Pigeon Guillemot Restoration Research in Prince William Sound, Alaska 2012-2023

This dataset describes cruise-based seabird observations in Prince William Sound, Alaska, conducted as part of the Pigeon Guillemot Restoration project, funded by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustees' Council. Historically, the Naked Island Group had the largest breeding population of pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska, but it declined over 90% after the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Following the effects of the oil spill, predation of adults and their nests by introduced American mink (Neovison vison) was the primary factor limiting population recovery. During a 5-year pigeon guillemot restoration project, which included mink removal from guillemot nesting areas, counts of pigeon guillemots at Peak, Naked and Story islands have more than doubled from 2014-2018 (69 to 167 individuals) and numbers of known nests increased more than four times (11 to 51 nests). In 2019, we began a second 5-year monitoring effort (2019-2023) at the Naked Island Group. Our objectives were to: (i) search for evidence of mink in guillemot breeding areas, (ii) monitor the recovery of pigeon guillemots, and (iii) monitor relative food availability, using black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) as indicators.Our 2021 effort to continue monitoring the population recovery of pigeon guillemots at the Naked Island Group was highly successful. No mink were recorded visiting bait stations and no mink tracks were observed at the 10 high-use areas identified during previous intensive trapping efforts. Guillemot population counts were conducted in early June 2021 and numbers of guillemots continued to increase at the Naked Island Group compared to previous years (2014-2019). Nest counts of black-legged kittiwakes were conducted and while results are pending, preliminary indications are that 2021 has been a “poor” year for fish availability in PWS. Together, these data will inform future management actions by determining if mink are absent from the islands, measure the rate of recovery of pigeon guillemots following the removal of mink, and provide an indicator for productivity patterns of ocean conditions, which will assist interpretation of pigeon guillemot population trends.本数据集记录了阿拉斯加州威廉王子湾（Prince William Sound, 简称PWS）基于巡航调查的海鸟观测数据，该观测工作隶属于埃克森·瓦尔迪兹溢油受托人委员会（Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustees' Council）资助的鸽海鸠（Pigeon Guillemot）修复项目。 历史上，裸岛群（Naked Island Group）拥有阿拉斯加威廉王子湾内规模最大的鸽海鸠（Cepphus columba）繁殖种群，但在1989年埃克森·瓦尔迪兹溢油事件发生后，其种群数量下降幅度超过90%。 溢油事件后续，引入物种美洲水貂（Neovison vison）对成鸟及其巢穴的捕食成为限制种群恢复的核心因素。 在一项为期5年的鸽海鸠修复项目中，研究团队对海鸠的筑巢区域实施了美洲水貂清除行动。2014年至2018年间，皮克岛、裸岛以及斯托里岛的鸽海鸠种群数量翻番有余（从69只增至167只），已知巢穴数量增长超过4倍（从11个增至51个）。 2019年，研究团队针对裸岛群启动了第二项为期5年的监测工作（2019-2023年），本次监测的目标为：（i）排查海鸠繁殖区域内的美洲水貂踪迹；（ii）监测鸽海鸠的种群恢复情况；（iii）以黑腿三趾鸥（Rissa tridactyla）作为指示物种，监测区域内相对食物可获得性水平。 2021年，团队继续开展裸岛群鸽海鸠种群恢复的监测工作，成果显著。在前期高强度诱捕工作中确定的10个高频活动区域内，未记录到美洲水貂到访诱饵站，也未发现任何水貂足迹。研究人员于2021年6月初完成了海鸠种群数量统计，相较于2014年至2019年的历史数据，裸岛群的鸽海鸠种群数量仍呈持续增长趋势。 此外，团队完成了黑腿三趾鸥的巢穴统计，尽管最终结果尚未出炉，但初步迹象显示，2021年威廉王子湾的鱼类可获得性处于‘匮乏’状态。 综上，本数据集的观测数据将从三方面为未来管理行动提供决策参考：一是确认裸岛群内是否已无美洲水貂栖息；二是量化美洲水貂清除后鸽海鸠的种群恢复速率；三是提供海洋环境生产力模式的指示指标，以辅助解读鸽海鸠的种群动态趋势。