The Exxon valdez Oil Spill Disrupted the Breeding of Black Oystercatchers
Andres BA. 1997. The Exxon valdez Oil Spill Disrupted the Breeding of Black Oystercatchers. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 61(4):1322-1328
I evaluated the effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on black oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani) by comparing the breeding success of pairs inhabiting oiled and unoiled islands in Prince William Sound, Alaska. I hypothesized that direct and indirect consequences of shoreline oiling would disrupt the breeding and foraging behavior of oystercatchers. Fewer pairs occupied (36%) or maintained nests on (34%) oiled Green Island after the spill in 1989 than in 1991, whereas the number of pairs and nests remained similar on unoiled Montague Island during the same period. In 1989, chicks disappeared from nests at a greater rate (42%) on Green Island than from nests on Montague Island; disturbance associated with cleanup operations also reduced productivity on Green Island in 1990. By 1991, productivity on Green Island (1.3 chicks/pair) exceeded that on Montague Island (0.6 chicks/pair). In 1989, mortality of bay mussels (Mytilus trossulus) was significantly higher (P = 0.003), and feeding rates of oystercatchers were significantly lower (P = 0.0002), on Green Island than on Montague Island. I concluded that the breeding of black oystercatchers was disrupted during 1989 and 1990 but had substantially recovered by 1991. Additional, intensive restoration actions probably are not needed for black oystercatchers to recover in areas affected by the spill.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Andres, Brad
- Units
- GLBA , KLGO , SEAN , SITK
- Keywords
- Black oystercatcher, Breeding, Disturbance, Exxon Valdez, Haematopus bachmani, Oil Spill, Population Dynamics, Populations, Reproduction, Seabirds, Survival