Winter
1996
Advisory
Council Appointed
Tidings
Sanctuary Currents
Education Digest
Alcids--Birds of Winter
Advisory
Council Appointed
What can
fishermen, environmentalists, educators, communicators, scientists,
and members of the general public have in common? For the members of
the first Sanctuary Manager's Advisory Council (SMAC) that commonality
is a strong belief in the intrinsic value of Stellwagen Bank and its
resources.
Meeting
for the first time on September 24, the 15 members and 15 ex-officio
members were introduced to each other and to the on-going management,
enforcement, research, and education programs now underway in the Sanctuary.
Members
of the Council will serve for one two, or three-year terms (based on
luck of the draw at the next council meeting); all subsequent seats
will offer three-year terms. In order to allow as much feedback as possible
from the public, council members will be limited to a single 3-year
term (those drawing one or two-year terms during the first round may
serve a second term if so willing). The members will select their chairperson
at the next meeting in December. Members of the first Sanctuary Manager's
Advisory Council are:
Howard
Nickerson (representing commercial mobil gear fishing)
Mr. Nickerson is executive director of the Offshore Mariner's Association
based in New Bedford. Previous experience includes 25 years of dragging
and sea scalloping, and more recent experience teaching about fisheries
issues at several Massachusetts colleges.
Robert
MacKinnon (representing commercial fixed gear fishing)
Mr. MacKinnon is President of the Massachusetts Netters Association
and co-founder of the New England Harbor Porpoise Working Group. As
a member of several marine mammal protection groups, he has worked to
reduce interaction of mammals and fishing gear through education, gear
modification, and acoustic devices. For the past 20 years he has fished
commercially in and around the Sanctuary.
Roger
Jarvis (representing party and charterboat operations)
Captain Jarvis is the operator of Jazz Sport Fishing out of Duxbury
and a past president of the Cape Cod Charter Boat Association. He was
a participant in the process to designate Stellwagen Bank a National
Marine Sanctuary. This is now his 26th year as a charter captain with
much of that time spent on Stellwagen Bank fishing for bluefin tuna
or bottom species.
Louis
Gainor (representing recreational boating)
Mr. Gainor is a recreational boater who regularly visits Stellwagen
Bank, as well as the host of a weekly, one-hour radio program on station
WATD-95.9FM called "Nautical Talk Radio." His program features nautical
news, boating safety, Coast Guard and law enforcement updates, and marine-related
interviews.
Aaron
Avellar (representing whale watching)
Mr. Avellar is the owner of the Dolphin Fleet of Provincetown and considered
to be the founder of commercial whale watching in the area. A converted
fisherman, he was the first to realize the commercial and tourism value
of bringing the public out to view whales in their natural environment.
Over the past 20 years his fleet has made numerous voyages into what
is now the Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary.
Dr.
Clifford Goudey (representing the research community)
His interest in the sustainability of commercial fisheries leads Mr.
Goudey to believe that the Sanctuary offers a unique chance to answer
some of the scientific questions facing fisheries managers. He is Director
of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Sea Grant Program
Center for Fisheries Engineering Research and a recipient of a 1996
FIG grant for development and demonstration of a low-bycatch, low-bottom-impact
trawl for small-mesh bottom trawling. His work at MIT's Underwater Vehicle
Laboratory led to the design of the RoboLobster and autonomous underwater
vehicle Odyssey.
Terry
Tessein (representing the media)
A freelance writer with a strong commitment to environmental issues,
Mr. Tessein provides the Sanctuary Manager's Advisory Council with important
public outreach perspectives. He is the author of a monthly column for
New England Out-of-Doors entitled The Salt Line and a weekly column,
Cape Cod Outdoors, which appears in the Community Newspapers on Cape
Cod. This recreational angler was a founding member of the New England
Coastal Conservation Association.
Dr.
Michael Williamson (representing the educational community)
"My philosophy regarding conservation and management of marine resources
has always been 'with knowledge comes wisdom,'" says Dr. Williamson,
an Associate Professor of Science at Wheelock College in Boston and
the Principal Investigator for the WhaleNet Internet-based education
project. He has 25 years experience in education, much of it in marine
science, along with 20 years experience in whale watching and whale
research.
Nathalie
Ward (representing education and public outreach)
Author of the critically acclaimed "Field Guide to the Whales, Sea Birds,
and Marine Life of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary," Ms
Ward provides expertise in both natural science and public education.
She teaches graduate level courses at the Boston University Marine Program
in Woods Hole on marine mammals, conservation and management, and science
writing. This founding member of the Stellwagen Bank Steering Committee
also has strong ties to our sibling sanctuary at Silver Bank in the
Dominican Republic.
Janet
Gray (representing the nontraditional educational community)
The former Acting Curator of Education at the New England Aquarium is
now attending school for a graduate degree in education while continuing
to manage several Aquarium program. Ms Gray has had extensive experience
in educating the public about the riches of Massachusetts Bay and Stellwagen
Bank, as well as work in grants management, teacher training and curriculum
development.
Mason
Weinrich (representing environmental/conservation organizations)
Mr. Weinrich serves as the Director and Chief Scientist of the Cetacean
Research Unit in Gloucester, a non-profit organization dedicated to
research, conservation and education pertaining to marine mammals and
the marine ecosystems of New England. As a field biologist and licensed
captain of CRU's research vessel, he has an intimate knowledge of all
of the waters of the Sanctuary through thousands of hours spent in and
around it. Mr. Weinrich was another active member of the steering committee
for the Stellwagen Bank Coalition, which helped to garner support for
sanctuary designation. For the past two years, he has served as chairman
of the Coastal Advocacy Network.
Russell
DeConti (representing environmental/conservation organizations)
This former member of the Stellwagen Bank Coalition steering committee
actively fought for the strongest sanctuary possible, which meant testifying
in Washington, DC. Mr. DeConti serves as Director of Conservation for
the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, the organization that
was one of the two sponsors of the sanctuary nomination. "We had a positive
impact on the creation of the Sanctuary then, and I very much welcome
the opportunity to work with you now on developing this sanctuary into
a national model for marine research, conservation, and education,"
he notes. Mr. DeConti is a former environmental planner, board member
of the Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod, and presently co-owner
of a small shellfish mariculture company in Nantucket Sound.
Eleanor
Dorsey (representing environmental/conservation organizations)
Ms Dorsey is a Staff Scientist with the Conservation Law Foundation
specializing in issues related to pollution from municipal sewage treatment
plants, management of New England groundfish, disposal of contaminated
dredged materials, seafood contamination, and protection of right whales.
"Many of these issues of of direct concern to the Sanctuary," she observes.
Prior to her move to CLF in 1988, Ms Dorsey obtained a master's degree
in zoology and gained 11 years experience in cetacean studies working
with Dr. Roger Payne at the Whale Conservation Institute.
Thomas
Broadrick (representing the public, at-large member)
This Planning Director for the Town of Duxbury has a long-standing interest
and love for the marine environment. His planning experience spans seven
years, two with Duxbury and five with the Town of Dennis on Cape Cod.
Prior to his work in Massachusetts, he was employed as a Park Ranger
and biologist at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo,
Florida. At that time the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary was gaining
national and international recognition, and Mr. Broadrick ably assisted
in public outreach programs for both the State Park and National Sanctuary.
His training and skills in planning and years of experience with another
sanctuary will be of value to Stellwagen Bank.
William
Golden, J.D. (representing the public, at-large member)
Mr. Golden provides the Sanctuary with a wealth of experience in marine
and environmental issues. As a solicitor for the City of Quincy, he
became appalled by the polluted shoreline while jogging along Wollaston
Beach one summer morning in 1992. This concern led to action and the
initiation of the historic lawsuit to clean up Boston Harbor. As a State
Senator from 1985 to 1990 he actively promoted environmental measures
while serving on the energy and natural resources and agriculture joint
committees. He was one of the founders of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay,
as well as the South Shore Coalition and Massachusetts Public Interest
Research Group, East (MassPIRG). He is now a partner in the law firm
Burns and Levinson in Boston.
