Alaska Maritime NWR Refuge: St. Paul Island Seabird Population Count

Project NameSt. Paul Island Seabird Population Count
Project Number343
LocationSt. Paul in the Pribilof Islands
DatesJune 25-July 23, 2017
Duration4 weeks
Number of Volunteers Needed1 FILLED
DescriptionThe goal of this project is to determine long-term trends in seabird populations in the Pribilof Islands. The specific objective of this portion of the project is to conduct multiple replicate counts of nesting seabirds within monitoring plots that have been established on St. Paul Island, Alaska. Alaska Maritime NWR, along with its partners, has been monitoring populations of seabirds in the Pribilof Islands for nearly 40 years. These counts provide important information for the management of seabirds in the Pribilof Islands. Several seabird species, including kittiwakes, murres, and cormorants, declined significantly on St. Paul Island during the 1980s and 1990s. Although some species have stabilized or increased since the decline, others have not. The Seabird Population Count project is the most efficient way for Alaska Maritime NWR to monitor the health of seabird populations on St. Paul Island. Refuge also will be recruiting for this volunteer position.
Skills NeededPreference would be given to a volunteer in good physical condition, capable of hiking several miles over rough terrain, able to identify and accurately count seabirds through binoculars and spotting scopes, and able to enter basic data into a database. ATV Training required (available at AMNWR) FISSA (not required but helpful)
Contactmarc_romano@fws.gov