Kittlitz's Murrelet Ecology and Monitoring in Icy Bay, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Kissling M, Reid ME, Gende S, Putera J. Kittlitz's Murrelet Ecology and Monitoring in Icy Bay, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. 2005-2012
Kittlitz’s murrelets (KIMU) have declined by up to 75% across their range, spurring the USFWS to elevate the species to a Priority 2 for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Icy Bay, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park supports up to 12% of the world’s population of KIMU, with the highest density found in any surveyed areas. Consequently, factors constraining population growth in Icy Bay will have a disproportionate impact on the fate of this species. A number of factors have been proposed that may be contributing to the decline, including those directly anthropogenic (by-catch in salmon gillnet fisheries, oil spills), indirectly anthropogenic (global climate change), and natural (elevated predation). However virtually nothing is known about key vital rates for this species, such as survival or reproductive success, which would identify where in the life history population growth is limited. All conservation and management actions are thus speculative and highly uncertain. To identify the life-history stage where population growth is most likely limited, as well as identify factors limiting growth, we will use a combination of mark-recapture efforts, radio telemetry, and abundance estimates to generate an empirically-based population growth model. This information can then be used by the USFWS as part of the recovery plans for this species which will include, but not limited to, recommendations for minimizing disturbance in both terrestrial and marine habitats and identification and characteristics of high-value nesting and foraging habitats in Icy Bay, WRST.
- Type
- Project
- Authors
- Kissling, Michelle; Reid, Mason; Gende, Scott; Putera, Judy
- Units
- CAKN , SEAN , WRST
- Keywords
- Biology, DatasetCatalog, Icy Bay, KIMU, Life History, Mark-Recapture, Ornithology, Reproductive Rates, Reproductive Success, Seabirds, Survival Rates, Wildlife Management, Wrangell - St Elias National Park, WRST
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Marine Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Birds
Program
Products
- Understanding Abundance Patterns of a Declining Seabird: Implications for Monitoring
- Distribution and abundance of the Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in selected areas of southeastern Alaska
- Multi-state mark–recapture model to estimate survival of a dispersed-nesting seabird, the Kittlitz's Murrelet
- Reproductive performance of Kittlitz’s Murrelet in a glaciated landscape, Icy Bay, Alaska, USA