Full report - Conservation Gateway

Chapter 12 - Coastal & Marine BirdsMost of the habitat used by these species is dynamic, shiftingin distribution over space and time as currents andstorms continually shape coastal areas. Activities such asdredging, jetty building, bulkheading, and beach replenishmentall have the potential to alter the quality andextent of habitat available to these species by interruptingnatural habitat dynamics. Human activities can alsodirectly disturb habitat. For example, in stopover areas forSemipalmated Sandpiper in the Bay of Fundy, commercialbait harvesting can degrade feeding habitat and foragingefficiency of these birds (Shepherd and Boates 1999).recreation areas, are particularly important. Actions atmany beaches across the region include the installation ofsymbolic fencing to discourage human beachgoers fromFor species using offshore areas, such as Harlequin Duckand Razorbill, little is known about how human activitiesmay indirectly affect their populations within theNorthwest Atlantic region, although it had been documentedthat Razorbills experience mortality via fisheriesbycatch (Murray et al. 1994, Piatt and Nettleship 1987).Because habitat requirements for benthic feeding speciesare also poorly known, the effect of human activities suchas bottom dredging or sand extraction is unclear.Management and ConservationRegulatory AuthoritiesThe primary regulatory agency for birds in the UnitedStates is the USFWS. In Canada, it is the CWS. In addition,state and province-based natural resource agencieshave trustee responsibilities for birds.Current Conservation EffortsCurrent conservation activities for Roseate Terns, LeastTerns, Arctic Terns, and Piping Plovers are coordinated bythe USFWS and CWS with state and conservation nonprofitpartners. The conservation actions geared towardsthese species are primarily aimed at protection and managementof nesting sites. Efforts for Roseate Terns (and,to a lesser extent, Arctic Terns) include vigorous nestingcolony management, including predator and competitorremoval. On some islands, gull control is important toRoseate Tern colony viability. For Least Terns and PipingPlovers, efforts to reduce the impact of domestic and wildpredators and to reduce human disturbances to nestingand foraging areas, especially at beaches that are popularentering Plover and Tern nesting areas, installation ofpredator exclosures around Plover nests, and outreach tobeachgoers to reduce direct human disturbance of foragingplovers.Managing beach use at key stopover feeding areas is alsoa part of Red Knot conservation. Docents, symbolic fencing,and informational signage are used in the effort toeducate the public and discourage beach use at criticalfeeding areas along the shores of Delaware Bay during theseveral weeks when red knots pass through the NorthwestAtlantic region on migration routes. Another key managementeffort to ensure high-quality stopover feeding areasfor this species is regional management of the horseshoecrab harvest. The states have different approaches tomanaging harvests, but overall harvest has been greatlyreduced over the past ten years specifically to increasethe amount of horseshoe crab spawning on Delaware Baybeaches. On these beaches, competition with gulls for12-18Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment • Phase 1 Report