William H. Drury Chair in Ecology and Natural History
College of the Atlantic
Herring gulls and great black-backed gulls, once so ubiquitous they were routinely killed by wildlife officials, lately have experienced catastrophic declines throughout their range. Because both species of gull are found across much of the northern hemisphere, little has been done to coordinate research or share observations on a broad scale, and as a result, the extent of general population collapse had gone unremarked until recently. In October 2012, Maine Sea Grant sponsored the first meeting of the Gull Working Group, an alliance of gull researchers and conservationists in eastern North America. As a result of this meeting, working group members were able to co-host a symposium at the 2013 Waterbird Society meeting in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Additional Sea Grant funds will support publication of the results of these meetings, including population trends, ecology, and conservation of herring and great black-backed gulls, in special issue of the journal Waterbirds.
Sea Grant funds: $2,500
Additional support provided by Environment Canada and Institute of Avian Research.