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Arctic Researchers Race to Recover Geotagged Semipalmated Sandpipers

Earlier this month, two Manomet research teams left for field sites in the Arctic to conduct shorebird demographics research and try to recover geolocators placed on Semipalmated Sandpipers last year.   Manomet researchers are conducting field work at two sites: Coats Island in Canada’s Hudson Bay, which is the largest uninhabited island south of the Arctic Circle in the Western Hemisphere, and the Canning River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.   Many long-distance migrant shorebird species return to the same areas to breed each year, making the birds’ Arctic breeding grounds the only place to reliably study individuals from year to year.   The Semipalmated Sandpiper — a small shorebird that breeds in the Arctic and winters in northeastern...

Schulte Visits NYC Sites to Prepare for Oystercatcher Field Research Season

In early May, Manomet’s American Oystercatcher Recovery Project Coordinator Shiloh Schulte visited field sites in the New York City area to meet with partners, discuss plans for this year’s field research season, train field staff, and band oystercatchers.   The partners were members of the American Oystercatcher Working Group, which develops, supports, and implements range-wide research and management efforts.    “Manomet and NYC Audubon are working with the National Park Service and NYC Parks to promote and coordinate oystercatcher management, monitoring, and research in the New York City area,” Schulte said.   During his visit, Schulte assisted oystercatcher banding efforts at Gateway National Recreation Area on Staten Island and at the Arverne beaches in Queens, which is a NYC Parks...

USFWS Reopens Comment Period on Proposal to Protect Red Knot

In early April the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reopened the public comment period on its proposal to list the rufa Red Knot as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).   In some areas, Red Knot populations have decreased by about 75 percent since the 1980s, with the steepest declines occurring after 2000.   Manomet works with regional, national and international partners to assess threats to rufa Red Knot populations, collect and publish data, and outline metrics for recovery.   “The Red Knot has been a focal species of Manomet’s shorebird research since the 1980s, when Manomet Biologist Brian Harrington first brought its migration story to the public eye,” said Brad Winn, Manomet’s director of shorebird habitat management....

Maine Smelt Fry Celebrates Local Heritage and a Sustainable Fishery

The Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) is a small, sea-run fish that lives in estuaries and saltwater bays and spawns in freshwater streams in spring. Once common from Delaware to Canada, their populations have declined dramatically in recent decades. In 2004, Rainbow Smelt was listed as a federal species of concern.   The reasons for these declines are not well understood, but dams, pollution, increasing water temperatures, and overfishing are among possible causes. Similar declines have occurred in parts of Maine, which has led the Maine Department of Marine Resources to ban smelt fishing this spring in the lower half of the state, from Stonington to Kittery. Runs of Rainbow Smelt in the closure area have declined by 50 percent in...

Manomet Scientists Warn of Oil Spill Danger to Nesting Shorebirds

Experts from the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences warned today about the potential impact of a weekend oil spill in Texas on nesting migratory shorebirds. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, a collision between a barge and a ship near Galveston Bay caused approximately 168,000 gallons of oil to spill into the water. “There is no good time for an oil spill, but this is a particularly bad time because resident shorebirds like oystercatchers are already nesting, and migratory shorebirds are currently using Galveston Bay during northward migration,” said Manomet scientist Shiloh Schulte, who also serves as the coordinator of the American Oystercatcher Working Group. “Galveston Bay has the highest concentration of nesting American Oystercatchers in Texas.”        ...

Experts identify Maine wildlife, plants vulnerable to climate change

This article was originally published in the Bangor Daily News on March 12, 2014 and was written by Aislinn Sarnacki. View the original article here. Hard times may be ahead for Maine’s moose, loons and salmon, according to a recent assessment released by the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. These iconic Maine animals are just a few of the many species predicted to run into challenges due to climate change. “The Maine of tomorrow will not be the Maine I grew up with,” said Andrew Whitman, director of the Sustainable Economies Initiative at Manomet and one of the seven authors of the assessment. “Species that are common to see may very well not be.” Climate change greatly increases the vulnerability of...

New Climate Change Report is a Wake-up Call for Maine’s Wildlife

This article was originally published in the Portland Press Herald on February 28, 2014. View the original article here. Some troubling news came out this week about serious threats facing Maine’s wildlife. More than a third of Maine’s most vulnerable wildlife species are threatened by climate change, according to a recent study by a team of scientists. The report, Climate Change and Biodiversity in Maine, identifies 168 vulnerable species that could experience large range shifts and population declines in Maine as a result of climate change by 2100. Iconic Maine species, such as the common loon and moose, were among the many species found to be at risk. “Maine will experience more warming than most states and this may pose...

Interview with Anne Hayden: Restoring the Fisheries of Downeast Maine

Manomet’s Anne Hayden is coordinator of the Downeast Fisheries Partnership, a coalition of groups working with fishermen and fishing communities to restore the fisheries of Downeast Maine.   Populations of groundfish like cod, haddock and flounder collapsed over 20 years ago and the fishing industry there now relies mainly on lobster. Stunted by dams that block their paths upstream to breeding grounds, sea run prey species such as Atlantic salmon, herring and alewives have also declined.   To address these issues, Manomet, the Downeast Salmon Federation and Penobscot East Resource Center formed the Downeast Fisheries Partnership. The Partnership is coordinating the efforts of groups working on fisheries restoration in the region, using an approach that focuses on ecosystem-based management and...

Radio Telemetry: A Fresh Approach to Understanding Shorebird Migration

By Laura Koloski   It’s not often I get excited about technological advances. In a world of ever-evolving phones, tablets, and gadgets, I’m stuck fumbling with the buttons on my flip phone. But when new technologies improve our ability to study wildlife populations my interest skyrockets.   Studies on shorebird movement and migratory patterns have greatly benefitted from GPS, radio tracking, and geolocator technologies. For some species, however, the size and weight of monitoring units are major considerations that restrict the use of GPS to precisely track migration. Dunlin weigh in at less than 75 grams and the concern is that the added weight of a GPS transmitter would make it too difficult for a bird to complete its long...

Study Shows Maine’s Wildlife Threatened by Climate Change

More than a third of Maine’s most vulnerable wildlife species are threatened by climate change, according to a recent study. The report, Climate Change and Biodiversity in Maine, identified 168 vulnerable species that could experience large range shifts and population declines in Maine by 2100 as a result of climate change. Iconic Maine species, such as the common loon and moose, were some of the species found to be at risk. “Maine will experience more warming than most states and this may pose a huge threat to our wildlife,” said lead author Andy Whitman, of the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. “We identified Maine’s wildlife and habitats most vulnerable to climate change. This is the first step for moving forward on...