ARCTIC Late-Summer Abundance and Distribution of Marine Birds in

ABSTRACT. Oil and gas drilling programs in the Alaska Chukchi Sea were carried out on leases offshore from Kasegaluk Lagoon in 1989-91, and further exploration and development activities in this area are likely in future years. We conducted aerial surveys between late July and early September 1989-9...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kasegaluk Lagoon, Chukchi Sea, Stephen R. Johnson, David A. Wiggins, Peter F. Wainwright
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1992
Subjects:
Arctic
Brant
Chukchi Sea
Arctic tern
Beaufort Sea
Branta bernicla
Chukchi
Glaucous Gull
Alaska
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.505.3123
http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic46-3-212.pdf
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Summary:ABSTRACT. Oil and gas drilling programs in the Alaska Chukchi Sea were carried out on leases offshore from Kasegaluk Lagoon in 1989-91, and further exploration and development activities in this area are likely in future years. We conducted aerial surveys between late July and early September 1989-91 to determine the distribution and abundance of marine birds in the Kasegaluk Lagoon area. We hypothesized that Kasegaluk Lagoon supported an avifauna similar to that found in other lagoon systems in arctic Alaska. In fact, the richness and diversity of bird species using Kasegaluk Lagoon were greater than in lagoon systems in the Beaufort Sea. Brant (Branta bernicla) was the most abundant species in Kasegaluk Lagoon compared to lagoons in the Beaufort Sea, where the Oldsquaw (Clangula hyemalis) is thedominant species. Several other species or species groups, such as Glaucous Gull ( L u r u s hyperboreus), Arctic Tern (Stemparadisaea), small shorebirds (mainly Calidris and Phalaropus), and Lesser Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) were also relatively abundant in Kasegaluk Lagoon.

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