Ex-Officio
Members of the Sanctuary Manager's Advisory Board include representatives
from the following agencies and organizations:
-
NOAA,
National Marine Fisheries Service--Habitat Branch
-
1st
US Coast Guard District--Fisheries Law Enforcement
-
US
Army Corps of Engineers, NE Division
-
US
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1
-
Northeast
Fishery Management Council
-
National
Park Service, Cape Cod National Seashore
-
US
Geological Survey, Atlantic Branch
-
Massachusetts
Coastal Zone Management Office
-
Massachusetts
Marine Fisheries Commission
-
Mass.
Dept. of Environmental Management, Ocean Sanctuary Program
-
Massachusetts
Board of Underwater Archeological Research
-
Massachusetts
Water Resources Authority, Environmental Quality Dept.
-
Representatives
from the offices of Senator John Kerry, Senator Edward Kennedy,
Congressman Gerry Studds, Congressman Joseph Kennedy, Congressman
Peter Torkildsen, Congressman Barney Frank, and Congressman Joseph
Moakley; and Arnold Carr, Special Advisor, Underwater Search and
Survey.
A hearty
welcome to all members of the Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary Manager's Advisory
Council.
Top
Tidings
-- Message from the Sanctuary Manager
The new
fiscal year for the Federal Government (which began October 1) ushers
in a revised name and expanded outlook for this National Marine Sanctuary,
in particular, and a renewed enthusiam in the National Program, in general.
With reauthorization,
a bipartisan Congress reaffirmed their support for the protection and
management of important marine resource areas, including expansion of
one Sanctuary (Flower Garden Banks off Texas) and the possible future
designation of another (Northwest Straits in the State of Washington).
In honor of the work and dedication Congressman Gerry Studds exhibited
over years of service to Congress, much of it in the now defunct Merchant
Marine and Fisheries Committee, the House proposed and both the House
and Senate approved the renaming of this Sanctuary to the Gerry E. Studds
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Mr. Studds has been a friend
to the Sanctuary Program and was a major force in reauthorization of
the program in 1988, 1992 and again this year. It was through his (and
Senator John Kerry's) leadership that this Sanctuary became a reality
in 1992.
Recently
we've also wecomed new faces on both the national and local fronts.
We look forward to working with NMS Program Director Stephanie Thornton
on program-wide issues as well as the many important resource questions
that are unique to this region. We also salute the incoming Stellwagen
Bank Sanctuary Manager's Advisory Council. It is our hope that this
outstanding group of individuals will provide us with insight and expertise
so that we might better serve the public by providing balanced and appropriate
management strategies to protect the valuable resources at Stellwagen
Bank.
As we
celebrate our fourth anniversary as a Sanctuary (on November 4th), we
look forward to the challenges that lie ahead as we continue our important
work to better understand, and thereby better manage, this marine ecosystem.
Santuary
Currents
Congress
Honors Congressman Studds; Sanctuary Renamed
Included within the 1996 National Marine Sanctuaries Preservation Act
is recognition for retiring U.S. Congressman Gerry Studds (D-MA) who
was a key player in the process of designating the Stellwagen Bank sanctuary,
in particular, and providing support for the sanctuary program, in general.
In his honor, this sanctuary has been renamed the "Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen
Bank National Marine Sanctuary."
In 1988
Congressman Studds proposed amendments to the National Marine Sanctuary
Program that a prospectus on the proposed Stellwagen Bank sanctuary
be submitted to Congress by September 1990. This Prospectus and a draft
Environmental Impact Statement and Management Plan were published in
February 1991. During the formal comment period, 860 written comments
were submitted to NOAA as well as petitions signed by more than 20,000
persons supporting designation of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary.
On October
7, 1992, Congress, upon the urging of Congressman Studds, passed legislation
reauthorizing and amending the law that created the National Marine
Sanctuary Program. This legislation, which was signed by President George
Bush on November 4, 1992, designated Stellwagen Bank as the 12th National
Marine Sanctuary.
In supporting
the 1996 legislation to reauthorize the sanctuary program and rename
the 12th site, Representative Don Young (R-AK) said: "Gerry has long
been a leading proponent in the Houser of the protection of the marine
environment -- most prominently when he served as chairman of the former
Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. Now that Gerry is leaving
after 24 years of service, I believe this is a fitting tribute."
For Congressman
Studds, the honor bestowed upon him by his colleagues was both surprising
and gratifying. He noted, "One would be hard pressed to find something
that would have meant more to me than Stellwagen Bank."
National
Sanctuary Program Reauthorized
The U.S. Senate joined the House of Representatives in unanimously reaffirming
support for marine sanctuaries with the passage of the National Marine
Sanctuaries Preservation Act. The President signed the bill on October
18, 1996. The Act authorizes $45 million for the next three years for
continued management of the 12 marine sanctuaries presently in the system
and for developing final federal approval for the proposed Northwest
Straits sanctuary in the Pacific Northwest.
"As we
continue to work with sanctuary communities around the nation toward
healthier marine environments and healthier coastal economies, it is
good to know that we have Congress's full support and confidence," said
Sanctuary Program Director Stephanie Thornton. "That we were able to
receive unanimous bipartisan support sends a clear message that it is
important to the American people that our oceans and coasts be preserved
now and for the future."
Thornton
Leads NMS Team
The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary welcomes Stephanie Revesz
Thornton as the new director of the National Marine Sanctuary Program.
With a resume that covers 30 years of wide-ranging experience, Ms Thornton
combines expertise in marine science, business management and resource
conservation. Her special expertise is in fisheries.
Ms Thornton's
career has been built upon a series of positions that allowed her to
diversify her expertise in the marine field. She began as a fisheries
biologist studying Pacific salmon with the California Department of
Fish and Game and later worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service
focusing on albacore tuna migration. Subsequently, she served as manager
of the Humboldt Fisherman's Marketing Association, representing a 350-member
trade association for salmon, crab, and herring fishermen.
Ms Thornton
became directly involved in marine resource management through her participation
in the development of the Salmon Management Plan for the Pacific Fishery
Management Council and her working relationships with the California
Department of Fish and Game and the California State Legislature. During
this time, she was appointed by former Governor Jerry Brown as a California
Commissioner to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commissioner (PSMFC).
She served four years as Commissioner to this five-state interpact.
These cumulative work experiences led to the opportunity to create and
administer the Coastal Resources Center (CRC), a nonprofit organization
with a mission to preserve, maintain, and enhance marine fish and their
ecosystems in coastal California.
When CRC
was still in the conceptual stage, Ms. Thornton was hired to develop
the organization into a fully operating entity. Throughout the Center÷s
existence, she created and implemented over 15 applied marine conservation
projects, as well as comprehensive public education efforts. She served
as CRC÷s Executive Director for eight years until its recent closing.
Her academic
background includes a B.S. in Fisheries Biology, with an emphasis in
Marine Ecology, from Humboldt State University and an MBA from Golden
Gate University.
In addition
to Ms. Thornton's academic training and broad based work experience,
her professional association, and appointments have strengthened her
leadership capabilities. She served three years as President of the
American Fisheries Society, Humboldt Chapter and was founder and President
of the Women's Fisheries Network, Northern California Chapter. Currently,
she is a Board member to the National Research Council's Marine Board
where she is a representative to the Marine Area Governance Committee.
Good luck Stephanie and welcome to the Sanctuary program!
Sanctuary
Program Funded for 1997
The National Marine Sanctuary Program has received level funding for
1997 under the FY97 Omnibus Spending Bill/Continuing Resolution (CR)
which was passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton on September
28. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, in support of the bill, testified:
"Another ocean program very important to my State is the National Marine
Sanctuary Program. Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off the
coast of Massachusetts is an excellent example of Federal activity that
provides both environmental protection and economic enhancement. This
marine mammal feeding area is popular with whale watchers and fishermen,
and protection of the bank has received wide support -- not only among
my constituents, but Nationwide. The funding provided in the CR will
help to maintain this important national program, especially Stellwagen
Bank."
Oceans
Top Space in Public Survey
By a 71-19 percent margin, the American public believes that ocean
exploration is more important than space exploration, according to a
new national poll of public attitudes towards the world oceans. The
poll also reveals a deep concern among Americans over the declining
marine environment. The poll was funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts,
a national philanthropy and major supporter of environmental protection,
and conducted in mid-May by the Washington, D.C.-based Mellman Group.
Other poll results indicate that 82 percent agree that the oceans are
threatened by human activity, explicitly rejecting the idea that "the
oceans are so vast and plentiful that there is little humans can do
to destroy them"; and 85 percent of respondents agreed that "the federal
government needs to do more to help protect the oceans."
Site
Characterization On-Line
The Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary offers its long-awaited Site Characterization
study on-line via our web site at http://vineyard.er.usgs. The document
provides information on the site designation, the significance of the
resources, and detailed information on environmental, historical, and
cultural conditions that shaped the sanctuary. Management and conservation
issues included in the characterization cover marine mammal protection
efforts, dredge material disposal, monitoring, mariculture, and fisheries.
Top
Education
Digest
MIMIFest
'97 Scheduled
The Third Annual Plymouth MIMIFest, sponsored by the Sanctuary and The
Barn School Trust, has been scheduled for the week of May 19-23, 1997.
Teachers interested in bringing their students to the Fest should contact
Sanctuary education coordinator Anne Smrcina or office manager Sandi
Dentino as soon as possible. Last year's Fest was highly successful,
with over 1,800 students taking part. For information and reservations,
call 508-747-1691 or send an e-mail to asmrcina@ocean.nos.noaa.gov (provide
your name, e-mail address, day and evening phone numbers please).
Lefty
Takes to the Road
"Lefty," the Sanctuary's 50-foot inflatable right whale, has been taking
some excursions this past summer, including three visits to the Boston
Children's Museum. The walk-in whale and accompanying hands-on exhibits
have introduced hundreds of children and their parents to the wonder
of this magnificant animal and the very real threats to its continued
existence. The Sanctuary is investigating the possibility of developing
a Docent Corps of trained volunteers who would be charged with the "care
and feeding" of Lefty. To volunteer for the corps or for more information,
call the Sanctuary offices.
Sanctuary
Hosts Boston University Interns
During the past summer, students from Boston University's Graduate Programs
in Science Communication and Mass Communications, devoted many hours
of work towards development of Sanctuary-related education products.
Several of the feature stories in this issue of the Newsletter (as well
as several slated for the next issue) were written by Andrew Wilson.
Urmila Ranadive and Jennifer Connor worked on a soon-to-be-released
CD-ROM on the food web at Stellwagen Bank, while Joshua Ulick assisted
in the writing and editing of a curriculum package with naturalist Richard
Wheeler. These students' dedicated efforts have resulted in exemplary
products that will enhance public understanding of the resources of
the Sanctuary.
Traveling
Photo Exhibit Planned
Snaggle-toothed wolffish; other-worldly diatoms; magnificant leviathans.
The Sanctuary is preparing a traveling exhibit of marine life photography,
using wonderful images provided by generous local photographers. Among
the contributors are: Andrew Martinez (whose work has been seen in the
Boston Globe Sunday Magazine and his own book Marine Life of the North
Atlantic), Norman Despres, David and Susan Millhouser, Jeff Hannigan,
Jonathan Bird of Oceanic Research Group, and others. The schedule is
still in development; look for future updates on this project. Underwater
and surface photographers interested in adding their works to the exhibit
should contact the Sanctuary (photos should include creatures that reside
in or visit the Sanctuary). Organizations with exhibit space that are
interested in hosting the exhibit should contact the Sanctuary as soon
as possible by calling (508) 747-1691 or e-mail to: asmrcina@ocean.nos.noaa.gov.
Video
Complete; Auk Curriculum in the Works
In 1991, Richard Wheeler followed his heart and the migration path of
the extinct Great Auk and completed a marathon sea kayak trip that became
a NOVA show. Following up on that program, the Sanctuary is supporting
the development of a curriculum about that voyage as well as the issues
of extinction, survival and the sustainable use of marine resources.
The Great Auk, the penguin of the north, probably wintered in the waters
of Stellwagen Bank. The educational unit will focus not only on the
auk, but the cod and right whale too. As part of the curriculum package,
a 15-minute video has recently been completed which looks at bank environments
in the northwest Atlantic, in general, and Stellwagen Bank, in particular,
and the reasons for their attractiveness to marine species. A curriculum
book and audiotape by master storyteller Jay O'Callahan are in the making.
The videotape will be available to schools free of charge as of January
1, 1997.
Alcids
- Birds of Winter
The
waters over Stellwagen Bank can appear desolate during the winter. The
humpback, finback, and right whales have migrated south, and the swallow-like
storm-petrels no longer can be seen bouncing along the surface of the
water. But awards still await the hardy nature lover willing to brave
the wind and waves.
The return
of the cold marks the arrival of the alcids-a group of stocky black-and-white
seabirds that include one of the most recognizable of all birds, the
rainbow-billed puffin.
Alcids
are the northern hemisphere's equivalent of penguins, although the two
groups are not related. In fact, a now extinct alcid, the flightless
Great Auk, Pinguinus impennis, was called a penguin long before the
southern hemisphere penguins were described. Like the penguins of the
Antarctic, alcids walk upright -- their legs set towards the backs of
their bodies. And like penguins, alcids thrive in the cold water. They
nest in dense colonies along the rocky coasts and islands in the high
latitudes of the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and the Arctic Ocean.
On shore, alcids waddle clumsily, and in flight, they resemble giant,
stubby-winged insects, but in the water, where they spend most of their
lives, they are agile swimmers and prodigious divers. Using their wings
as flippers, alcids swiftly pursue crustaceans and small fish, such
as herring, at great depths, often emerging with their bills filled
with multiple prey to bring back to their nests. One species, the Common
Murre, has been recorded diving to depths of 550 feet.
During
the summer, spectacular colonies, often containing thousands of birds,
cram themselves along ledges, inside crevices, and between boulders.
In sites supporting multiple seabirds, the species segregate themselves.
For example, on an island off the coast of Newfoundland, Black Guillemots
nest at the base of the cliffs, Common Murres on ledges along the cliffs,
Razorbills in crannies along the cliff face, and Atlantic Puffins in
the grassy slopes on the tops of the cliffs. Most species are monogamous
and produce one brood per year of one to two chicks. In some species,
pairs may remain together for several years. Chick mortality is as high
as 90% during the first year. Gulls prey on chicks, and others succumb
to the harsh conditions at sea. But birds that survive the first few
months of life often live into their twenties.
Their
habit of nesting in dense colonies and their awkwardness on land made
alcids easy targets for hunters seeking eggs, meat, and feathers. In
the early 19th century, this overexploitation led to the extinction
of the Great Auk -- a two-and-half-foot tall flightless alcid that formerly
nested from Newfoundland to Britain. By the 1840s, colonies of other
alcid species had also disappeared from most islands in the Gulf of
Maine. Currently, some alcids are recolonizing their former nesting
sites. Starting in 1973, Stephen Kress of the National Audubon Society
and current director of the Maine Coastal Sanctuary program pioneered
efforts to restore seabirds to their historical nesting sites off the
coast of Maine. Kress and other scientists and volunteers of the Audubon
Society's Puffin Project transported Atlantic Puffin chicks from Newfoundland
to Eastern Egg Rock in Muscongus Bay, placed decoys and ceramic eggs
around potential nesting areas, and played audio tapes of nesting puffins
and chicks. In 1981, for the first time in 150 years, puffins returned
to the island to nest. Today, over 15 puffin pairs are nesting on Eastern
Egg Rock. Conservationists have also lured puffins to two islands near
the mouth of Penobscot Bay. Twenty-five pairs are nesting on Seal Island,
and over 150 pairs, along with 60 to 80 pairs of Razorbills, are nesting
on Matinicus Rock. Puffin Project workers are currently deploying decoys
and audio tapes to lure Razorbills to Seal Island and Common Murres
to Matinicus Rock. They have also used these methods to reestablish
colonies of other seabirds, including Common, Arctic, and endangered
Roseate terns.
Kick-starting
these colonies is a real challenge, according to Steve Edwards, an Audubon
Society naturalist aboard a puffin-watch cruise that visit the new colonies.
Edwards estimates that of the 3,000 islands off the coast of Maine,
30 are suitable for recolonization. The islands must contain enough
suitable habitat to support many nests, because alcids "like being
a face in the crowd." Islands must also be free of humans and introduced
mammals such as rats or foxes that consume chicks and eggs and be far
enough off the mainland that owls and other predators can't make the
journey over to prey on the colonies.
Even
after the colonies are established, the sites need constant maintenance,
according to Stephen Kress. Gulls, having benefited from the proliferation
of garbage dumps and fishing boat waste, have replaced humans as the
pilferers of nesting alcids. Not only do gulls compete with alcids for
nesting sites, they eat both young and adult birds. Therefore, gull
populations on these islands must be constantly monitored and controlled.
Alcids
are now protected in the Gulf of Maine. But hunting is not the only
activity that threatens alcid populations. Kress says that in the waters
off of Newfoundland and northern Europe, the commercial fisheries compete
with alcids for bait fish such as sand lance and herring, and that overharvesting
of these fish may be contributing to regional declines of alcids. Scores
of diving birds become entangled in drift nets and drown. But oil spills
are the conservationist's greatest nightmare. An oil spill in the wrong
place could wipe out entire colonies, putting a severe dent in the world
population. For example, 90% of all Common Murres nest in only three
colonies in Canada. By increasing the number of nesting colonies, conservationists
hope to lessen the impact of localized disasters such as oil spills.
As summer
ends, alcids leave their nests and scatter southward seeking productive,
ice-free waters where they can dine on the bounteous fish and marine
invertebrates. Stellwagen Bank is one such site. The number of alcids
off the Massachusetts coast likely varies depending on the distribution
of food and the severity of the winter. A deep freeze up north forces
many birds south, and storms, particularly in late fall and early winter,
may push alcids towards shore. But because few people venture out over
the Bank during the winter to survey the birds, data on the numbers
of alcids that frequent the sanctuary are scarce. During years when
the weather cooperates, birders survey the sanctuary during the annual
Stellwagen Bank Christmas Bird Count in mid-December. However, most
sightings come from land. Good locations for spotting alcids from land
include Andrews and Halibut Point in Rockport, Race Point in Provincetown,
and Nauset Lighthouse in Eastham. First Encounter Beach in Eastham can
also be a great place to observe alcids following severe northeast storms
in November.
Those
who do go out seeking alcids must not only be impervious to the cold,
but they must have sharp eyes. Alcids are difficult to spot as they
bob among the waves, only to dive and stay under water before the boat
can approach close enough to get a decent view. The fact that alcids
spotted during the winter are often immatures or in their winter plumage
makes distinguishing the species especially challenging.
Six species
of alcids breed in the North Atlantic and migrate to the waters off
the coast of Massachusetts in the winter. The following are descriptions
of what to look for. Wayne Petersen, field ornithologist for the Massachusetts
Audubon Society, provided the information.
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Razorbills
Alcid-seekers plying the waters over Stellwagen Bank or staring
out from the headlands on Cape Cod or Cape Ann are more likely
to see Razorbills than any other alcid, especially from November
through January. Razorbills are black on top and white below with
a pointed tails that are often cocked upwards. But their most
distinguishing feature is their large, laterally-flattened bill.
A vertical white band running through the middle of the bill is
also characteristic of adults. The bills of immature Razorbills
are easy to confuse with those of murres. Juvenile bills are shaped
the same as adult bills, but are smaller and lack the white band.
In flight, Razorbills have a hunchbacked, bull-necked appearance.
Other helpful fieldmarks for flying Razorbills include a white
trailing edge on the wing and white on either side of the black
tail.
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Murres
Two species, the Thick-billed Murre and the Common Murre, nest
in the North Atlantic Ocean. During most winters, bird watchers
usually report seeing a handful of Thick-billed Murres along the
Massachusetts coast, most often in late winter. But during some
seasons, the numbers increase dramatically, especially during
cold winters when extensive icing closes large areas of their
winter range. Following a major storm in December, 1976, birders
reported seeing a record number of 3,000-5,000 Thick-billed Murres
flying past the Massachusetts coast.
Common Murres rarely venture close to shore, but they may occur
regularly over Stellwagen Bank. However, following oil spills
off of Cape Cod and Nantucket, oiled murres regularly get swept
ashore, indicating that they do winter at sea off of Massachusetts.
The two species are difficult to distinguish from each other.
In winter, both birds are black on top and white below with white
throats and cheeks. However, the dark hood of the Thick-billed
Murre extends below its eyes, whereas the Common Murre has a dark
stripe running from its eyes to its cheeks. The Common Murre also
has a sharper, slenderer bill and is browner on the back than
the Thick-billed Murre. In flight, murres appear more streamlined
than the thick-necked Razorbills.
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Dovekies
Dovekies are chubby, starling-sized alcids that feed on planktonic
crustaceans. They are believed to be especially concentrated at
the upwelling zones along the edge of Georges Bank where food
is particularly abundant. During the fall, storms often deflect
Dovekies towards land, but Dovekies are seldom seen from shore
in Massachusetts after December. Like all alcids, Dovekies are
black above and white below. However, their small size, short
necks, and stubby beaks make them easy to distinguish from other
species, both in the water and in flight.
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Atlantic Puffins
Atlantic Puffins are undoubtedly regular visitors to Stellwagen
Bank and waters off the Massachusetts coast from October to mid-winter.
They are chunky, black and white birds with white cheeks and enormous
triangular, tricolor bills, inspiring the nickname "parrots
of the sea." Puffins are smaller than Razorbills and Murres
but not as tiny as Dovekies. In winter, Atlantic Puffins shed
the colorful bill plates, so their bills are smaller and less
gaudy, but still the same triangular shape. Their white cheeks
also turn gray. In flight, puffins can be identified by their
rounded, solid black wings, bright orange feet, and big-headed
appearance. Juveniles have much smaller, gray, unpuffin-like bills.
However, juvenile puffins can still be identified by their gray
cheeks and chunky shape. Some ornithologists speculate that juveniles,
after fledging, actually drift south to the Massachusetts coast,
following the Labrador current instead of flying.
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Black Guillemots
Black Guillemots are slender, duck-like alcids with fairly long
pointed bills. More than any other North Atlantic alcid, Black
Guillemots stay close to rocky shores. During the winter, they
can often be seen off of Provincetown, Cape Ann, and Boston's
outer harbor islands, but they usually do not venture as far offshore
as Stellwagen Bank. In winter, Black Guillemots are white molted
with black, and have large white patches on top of the wings.
They also have orange legs and feet.
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Other Birds
Gulls
There is never a shortage of gulls over Stellwagen Bank, and winter
is no exception. Because most gulls take three to four years to reach
their adult plumages, and because they have several distinct immature
plumages, identifying species can be tricky. The following descriptions
are of adult winter plumages, although immatures, particularly first
year birds, are also common during the winter.
Black-legged
Kittiwakes
Black-legged Kittiwakes, which feed on small fish such as sand lance,
are abundant over Stellwagen Bank during the winter. They are small
(half the size of a Herring Gull), have black legs, an unmarked yellow
bill, and pure black wingtips that look as if they had dipped their
wings in ink. In winter, Black-legged Kittiwakes have a dusky spot behind
each eye. The much larger Herring Gull has a gray mantle (back), pink
legs, a yellow bill with a red spot, and black wingtips with white spots.
In winter, herring gulls have heavy brown streaks on their heads and
necks. The large and distinctive Great Black-backed Gull has a heavy
yellow bill with an orange spot on it and a black back and wings that
contrast sharply with its snow-white head and undersides. Glaucous Gulls
and Iceland Gulls often attend fishing boats during the winter. They
are gray above with white underparts, pink legs, and yellow bills with
orange spots like the Herring and Great Black-backed gulls. Both species
lack black wingtips. The less common Glaucous Gull is larger and has
a heavier head and bill than the Iceland Gull.
Northern
Gannets
Northern Gannets are large, white seabirds with black wingtips, a yellowish
wash on their heads, large bills, and pointed tails. Juveniles are variously
molted with brown and white. Gannets catch fish by hovering up to 40
feet above the ocean, then plummeting head first into the water.
Other
Northern Fulmars and Great Skuas winter well offshore, but occasionally
can be seen in the Sanctuary, particularly after storms.
(Information
provided by Wayne Petersen, field ornithologist for the Massachusetts
Audubon Society)
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