Greater Shearwater with Satellite Tag Attached - Photo Credit: USFWS photo by Linda Welch

Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge is working with the Northeast Region Migratory Bird Program to place satellite tags on greater shearwaters to document migratory pathways and habitat use of pelagic seabirds in the Gulf of Maine. The objective of the study is to determine how environmental change resulting from climate change or offshore development may influence pelagic species in this region.

The Refuge has tagged 20 shearwaters during the past three summers and has been able to follow the birds foraging and migratory flights for up to 7 months. On average the birds travelled 1,800 km in the Gulf of Maine after being tagged and travelled up to 44,500 km to reach their breeding colonies in the South Atlantic.

Information on the daily movement of the 9 shearwaters recently tagged is posted on a public webpage (http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?project_id=570), and has generated significant interest in the project. The Refuge is working with a PhD student at UMASS to analyze the data.