Final PSG schedule and scientific sessions now available.
Click here to download program.
Abstracts are available as a separate file.
Click
here to download talk abstracts.
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Pacific Seabird Group (PSG) 39th ANNUAL MEETING
February 7-10, 2012---Turtle Bay, Hawaii
39th Pacific Seabird Group 2012 Complete Program available for
download here
The Schedule is available for
download here
· February 7th: registration, committee meetings
· February 8th: regular paper sessions, poster session reception
· February 9th: regular paper sessions, student mentoring mixer
· February 10th: regular paper sessions, closing banquet and luau
· February 11th: field trips
Abstracts are available for
download here
John Cooper
- Honorary Information Officer for the Agreement on the Conservation of
Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP); John Cooper will be the recipient of PSGs 2012
Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jeffrey Polovina - Chief of the Ecosystem and Oceanography Division (EOD) at NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. His research as a biological oceanographer focuses on understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of marine ecosystems with an emphasis on high trophic levels.
Matthieu Le Corre - Professor at the University of Réunion Island and deputy director of the Marine Ecology Laboratory of Réunion where he leading the “seabird team.”
Please visit the Plenary Speakers webpage to read short biographies about each speaker.
Tropical Seabird Biology and
Conservation
Co-conveners:
Drs. David Hyrenbach (khyrenba@gmail.com)
& Scott Shaffer (Scott.Shaffer@sjsu.edu)
The last two decades have seen a burgeoning of information on the general
ecology, distribution, physiology, and population demography of temperate and
high latitude seabird species. These advances have been driven by long-term
colony-based and at-sea studies throughout the world (e.g. England, France, New
Zealand, Australia, Japan, Norway, and USA). In contrast, comparable programs
focusing on subtropical and tropical seabird species are far fewer, particularly
with regard to at-sea distribution, individual movements and population
dynamics. Initially, seminal studies by Fisher, Whittow, Ashmole, Schreiber,
and others, focused on the adaptations of seabirds to foraging on low
productivity tropical oceans. More recently, the surging interest in tropical
seabirds is born out of the desire to understand the seabird distribution in
relation to year-to-year variability in food availability, interactions with
tuna fisheries, and the looming effects of increasing water temperature and
rising sea level from the anticipated climate change. Given the venue of this
year’s conference, we felt it was appropriate to host a session devoted to
tropical seabirds.
To this end, we will convene a special paper session (SPS) highlighting the
biology of tropical seabirds, with an emphasis on novel perspectives that
increase our understanding of their ecology and their roles in marine
ecosystems, and comparative studies that review differences between tropical and
higher latitude species. The SPS will include an introductory talk and a 2-hour
(8- paper) session, incorporating invited speakers and relevant contributed
abstracts of presentations that fit within the realm of tropical seabird
biology. Please note that the length of the proposed SPS may be lengthened /
shortened to accommodate the scientific program and meeting schedule.
Where Seabirds and Tuna Meet: Biology and Management of Subsurface Predator
Facilitated Foraging
Co-conveners:
Dr. Sara Maxwell (sara.maxwell@marine-conservation.org),
Dr. Lance Morgan (lance.morgan@marine-conservation.org),
and Peter Kappes (peter.kappes@oregonstate.edu)
Seabirds occupy diverse foraging niches throughout their ranges that, in some
cases, result in complex ecological interactions. One such example is
subsurface predator facilitated foraging, the interaction between seabirds and
subsurface predators where predators drive forage species to the surface making
prey more accessible to seabirds. This interaction is known to occur in many of
the world’s oceans including the Eastern Tropical Pacific, Northwest Atlantic,
and throughout the Indian Ocean. In some regions of the world, such as the
oligotrophic Central Tropical Pacific, some tropical seabird species are thought
to be obligate commensal foragers with subsurface predators, a relationship that
is of even greater importance during the breeding season. This indicates the
importance of managing to foster this relationship in order to maintain or
increase seabird populations, and has become a central management question to a
number of agencies, particularly those that manage the US Pacific Remote Islands
Marine National Monument.
Despite the importance of this relationship, however, our in-depth understanding
of the interaction, as well as the key ecological knowledge of species involved
in the interaction is poor, particularly in regards to questions most pertinent
to management such as: Which seabird species are obligate foragers in
relationship to subsurface predators? What is the range of seabird species
movements, particularly during the breeding season when their movements are most
restricted? What is the scale of local versus regional movements of subsurface
predators and how does this influence the ability of seabirds to forage
effectively? How does reduction in subsurface predator biomass – either locally
or regionally – influence the availability of forage fish for seabirds and how
does this translate to seabird breeding success?
Because many subsurface predators such as tunas are also commercially important
species, management of this interaction becomes increasingly complex both
biologically and socio-economically. Through a series of presentations followed
by an in-depth discussion period, we will focus on biological questions directly
relevant to management. Our goals are to: (1) present what is known about
subsurface predator facilitated foraging, and classify our major gaps in
understanding; (2) highlight how this interaction varies globally; (3) determine
critical research questions and methods we can use to understand the
interaction, and (4) determine how we can use existing data and the future
answers to key question to manage both seabird species, fisheries and the
ecosystems in which they interact.
Biology and Conservation of Hawai`i’s Endemic Seabirds: Hawaiian Petrel and
Newell’s Shearwater
Co-conveners:
Dr. Helen James (jamesh@si.edu),
Dr. Nick Holmes (nick.holmes@islandconservation.org)
Two species of seabirds breed exclusively in the main Hawaiian Islands: the
endangered Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) and the threatened
Newell’s Shearwater (Puffinus newelli). Recent research on the petrel
has for the first time: tracked movements of individual birds at sea, traced
patterns of gene flow among colonies, compared foraging behavior among colonies
using stable isotopes, and compared vocalizations and morphology among islands.
In addition, ancient DNA and stable isotopes from museum specimens and subfossil
bones have extended the record of Hawaiian Petrel foraging ecology and genetic
structure thousands of years into the past. Similar research is either in the
planning stages or in progress for Newell’s Shearwater. This basic research
draws attention to the need to consider each island colony separately, and to
link the lives of these birds at sea with what happens at their breeding
colonies in order to assess their conservation threats. The historical records
provide a unique view of how human harvesting has affected the diets of
non-target pelagic predators in the topical to temperate Pacific Ocean.
Population estimates for these seabirds show that the fates of colonies may
differ. For example, Newell’s Shearwater appears to be in rapid decline on
Kaua`i whereas a larger than expected colony of Hawaiian Petrel was rediscovered
not many years ago on Lana`i. Conservation programs for these seabirds include
efforts to monitor population sizes and reproductive success, protect the birds
from alien predators, and rescue birds that have been downed by lights and other
human infrastructure. The special paper session will highlight research and
conservation progress as well as future challenges for Hawai`i’s endemic
seabirds.
Seabirds, marine spatial planning, and impacts of renewable energy development
in the California Current Ecosystem
Convener:
Dr. Jeannette Zamon (jen.zamon@noaa.gov)
Development of clean, renewable ocean energy sources is a high priority for
growing energy demand on the US West Coast. The coastal waters of California,
Oregon, and Washington are all part of the California Current Ecosystem, a
highly productive marine ecosystem which supports millions of seabirds as well
as providing a migratory corridor for non-resident seabirds, shorebirds, and
waterfowl. Energy devices to harvest tidal, wave, or wind energy are already
being tested in areas occupied by birds. Deployment of devices may directly or
indirectly affect seabirds; evaluation of such effects is in very early stages.
Minimizing undesirable impacts on birds requires data on seabird distribution,
abundance, and habitat use. Data are necessary to inform the site-selection
process, to evaluate before/after comparisons at individual sites, and to
determine cumulative impacts across multiple sites.
Agency and NGO interest in seabirds and marine spatial planning for the
California Current Ecosystem is reaching a critical mass. The goals of this
Special Paper Session are to (1) highlight emerging priorities, needs, and data
sets relevant to seabirds and marine spatial planning in California, Oregon, and
Washington (2) provide a topical session that facilitates coast-wide networking
among academics, agency scientists, NGOs, and consultants who contribute seabird
data to marine spatial planning throughout the California Current and (3)
discuss near-term research priorities and data gaps.
ACCEPTABLE POSTER DIMENSIONS
Create your poster such that it does not exceed 4 ft (~1.2 m) Height x 6 ft
(~1.8 m) Width. Posters may be attached to the wall space via Velcro or tacks
only. Information about when and where you will hang your posters will be
available in the forthcoming Meeting Program (will be available online and at
Meeting Registration on-site).