Shorebird Dependence on Arctic Littoral Habitats

This research, now in its sixth year, has focused on seasonal patterns of habitat use by arctic tundra breeding shorebirds, attempting to determine the dependence of different species on resources which may be affected by proposed oil development on the outer continental shelf of Alaska. The approach has utilized intensive site studies at several locations along the Beaufort and Chukchi coasts, supplemented with extensive survey work. Results to date have defined habitat use patterns for all common species inhabiting coastal tundra and shoreline areas and have determined the degree of variation between seasons, species and regions of the coast. The research is also considering different strategies of migrational routes, timing, and schedules of fat deposition: phalarope responses to changes in prey density and wind conditions: patterns of habitat use in disturbed coastal habitats at Prudhoe Bay: experimental investigation of phalarope responses to thin oil films on water: and foraging microhabitat preferences of arctic shorebirds. Current efforts focus on refinement of analyses of habitat associations of different species: interactions between western and semipalmated sandpipers on breeding grounds: and differences in distribution and habitat use between two races of Golden Plover in Alaska. Additional studies are proposed to investigate the occurrence and effects of oceanic plastic particle pollution on surface-foraging seabirds.这项已开展六年的研究聚焦于北极苔原繁殖滨鸟（arctic tundra breeding shorebirds）的栖息地利用季节模式，旨在探明不同物种对各类资源的依赖程度——这些资源可能会受到阿拉斯加外大陆架拟议石油开发项目的影响。研究团队在波弗特海与楚科奇海沿岸的多个点位开展了密集实地调查，并辅以大范围普查工作作为补充。截至当前，本研究已明确栖息于沿海苔原与岸线区域的全部常见物种的栖息地利用模式，并量化了季节、物种及沿岸不同区域间的差异程度。本研究同时涵盖多项科研议题：迁徙路径、脂肪沉积时机与节律的差异化策略；瓣蹼鹬（phalarope）对猎物密度与风力条件变化的响应；普拉德霍湾（Prudhoe Bay）受扰动沿海栖息地的栖息地利用模式；针对瓣蹼鹬对水面薄油膜响应的实验探究；以及北极滨鸟的觅食微生境偏好。当前研究重点聚焦于三方面：不同物种栖息地关联的分析方法优化、繁殖地中西滨鹬与半蹼滨鹬（semipalmated sandpiper）的种间互作关系，以及阿拉斯加境内两个金斑鸻（Golden Plover）亚种在分布与栖息地利用方面的差异。此外，团队还拟开展额外研究，以探究海洋塑料微粒污染对表层觅食海鸟的发生情况及其影响效应。