South Carolina Project: Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species

South Carolina Project

Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species

August 2017 - December 2022

Personnel

Participating Agencies

US FWS & BOEM

Limited information is available regarding the species composition, distribution, and abundance of seabirds using the nearshore and offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico. For example, to date there have been only three standardized and/or repeatable surveys for pelagic seabirds in the Gulf. The sparse data available on distribution and abundance of seabirds in the Gulf hinders both our understanding of seabird ecology and our ability to plan for or respond to data needs during oil and gas activities. Our goal is to conduct vessel-based surveys for pelagic seabirds in the northern Gulf. The research will satisfy a portion of the newly initiated Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPS). The study area includes the northern portion of the Gulf of Mexico Basin which represents the approximate location of the EEZ of the USA. This region encompasses the Western, Central, and Eastern Planning Areas of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Vessel-based surveys will occur throughout each planning area. Beginning in 2017, we conducted surveys using NOAA vessels to assess the abundance and distribution of birds utilizing the pelagic environment. We are also developing additional components that will use telemetry to document movement patterns of seabirds from both the nearshore and pelagic environments. Collectively, these data will permit spatially-explicit modeling of seabird abundance and distribution across the Gulf and provide a critical basis for understanding and addressing potential impacting factors in the region.

Research Publications

Research Publications	Publication Date
Michael, P.E., K.M Hixson, J.S. Gleason, J.C. Haney, Y.G. Satgé, P.G.R. Jodice. 2024. Black tern beyond the breeding grounds: temporal occurrence, relative density, and habitat associations in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 136:220-236. \| Download	July 2024
Michael, P.E., K.M Hixson, J.S. Gleason, J.C. Haney, Y.G. Satgé, P.G.R. Jodice. 2023. Migration, breeding area, and seascape features shape seabird communities in the northern Gulf of Mexico. . PLoS ONE 18(6): e0287316. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287316. \| Download	June 2023
Michael, P.E., K.M Hixson, J.C. Haney, Y.G. Satgé, J.S. Gleason, P.G.R. Jodice. 2022. Seabird vulnerability to oil: exposure potential, sensitivity, and uncertainty in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Frontiers in Marine Science 9:880750. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2022.880750 \| Download	September 2022
Jodice, P.G.R., P.E. Michael, J.S. Gleason, J.C. Haney, Y.G. Satgé. 2021. Revising the marine range of the endangered black-capped petrel Pterodroma hasitata: Occurrence in the northern Gulf of Mexico and exposure to conservation threats. Endangered Species Research. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr001143. \| Abstract \| Download	September 2021	The black-capped petrel (<i>Pterodroma hasitata</i>) is an endangered seabird endemic to the western north Atlantic. Although estimated at ~1,000 breeding pairs, only ~100 nests have been located at two sites in Haiti and three sites in the Dominican Republic. At sea, the species primarily occupies waters of the western Gulf Stream in the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea. Due to limited data, there is currently not a consensus on the geographic marine range of the species although no current proposed ranges include the Gulf of Mexico. Here, we report on observations of black-capped petrels during two vessel-based survey efforts throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2010 - 2011 and from 2017 - 2019. During 558 days and ~54,700 km of surveys we tallied 40 black-capped petrels. Most observations occurred in the eastern Gulf, although birds were observed over much of the east-west and north-south footprint of the survey area. Predictive models indicated that habitat suitability for black-capped petrels was highest in areas associated with dynamic waters of the Loop Current. We used the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and Area of Occupancy (AOO) concepts to delimit the geographic range of the species within the northern Gulf of Mexico. We suggest that the marine range for black-capped petrels be modified to include the northern Gulf of Mexico, recognizing that distribution may be more clumped in the eastern Gulf and that occurrence in the southern Gulf remains unknown due to a lack of surveys there. To date, however, it remains unclear which nesting areas are linked to the Gulf of Mexico.

Presentations

Presentations	Presentation Date
Michael. P.E., J.C. Haney, J. Gleason, K.M. Hixson, Y. Satgé, P.G.R. Jodice. 2024. Flying fish distribution and co-occurrence with Sooty Terns in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Pacific Seabird Group Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington.	February 2024
Michael, P.E., J.S. Gleason, J.C. Haney, J.C., Y. Satgé, and P.G.R. Jodice. 2020. Flying without a passport: northern Gulf of Mexico exemplifies multi-national use with uncertain origin of seabirds. 6th World Seabird Twitter Conference.	May 2020
Michael, P.E., J.C. Haney, J. Gleason, K.M. Hixson, Y. Satgé, P.G.R. Jodice. 2025. Flying fish habitat and co-occurrence with seabirds in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Waterbird Society and Pacific Seabird Group Joint Meeting, San José, Costa Rica.	January 2025
Michael, P.E.*, K.M. Hixson, J.C. Haney, J. Gleason, Y. Satgé, P.G.R. Jodice. 2023. Migration, breeding location, and seascape shaping seabird assemblages in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Waterbird Society 46^th Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, FL.	October 2023
Jodice, P.G.R., J. Gleason, J.C. Haney, Y. Satgé, P. Michael, C. Gaskin, B. Keitt. 2024. Distribution of a Globally Endangered Seabird in the Northern Gulf: A Range Revision for the Black-capped Petrel. Gulf of Mexico Annual Conference, Tampa, Florida.	February 2023
Jodice, P.G.R., J. Gleason, J.C. Haney, Y. Satgé, P. Michael, C. Gaskin, B. Keitt. 2021. Revising the marine range of the endangered Black-capped Petrel. 6th World Seabird Twitter Conference.	May 2021
Grace, J., M. Ottinger, T. Maness, P. Jodice, R. Wilson. 2024. Gulf of Mexico Avian Monitoring Network Strategic Bird Monitoring Guidelines: Avian Health Metrics. Gulf of Mexico Annual Conference, Tampa, Florida.	February 2024
Gleason, J.S., P.E. Michael, K.M. Hixson, J.C. Haney, Y.G. Satgé, and PGR Jodice. 2024. Observations of non-marine avifauna during seabird vessel surveys in the northern Gulf of Mexico (2017-2019). Gulf of Mexico Conference, Tampa, FL.	February 2024

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: South Carolina Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources