1 / 23

Flight Line Study of Double-crested Cormorants, Preliminary Results

Flight Line Study of Double-crested Cormorants, Preliminary Results. Richard Flamio, Eastchester High School. Review of Literature. Human-Cormorant Conflicts.

pete
Download Presentation

Flight Line Study of Double-crested Cormorants, Preliminary Results

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Flight Line Study of Double-crested Cormorants, Preliminary Results Richard Flamio, Eastchester High School

  2. Review of Literature

  3. Human-Cormorant Conflicts • DCCOs in the Mississippi Delta consume over $5 million of catfish fingerlings/year and depredation has led to a $25 million profit loss/year • Sports fisheries have persecuted cormorants for allegedly decreasing fish populations • Egg oiling, shooting, and harassment are controlling techniques

  4. Determining Cormorant Diet • In order to determine cormorant diet, otoliths of their regurgitated pellets may be examined Otolith

  5. Importance of Study The current study would serve as a basis for future studies done in the Barnegat Bay region of New Jersey in order to aid the research in determining if cormorants affect local fish populations

  6. Purpose/ Hypothesis To understand how DCCO’s utilize their environment through studying roosting/loafing location preference and flight lines to and from these locations

  7. Location • Barnegat Bay covers 75 square miles on the eastern seaboard of Southern New Jersey • Wide variety of wildlife and a large fishing community • Common roosting and loafing location April through October

  8. Methods • Myer’s Hole • U.S. Coast Guard boats/ commercial fishing boats • Along LBI coast • Near inlet to ocean • Turtle Cove • In bay’s interior • Less disruption from boat traffic • Pilings • Important fishing sites • Marsh

  9. Results at Myer’s Hole • 258 birds were observed(Avg. 23 birds/day) • 47% moved each day on average • 111 flocks were observed (Avg. flock size = 1.2 birds)

  10. Myer’s Hole Flight Line

  11. Results at Turtle Cove • 120 birds were observed (Avg. 30 birds/day) • 72% moved each day on average • 47 flocks observed (Avg. flock size = 1.9 birds)

  12. Turtle Cove Flight Line

  13. Discussion • Myer’s Hole fits the roosting location profile of a smaller, more sedentary population • Turtle Cove fit the loafing location profile of having larger, more active numbers • More research is needed to solidify if the birds’ behavior was due to location status

  14. Statistical Significance No statistical tests or p-values were needed as all birds in sight were accounted for.

  15. Conclusion • To understand how DCCO’s utilize their environment through studying roosting/loafing location preference and flight lines to and from these locations • The research study was highly successful in that flight lines were determined • Supports previous research that humans have enhanced cormorant problem by modifying the environment

  16. Implications/ Future Research • There has been no research to date in this area on cormorants and observations on their activity will help future researchers determine if they have a definite impact on local fisheries • Fishermen chose the sites of study so that areas they believed were the sites of human-cormorant conflicts were directly studied • Movement patterns may be affected by weather • This is a preliminary study and research will continue next year

  17. Acknowledgements • Colin Grubel, CUNY Graduate Center and Queens College • Christian Gorycki, Edward Gruber, Jean-Marie Woods-Ray, Eastchester High School • John A. Brancato, Barnegat Bay fisherman • My Family and fellow ASRians • Dr. John Waldman, Queens College

  18. Flight Line Study of Double-crested Cormorants, Preliminary Results • Eye Opener • Review of Literature • Human-Cormorant Conflicts • Determining Cormorant Diet • Importance of Study • Purpose/ Hypothesis • Location • Methods • Methods Flow Chart • Results at Myer’s Hole • Myer's Hole Flight Line • Results at Turtle Cove • Turtle Cove Flight Line • Flock Size Graph • Discussion • Conclusion • Implications/ Future Research • Acknowledgements

  19. My Summer 2011: Myer’s Hole

  20. My Summer 2011: Turtle Cove, my boat, and my beach house

More Related