A. Status of the Spectacled Eider - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
A. Status of the Spectacled Eider - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
A. Status of the Spectacled Eider - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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D3. Determine contaminant levels in primary prey species <strong>and</strong> substrates. Once <strong>the</strong> <strong>Spectacled</strong><br />
<strong>Eider</strong>’s primary prey are known (task El), prey <strong>and</strong> substrate contaminant levels can be<br />
determined. Assessing prey <strong>and</strong> substrate contamination will indicate <strong>the</strong> contaminant transport<br />
modes <strong>and</strong> exposure rates for <strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong>s.<br />
D3. 1. - Determine contaminant levels in primary marine prey species <strong>and</strong> substrates<br />
D3.2. Determine contaminant levels in primary breedipg season prey species <strong>and</strong> substrates<br />
On <strong>the</strong> YKD, this task can be accomplished simultaneously with lead shot investigations (task<br />
D5.l).<br />
D4. Investigate <strong>the</strong> frequency <strong>of</strong>exposure to ingested lead shot <strong>of</strong><strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong>s <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
species that use <strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong> feeding habitats. Lead poisoning by ingestion <strong>of</strong>lead shot has<br />
been documented in <strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong>s on <strong>the</strong> YKD. Studies are needed to determine: (1) what<br />
proportion <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> <strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong> population(s) is ingesting lead (e.g., whe<strong>the</strong>r or not lead<br />
poisoning is a limited, local event); <strong>and</strong> (2) how extensively lead shot is distributed in tundra<br />
ponds.<br />
D4. 1. Screen for exposure to lead within <strong>the</strong> YKD breeding population. <strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong>s<br />
<strong>and</strong> sympatric species should be sampled for blood lead concentration <strong>and</strong> lead shot exposure<br />
frequency. Sites should be selected to represent a range <strong>of</strong>habitats used by each population<br />
(task initiated in 1993).<br />
D4.2. Screen for exposure to lead within NS breeding population. This task could be<br />
accomplished when birds are captured for telemetry (task B2. 1.2). Samples were collected in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Prudhoe Bay area in 1995.<br />
D4.3. Screen for exposure to lead within AR breeding population. Sampling should be<br />
conducted opportunistically in <strong>the</strong> course <strong>of</strong>o<strong>the</strong>r projectsin which eiders are captured.<br />
(Initiated in 1995)<br />
D5. Investigate extent <strong>of</strong> lead shot occurrence in <strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong> foraging habitats within<br />
n~flng..rang~. Iffeasible, <strong>Spectacled</strong> <strong>Eider</strong> foraging habitats within current breeding range should -<br />
be systematically sampled to determine lead shot distribution <strong>and</strong> accumulation levels. The<br />
priority <strong>of</strong>this task will depend on results <strong>of</strong>eider screening (task D4).<br />
D5.l. Investigate lead shot distribution <strong>and</strong> density on <strong>the</strong> YKD<br />
D5.2. Investigate lead shot distribution <strong>and</strong> density on <strong>the</strong> NS<br />
D5.3. Investigate lead shot distribution <strong>and</strong> density in AR<br />
D6. Investigate lead shot persistence <strong>and</strong> availability to foraging eiders in coastal wetl<strong>and</strong><br />
h~kiiaIa. In temperate climate wetl<strong>and</strong>s, waste lead shot typically sinks below <strong>the</strong> substrate<br />
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