in gill nets. In summer and fall in Puget Sound, Washington, USA, at a site more than 150 km away from the nearest breeding colony, Thompson et al (1998) found that common murres caught in salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) gill-net fisheries were mostly adults and had an equal sex ratio.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local Survival Rates of Common Murres Breeding in Witless Bay, Newfoundland

Robertson¹,

Storey

Wilhelm³

2006

Journal of Wildlife Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local Survival Rates of Common Murres Breeding in Witless Bay, Newfoundland

Robertson¹,

Storey

Wilhelm³

2006

Journal of Wildlife Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Murres winter along both inner and outer coastal areas and prefer the protected marine areas off straits, inlets, bays and channels (Ainley et al, 2002), where, at least in some locations on the Pacific coast, they are inadvertently taken as by-catch in gill nets (Thompson et al, 1998). Although the winter distribution of St Lazaria's murres has not been studied, it is possible that they join birds from other colonies in the northeastern Pacific in coastal areas where congregated flocks experience similar conditions.…”

Section: Seabirds At St Lazaria Islandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Status, trends, and patterns of covariation of breeding seabirds at St Lazaria Island, Southeast Alaska, 1994–2006

Slater¹,

Byrd²

2009

Journal of Biogeography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim We examined patterns of covariation among piscivorous and planktivorous seabirds breeding at St Lazaria Island in order to evaluate their responses to interannual changes in sea surface temperature, a variable that affects marine food webs. In addition, we evaluated seabird population trends for responses to decadal-scale changes in the marine ecosystem.Location St Lazaria Island, Sitka Sound, Alaska.Methods Established seabird monitoring protocols for the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge were followed in estimating population trends, the timing of nesting events and the reproductive success of eight species of seabirds between 1994 and 2006.Results Population increases were noted for storm-petrels (Oceanodroma furcata and O. leucorhoa), rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata) and glaucouswinged gulls (Larus glaucescens). We found no population trend for pelagic cormorants (Phalacrocorax pelagicus), but it appeared that populations of common (Uria aalge) and thick-billed (U. lomvia) murres and of tufted puffins (Fratercula cirrhata) declined. We detected no linear trends in either breeding chronology or reproductive success over the study period for any seabird. All species of piscivorous seabirds apparently responded similarly to environmental cues as there was a positive covariation among species in the timing of nesting. Piscivores tended to nest earlier, and most species had higher rates of reproductive success in years with relatively warm spring sea temperatures. In contrast, planktivorous Leach's storm-petrels (O. leucorhoa) tended to nest earlier when spring and summer sea temperatures were relatively cool. Clearly, seabirds at St Lazaria were responding to interannual changes in sea temperatures near the breeding colony, probably as a result of effects on the food webs.Main conclusions Every seabird species we monitored at St Lazaria exhibited significant population trends between 1994 and 2006. For most species there appeared to be a relationship between both the timing of nesting and reproductive rates and spring or summer sea surface temperatures. Responses at both decadal (populations) and interannual (timing and reproductive success) scales make seabirds useful candidates for helping to monitor change in the marine environment.Journal of Biogeography 36, 465-475 SST, sea surface temperature anomaly. n.s., no significance; +, significantly positive; ), significantly negative.

show abstract

“…Common murres from Tatoosh Island dispersed after the breeding season into areas where seabirds have been known to interact with commercial gillnet fisheries and where substantial bycatch has been reported (Troutman et al, 1991;Pierce et al, 1994;Thompson et al, 1998;Melvin et al, 1999;Smith and Morgan, 2005). Most murres from Tatoosh Island (approximately 80%) went inshore (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the Pacific Northwest of North America, seabird bycatch has been reported in Washington and British Columbia coastal gillnet fisheries since at least the early 1980s (Carter and Sealy, 1984;Kaiser, 1993;Thompson et al, 1998;Melvin et al, 1999;Smith and Morgan, 2005). Commercial gillnet fisheries have operated in these regions for decades, principally targeting salmonids (Shepard and Argue, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite significant regional reductions in landings and of fishing fleets (S. Boessow, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), unpublished data; Nelson and Turris, 2004;Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2007;Sea Around Us, 2007), gillnetting has persisted and was worth $25 million annually from 2000 to 2006 in Washington and British Columbia combined (L. Hoines, WDFW, unpublished data; Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2007). The majority of the reported bird bycatch has been common murres (Uria aalge) Melvin et al, 1999;Smith and Morgan, 2005) and, in some of the fisheries, annual mortality estimates were in the thousands (Pierce and Alexandersdottir, unpublished data in Thompson et al, 1998;Smith and Morgan, 2005). The provenance of these murres is unknown although colonies in the vicinity of the fishing grounds are an obvious potential source.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation