Abstract
The history of ornithological field work in the Gulf of Alaska dates back to 20 July 1741 and Bering's discovery of Alaska. In spite of this long history, the record is fragmentary and often seemingly contradictory. The coming of the tanker terminal at Valdez and the pending development of oil and gas resources on the outer continental shelf threaten massive change for seabirds in the Gulf of Alaska. Often overlooked, however, is the fact that man has already effected a change in status for many of these birds. In this paper I examine the scanty, general record from the exploratory period, roughly 1741 to 1935, and the somewhat more comprehensive record of the reconnaissance period, 1936-74, and attempt to develop a basis for better understanding of the change in seabird status that has already taken place. This paper should be treated as a verbal model which can be improved as our knowledge of seabirds in the Gulf of Alaska is expanded.
From the perspective of history, 1970 should prove to have been a momentous year for Alaska and its seabirds. Two events, the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) merged head on in 1970 with the decision that Section 2c of NEPA applied to the proposed pipeline. The systematic appraisal of potential environmental impacts required by Section 2c quickly exposed the inadequacy of the existing data base in many areas. With respect to seabirds in the Gulf of Alaska, it was apparent that there had never been any effort to develop a synthesis of the information accumulated over 230 years. The data gaps which were uncovered were appalling.
While the Trans-Alaska Pipeline impact statement had provided shock therapy, it was not the only influential event on the horizon. Two local disturbances had already preceded the pipeline. These were Project Chariot at Cape Thompson and the Amchitka Island test program. Now in quick succession the Wilderness Act and native land claims added new urgency to the need for solid resource information. More recently, the outer continental shelf minerals leasing program has made the quick development of base-line information even more essential.
All of the new activity in Alaska's coastal waters has the potential to affect seabirds in one way or another. We must remember, however, that man's activities have been affecting seabirds for a long time. We cannot accurately assess the effect of a tanker terminal at Valdez or offshore oil activity without first developing some understanding of the current status of seabirds in the context of the historical record.
Seabird work in Alaska can be divided roughly into three periods. The first is the early historical or exploratory period; it extended from Georg Steller's 1741 visit to Kayak Island to 1935. This was literally a period of exploration and the collection of information was dependent upon interest and opportunity. The second is the reconnaissance period; during this period investigators were dispatched to a particular area to gather general information for management application. This period begins with Murie's extensive investigations of the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands; I see it extending from 1936 to 1975. In 1975 the need for data became so acute that it was necessary to enter the third period, one of intensive data gathering. Knowing where the big seabird colonies were located and knowing their general species composition was no longer adequate. The current intensive data-gathering effort in the waters over oil and gas leasing areas is a partial response to the recognition of this inadequacy.
In this paper I draw some tentative conclusions relative to the status of the 26 species of primary seabirds (Fisher and Lockley 1954) breeding in, or which may have bred in, the northern and western Gulf of Alaska area. This area extends from Cape Fairweather, 59°N 138°W, westerly along the coast to Ikatan Bay, 55°N 163°W, at the end of the Alaska Peninsula. These bird species tend to be colonial, but not exclusively so. Two birds which are primary seabirds, the mew gull (Larus canus) and Bonaparte's gull (L. philadelphia), have not been included because they tend to be more riverine than marine in habit. Several marine ducks have been excluded because they are secondary seabirds.
Information from the early exploratory period is summarized under the next section. The more detailed information from the reconnaissance period is discussed in the species accounts.
Summary of the Historical Record
The history of ornithological field work in the Gulf of Alaska goes back 235 years to 20 July 1741. On that day Bering's surgeon/naturalist, Georg W. Steller, spent a scant 10 h ashore on Kayak Island. He collected a single bird. This bird, later named for Steller, reminded him of a plate of the blue jay by Make Catesby, the colonial-era predecessor of Audubon, in Volume 1 of the Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands (Stejneger's annotated translation of Steller's journal in Golder 1925). Collection of the bird confirmed for Steller that the first Russian Expedition had reached America.