We might think our local seabirds lucky because they have no oil spill to contend with in Massachusetts Bay or the Gulf of Maine. However, seabirds migrate, and many face challenges we cannot predict. Disasters, both natural (e.g., hurricanes) and human induced (e.g., oil spills), can affect wildlife populations, but to what degree? Having baseline data is crucial to understanding if the health of our marine wildlife is losing ground, gaining ground, or simply holding steady.
The Seabird Ecological Assessment Network (SEANET), based at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, is the only ongoing project assessing seabird mortality along the eastern seaboard of the United States. Over 100 citizen scientists volunteer to walk an assigned stretch of beach once or twice a month, record environmental data, and report both dead and live birds seen on the beach. Their reports are used by SEANET to establish a baseline for unusual marine bird mortality events, which helps to monitor the health of the entire marine ecosystem.
SEANET intern Sarabeth Buckley will be giving a presentation about the organization at Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center on Wednesday, August 4, from 7:30pm – 8:30pm. This presentation will include a training section focused on learning how to be a SEANET volunteer. No previous knowledge about seabirds is necessary. The presentation is free, and no preregistration is required.
For more information on SEANET, please visit their blog at http://seanetters.wordpress.com/.
Mass Audubon is the largest conservation organization in New England, caring for 34,000 acres of conservation land and providing education programs for 200,000 children and adults annually. Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center, located at One Plum Island Turnpike in Newburyport, is a natural history education center that is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday and Monday holidays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 978-462-9998 for information about additional programs and events, or visit the website at www.massaudubon.org.
