Cooperative Agreement F24AC01718

NORTHERN GANNETS WERE ONE OF THE BIRD SPECIES MOST HEAVILY IMPACTED BY THE DEEPWATER HORIZON DWH OIL SPILL WITH AN ESTIMATED LOSS OF 8 PERCENT OF THE NORTH AMERICAN POPULATION. NORTHERN GANNETS BREED AT SIX COLONIES IN NORTH AMERICA ALL OF WHICH ARE IN EASTERN CANADA THREE IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR AND THREE IN QUEBEC IN THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE. THE GULF OF MEXICO IS AN IMPORTANT WINTERING AREA FOR NORTHERN GANNETS AND SOME IMMATURE AND JUVENILE GANNETS MAY REMAIN IN THE GULF FOR MOST OF THE YEAR. AS SUCH BOTH BREEDING ADULTS AND JUVENILES WERE AFFECTED BY THE OIL SPILL. NORTHERN GANNET POPULATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA HAVE CONTINUED TO FACE HARDSHIP SINCE THE DWH OIL SPILL. LITTLE POPULATION RECOVERY HAS BEEN OBSERVED AS THE NORTH AMERICAN NORTHERN GANNET POPULATION HAS PLATEAUED AND BREEDING SUCCESS HAS BEEN POOR. FACTORS WHICH LIKELY CONTRIBUTE TO THESE CONCERNING TRENDS INCLUDE 1) ECOTOURISM AND HUMAN DISTURBANCE AT COLONIES, 2) PREDATION AND DISTURBANCE BY COYOTES AND FOXES, 3) ENTANGLEMENT IN PLASTIC AND FISHING GEAR DEBRIS IN NESTS, 4) BYCATCH IN FISHING GEAR, 5) OIL POLLUTION AND WIND ENERGY SITES, AND 6) LOW PREY AVAILABILITY OR QUALITY ASSOCIATED WITH OCEANIC CLIMATE CHANGE. IN ADDITION, NORTHERN GANNETS WINTERING IN THE GULF OF MEXICO EXHIBITED ELEVATED FEATHER CORTICOSTERONE AND PLASMA THYROID HORMONE LEVELS COMPARED TO CONSPECIFICS WINTERING ALONG THE US ATLANTIC COAST. THESE ELEVATED STRESS HORMONE LEVELS MAY HAVE BEEN A RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO LOWERED PRODUCTIVITY. MOST RECENTLY NORTHERN GANNETS WERE AMONG THE MOST IMPACTED SPECIES BY THE 2022 HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA OUTBREAK EXPERIENCING WIDESPREAD MORTALITY AND HISTORICALLY LOW BREEDING SUCCESS. THESE RECENT EVENTS COUPLED WITH THE INCREASINGLY SEVERE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ONGOING HUMAN DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE NORTHERN GANNETS FORAGING AND MIGRATORY RANGES HIGHLIGHT THE UNCERTAINTY OF RISKS FACING NORTHERN GANNETS. GIVEN THESE RECENT THREATS IMMEDIATE ACTION IS REQUIRED TO REDUCE MORTALITY AND INCREASE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS AND RECRUITMENT THROUGHOUT THE NORTHERN GANNETS NORTH AMERICAN BREEDING RANGE. TO PREPARE FOR FUTURE ON THE GROUND RESTORATION WORK IDENTIFIED IN THE DEEPWATER HORIZON NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT OPEN OCEAN TRUSTEE IMPLEMENTATION GROUP FINAL RESTORATION PLAN 3 AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BIRDS WE WILL COLLECT BASELINE INFORMATION ON GANNET POPULATIONS AT THEIR COLONIES IN 2024 INCLUDING ABUNDANCE PRODUCTIVITY AND DISEASE STATUS. THIS WORK IS ESPECIALLY CRITICAL GIVEN UNCERTAINTIES IN HOW THE POPULATION HAS RESPONDED TO THE MAJOR HPAI DIE OFF EVENT. WITHOUT SUCH BASELINE INFORMATION EFFECTIVE RESTORATION ACTIVITIES IN FUTURE YEARS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO IMPLEMENT NOR WOULD RESPONSES TO THOSE ACTIVITIES BE MEASURABLE. SPECIFICALLY WE WILL CONDUCT AERIAL SURVEYS AND GROUND MONITORING AT GANNET COLONIES IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND QUEBEC INCLUDING SWABBING GANNETS FOR HPAI AND ASSESSING ANY ONGOING MORTALITY TO DETERMINE HOW AND IF HPAI IS AFFECTING COLONIES. IN ADDITION WE WILL CONTROL PREDATORS ON COLONIES IF DETECTED DURING MONITORING AS PREDATOR DISTURBANCE CAN HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON COLONY ABUNDANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY.