Assessment of injury to seabird and marine mammal populations along the southeast coast of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska from the Exxon Valdez oil spill during the summer of 1989
Bailey E and Rice B. 1989. Assessment of injury to seabird and marine mammal populations along the southeast coast of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska from the Exxon Valdez oil spill during the summer of 1989. US National Park Service. Kenai Fjords National Park. Seward, AK
The primary purpose of these studies are to assess injury to seabird and marine mammal populations along the south coast of the Kenai Peninsula as a result of the oil spill from the T/V Exxon Valdez on March 24, 1989. Collection in the field of oiled -- dead and live wildlife specimens comprised the primary method to determine direct injury to wildlife as a result of the spill. This work was conducted by "Bird Rescue" and "Otter Rescue" crews funded by Exxon/Veldez, and all specimens were turned over to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Over 36,400 dead oiled birds and over 900 dead oiled seaotters have been recovered by October 15,1989. The recovery success rate has been estimated to be about 5 percent for dead oiled seabirds and 30 percent for seaotters. To supplement these findings, the following three studies were conducted: 1) Colony Censuses, 2) Shoreline Surveys, and 3)Beached Bird Surveys. As weather and time permitted, a reconnaissance of nocturnal seabirdnesting colony sites was also conducted on islands where they had not been previously examined. This helped to complete the picture of colonial nesting seabirds in the study area.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Bailey, Edgar; Rice, Bud
- Date of Issue
- 1989-11
- Publisher
- US National Park Service. Kenai Fjords National Park
- Units
- KEFJ
- Keywords
- Abundance, Bald Eagles, Barwell Island, black-legged kittiwakes, Cape Resurrection, Chiswell Islands, Distribution, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, glaucous-winged gulls, Harbor Seals, Marine Mammals, Murres, Pye Islands, Sea Lions, Sea Otters, Seabirds, tufted puffins