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Abstract
Traditional field methods of assessing effects of fluctuations in food supply on the survival and reproductive performance of seabirds may give equivocal results. In this project we applied an additional tool: The measure of stress hormones in free-ranging seabirds. Food stress can be quantified by measuring base levels of stress hormones such as corticosterone in the blood of seabirds, or the rise in blood levels of corticosterone in response to a standardized stressor: capture, handling and restraint. We applied these techniques to seabirds breeding in Lower Cook Inlet and also used captive birds for controlled experiments. This study provided a unique opportunity for a concurrent field and captive study of the behavioral and physiological consequences of stress in seabirds. Moreover, this study provides the basis for management of seabird populations in the areas affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which will have broader applications for seabird monitoring programs. This year represents production of a synthesis of the project.
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Other Report |
| Title | Effects of food stress on survival and reproductive performance of seabirds |
| Year Published | 2001 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council |
| Publisher location | Anchorage, AK |
| Contributing office(s) | Alaska Science Center |
| Description | 9 p. |
| Public Comments | Final Report: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Project 02479 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Other Geospatial | Cook Inlet, Gulf of Alaska |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |