David C. Evers, Ph.D.
Executive Director and Chief Scientist
Phone: 207-839-7600 x221
david.evers@briloon.org
From the moment he captured his first loon on Michigan’s Seney National Wildlife Refuge, Dave Evers has been a champion of wildlife, incorporating innovative approaches to traditional research methods. As the founder, executive director, and chief scientist of BRI, Dr. Evers has made great strides in bringing critical ecological issues to the forefront of our nation’s and the world’s consciousness. He is a brilliant collaborator, working at the highest international levels with world-class scientists, federal and state agencies, renowned universities and research institutes, as well as other nonprofit organizations. As a conservation biologist, he believes it his responsibility to provide decision makers with scientific findings from an unbiased viewpoint. He often testifies or presents scientific results to Congressional committees, state legislative committees, and other regulatory branches of government.
Dr. Evers specializes in research on ecotoxicology with an emphasis on the patterns of oil pollution and methylmercury availability and effects in wildlife, especially birds. Current research projects include assessments of mercury impacts on fish and wildlife across much of North America and in parts of 40 other countries within Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Through BRI’s Center for Mercury Studies, Dr. Evers oversees several ongoing national and international mercury monitoring networks and database summary efforts, including new projects and partnerships with the International POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) Elimination Network and the United Nations Environment Programme.
During his graduate studies, he worked as a field ornithologist for the Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas and as a wildlife ecologist for the Kalamazoo Nature Center. In 1991, he became Executive Director of the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. In 1998, he founded BRI to further progressive wildlife research and conservation.
Dr. Evers also holds positions as adjunct professor at both the University of Southern Maine, where he teaches ornithology, and the University of Maine at Orono. He is also the adjunct senior scientist at the University of Southern Maine's Center for Integrated and Applied Environmental technology. He has published four books on the Common Loon, the Northwoods, and endangered and threatened species and has published over 80 peer-reviewed publications. He was elected as a National Fellow of the Explorers Club in 2012.
Education
- Ph.D., Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2001
- M.S., Ecology, Western Michigan University, 1992
- B.S., Wildlife Management, Michigan State University, 1984
Research Interests
- Conservation of endangered species
- Exposure and effects of methylmercury on wildlife in temperate, tropical, arctic and marine environs
- Ecology, natural history and conservation of the common loon and other loon species
Books and Field Guides
- Evers, D.C., A.K. Jackson, T.H. Tear and C.E. Osborne. 2012. Hidden Risk: Mercury in Terrestrial Ecosystems of the Northeast. Biodiversity Research Institute. Gorham, ME. 33pp.
- Evers, D.C., J. Wiener, C. Driscoll, D. Gay, N. Basu, B. Monson, K. Lambert, H. Morrison, J. Morgan, K. Williams, A. Soehl. 2011. Great Lakes Mercury Connections: The Extent and Effects of Mercury Pollution in the Great Lakes Region. Biodiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME. 41pp.
- Evers, D.C. and K. M. Taylor. 2008. Call of the Northwoods. Willow Creek Press, Minocqua, WI. 96pp.
- Evers, D. C. and K. M. Taylor. 2006. Call of the Loon. Willow Creek Press, Minocqua, WI. 112 pp.
- Evers, D.C. 2005. Mercury Connections: The Extents and Effects of Mercury Pollution in Northeastern North America. Biodiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME. 24pp.
- Evers, D. C. 1998. A guide to the birds of the Hiawatha National Forest. Wildl. Unl., Escanaba, MI. 36pp.
- Evers, D. C. (editor). 1994. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife of Michigan. Univ. Mich. Press, Ann Arbor, MI. 412pp.
- Evers, D. C. 1992. A Guide to Michigan’s Endangered Wildlife. Univ. of Mich. Press, Ann Arbor, MI. 103pp.
- Evers, D. C. 1991. Species accounts for 16 species in Brewer, R., G. McPeek, and R. Adams, Jr. The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan. Mich. State Univ. Press, E. Lansing, MI. 594pp.
- Evers, D. C., G. A. McPeek, and R. J. Adams. 1989. Michigan’s changing bird populations in J. Eastman (ed.). Enjoying Birds of Michigan. Center for Environmental Studies Publications, Grand Rapids, MI. 148pp.
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Publications (2008 to present)
Total publications published (91), in press (4), submitted to journals (5)
Submitted
- Paruk, J., D. Long, C. Perkins, A. East, B. Siegel, and D.C. Evers. Frequency and concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons increasing in common loons wintering off coastal Louisiana. Waterbirds.
- Schoch, N., M. Glennon, D.C. Evers, M. Duron, Al. Jackson, C. Driscoll, X. Yu, H. Simonin, A. Sauer. Wildlife criterion value for the common loon in the Adirondack Park, New York State. Waterbirds.
- Schoch, N., M. Glennon, D.C. Evers, M. Duron, A. Jackson, C. Driscoll, J. Ozard, and A. Sauer. The impact of mercury exposure on the common loon populations in the Adirondack Par, New York State. Waterbirds.
- Jackson, A., D.C. Evers, E. Adams, C. Eagles-Smith, C. Osborne, O. Lane, S. Edmonds, T. Tear, D. Cristol, C. Rimmer, K. McFarland, A. Sauer, O’Driscoll, and Seewagen. Mercury exposure in songbirds of eastern North America across habitats and guilds. Auk.
- Windels, S.K., E. Beever, J. Paruk, A. Nelson, J. Fox, C. NcNulty, D.C. Evers, L. Siegel. Effects of water-level management on nesting success of common loons. Journal of Wildlife Management.
In Press
- Chen, C.Y., D.C. Evers, M. Karagas, K. Lambert, R. Mason, L. Rardin, R. Schoeny, N. Serrell,and E. Sunderland. State of the policy-relevant science: Marine research on mercury fate from sources to seafood consumers. Environmental Health Perspectives.
- Robinson, A., C. Austin, D.C. Evers, M. Fry, G. Geupel, A. Jaramillo, S. Rottenborn, J. Scullen, R. Taylor, J. Weiner, M. Williams, and L. Grenier. 2013 The song sparrow as a riparian biosentinels of mercury pollution and methylation in the San Francisco Bay area. Environmental Science & Technology.
- Savery, L.C., D.C. Evers, I. Kerr, R. Payne, W.D. Thompson, C. Perkins, T. Zheng, C. Zhu, L. Benedict, and J.P. Wise. Global mercury and selenium levels in skin from free-ranging sperm whales. Science Total Environment.
- Yates, D.E., S.E. Angelo, D.C. Evers, J. Schmerfeld, M. Moore, T.H. Kunz, C. Perkins, R. Taylor, and S. Edmonds. Assessment of mercury accumulation in bat tissues in the northern United States. Ecotoxicology.
2012
- Costa, M., W. Landing, H. Kehrig, M. Barletta, C. Holmes, P. Barrocas, D.C. Evers, D. Buck, A. Vasconcellos, S. Hacon, J. Moreia, O. Malm. 2012. Mercury in tropical and sub-tropical coastal environments. Environmental Research 119: 88-100
- Cristol, D.A., L. Savoy, D.C. Evers, C. Perkins, R.J. Taylor, and C.W. Varian-Ramos. 2012. Mercury in waterfowl from a contaminated river in Virginia. Journal of Wildlife Management 76(8): 1617-1624.
- Depew D.C., N. Basu, N.M. Burgess, L.M. Campbell, D.C. Evers, K.A. Grasman, K.P. Kenow, M.W. Meyer, A.M. Scheuhammer, and K. Williams. 2012. Derivation of screening benchmarks for the Common Loon (Gavia immer) for dietary methylmercury (MeHg): Justification and rationale for use in ecological risk assessment. Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry. 31: 2399–2407
- Edmonds, S., N. O’Driscoll, N. Hillier, J. Atwood, and D.C. Evers. 2012. Factors regulating the bioavailability of methylmercury to breeding rusty blackbirds in northeastern wetlands. Environmental Pollution 171: 148:154.
- Lambert, K., D.C. Evers, K. Warner, S. King, N. Selin. 2012. Integrating mercury science and policy in the marine context: Challenges and opportunities. Environmental Research 119: 132-142.
- Nam, D., D. Yates, P. Ardapple, D.C. Evers, John Schmerfeld, and N. Basu. 2012 Elevated mercury exposure and neurochemical alterations in little brown bats from a site with historical mercury contamination. Ecotoxicology 21: 1094-1101.
- Shanley, J., R. Moore, R. Smith, E. Miller, A. Simcox, N. Kamman, D. Nacci, K. Robinson, J. Johnston, M. Hughes, C. Johnston, D.C. Evers, K. Williams, J. Graham, and S. King. 2012. Merganser - An empirical model to predict fish and loon mercury in New England lakes. Environmental Science & Technology 46:4641-4648.
- Wiener, J.G., D.C. Evers, D.A. Gay, H.A. Morrison, and K.A. Williams. 2012. Mercury contamination in the Laurentian Great Lakes region: Introduction an overview. Environmental Pollution 161:243-251.
- Wiener, J.G., M.B. Sandheinrich, S.P. Bhavsar, J.R. Bohr, D.C. Evers, B.A. Monson, and C.S. Schrank. 2012. Toxicological significance of mercury in yellow perch in the Laurentian Great Lakes region. Environmental Pollution 161:350-357.
2011
- Evers D.C., J.G. Wiener, N. Basu, R.A. Bodaly, H.A. Morrison, K.A. Williams. 2011. Mercury in the Great Lakes region – Bioaccumulation, spatial and temporal patterns, ecological risks, and policy. Ecotoxicology 20:1487-1499.
- Evers, D.C., K.A. Williams, M. W. Meyer, A.M. Scheuhammer, N. Schoch, A.T. Gilbert, L. Siegel, R. J. Taylor, R. Poppenga, C.R. Perkins. 2011. Spatial gradients of methylmercury for breeding common loons in the Laurentian Great Lakes region. Ecotoxicology 20:1609-1625.
- Fenn, M.E., K.F. Lambert, T.F. Blett, D.A. Burns, L.H. Pardo, G.M. Lovette, R.A. Haeuber, D.C.Evers, C.T. Driscoll, and D.S. Jeffries. 2011. Setting Thresholds: Using Air Pollution Thresholds to Protect and Restore U.S. Ecosystems, Issues in Ecology, Report No. 14, Ecological Society of America, Washington DC, 21 p.
- Greenberg R, D.W. Demarest, S. Droege, D.C. Evers, P.B. Hamel, T.P. Hodgman, J. Luscier,S.M. Matsuoka, C. Mettke-Hofmann, L.L. Powell, D. Shaw, M.L. Avery, K.A. Hobson, P.J.Blancher, D.K. Nen, and S.L. Van Wilgenburg. 2011. Understanding declines in rusty blackbirds. In J.V. Wells (ed.). Boreal birds of North America: A hemispheric view of their conservation links and significance. Studies in Avian Biology 41:107-126.
- Jackson, A.K., D.C. Evers, M.A. Etterson, A.M. Condon, S.B. Folsom, J. Detweiler, J. Schmerfeld, and D.A. Cristol. 2011. Mercury exposure affects the reproductive success of free-living terrestrial songbird, the Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus). Auk 128(4):759-769.
- Jackson, A.K., D.C. Evers, S.B. Folsom, A.M. Condon, J. Diener, L.F. Goodrick, A.J. McGann, J.Schmerfeld, D.A. Cristol. 2011. Mercury exposure in terrestrial birds far downstream of an historical point source. Environmental Pollution 159:3302-3308.
- Lane, O.P., K.M. O’Brien, D.C. Evers, T.P. Hodgman, A. Major, N. Pau, M.J. Ducey, R. Taylor, and D. Perry. 2011. Mercury in breeding Saltmarsh Sparrows (Ammodramus caudacutus). Ecotoxicology 20:1984-1991.
- Scheuhammer, A.M., N. Basu, D.C. Evers, G.H. Heinz, M.B. Sandheinrich, and M.S. Bank. 2011.Ecotoxicology of mercury in fish and wildlife: Recent advances. Pp.223-238 in M. Bank (ed.). Mercury in the Environment: Pattern and Process, University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
- Schmeltz, D., D.C. Evers, C.T. Driscoll, R. Artz, M. Cohen, D. Gay, R. Haeuber, D.P.Krabbenhoft, R. Mason, K. Morris, and J.G. Wiener. 2011. MercNet: A national monitoring network to assess responses to changing mercury emissions in the United States. Ecotoxicology 20:1713-1725.
- Sunderland, E., E. Corbitt, D. Cossa, D.C. Evers, H. Friedli, D. Krabbenhoft, L. Levin, N.Pirrone, and G. Rice. 2011. Hemispheric transport of air pollution 2010: Part B Mercury. Air Pollution Studies No.18, United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Yu, X., C.T. Driscoll, M. Montesdeoca, D.C. Evers, M. Duron, K. Williams, N. Schoch, and N.C.Kamman. 2011. Spatial patterns of mercury in biota of Adirondack, New York lakes. Ecotoxicology 20:1543-1554.
2010
- Edmonds, S.T., D.C. Evers, N.J. O’Driscoll, C. Mettke-Hoffman, L. Powell, D. Cristol, A.J.McGann, J.W. Armiger, O. Lane, D.F. Tessler, and P. Newell. 2010. Geographic and seasonal variation in mercury exposure of the declining Rusty Blackbird. Condor 112:789-799.
- Etterson, M.A., S.N. Ellis, D.C. Evers, G. Gauthier, J.A. Gryzbowski, B.J. Mattsson, LR. Nagy, B.J. Olsen, C.M. Pease, M.P. van der Burg, and A. Potvien. 2010. Modeling fecundity in birds: Conceptual overview, current models, and considerations for future developments. Ecological Modeling 222:2178-2190.
- Evers, D.C., J.D. Paruk, J.W. McIntyre, and J.F. Barr. 2010. Common Loon (Gavia immer). In The Birds of North America, No. 313 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C.
- Sleeman, J.M., D.A. Cristol, A.E. White, D.C. Evers, R.W. Gerhold, and M.K. Keel. 2010. Mercury poisoning in a free-living Northern River Otter (Lontra canadensis). Journal of Wildlife Disease 46:1035-1039.
- Wada, H., D.E. Yates, D.C. Evers, R.J. Taylor, and W.A. Hopkins. 2010. Tissue mercury concentrations and adrenocortical responses of female big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) near a contaminated river. Ecotoxicology 19:1277-1284.
2009
- Evers, D.C., R.T. Graham, P. Perkins, R. Michener, and T. Divoll. 2009. Mercury concentrations in the goliath grouper of Belize: an anthropogenic stressor of concern. Endangered Species Research 7:249-256.
- Franceschini, M.D., Lane, O.P., Evers, D.C., Reed, J.M., and Romero, L.M. 2009. The corticosterone stress response and mercury contamination in free-living tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor. Ecotoxicology 18:514-521.
- Kenow, K.P., Adams, D., Schoch, N., Evers, D.C., Hanson, W., Major, A., Fox, T.J., and Kratt, R. 2009. Migration patterns and wintering range of Common Loons breeding in the northeastern United States. Waterbirds 32:234-247.
- Lovett, G.M., T.H. Tear, D.C. Evers, S.E.G. Findlay, B.J. Cosby, J.K. Dunscomb, C.T. Driscoll, and K.C. Weathers. 2009. Effects of air pollution on ecosystems and biological diversity in the eastern United States. Ann. N.Y. Academy of Sciences 1162:99-135.
2008
- Campbell, R.W., M.I. Preston, L.M. Van Damme, D.C. Evers, A. Roberts, and K. Andrews. 2008. Featured species: Common Loon. Wildlife Afield 5:54-146.
- Chen C.Y., N. Serrell, D.C. Evers, B.J. Fleishman, K.F. Lambert, J. Weiss, R.P. Mason, M.S. Bank. 2008. Methylmercury in marine ecosystems: From sources to seafood consumers. Environmental Health Perspectives 116:1706-1712.
- DeSorbo, C.R., J. Fair, K.M. Taylor, W. Hanson, D.C. Evers, and H.S. Vogel. 2008. Construction and deployment guidelines for artificial floating islands for nesting Common loons. Northeastern Naturalist. 15:75-86.
- Evers, D.C., R.P. Mason, N.C. Kamman, C.Y. Chen, A.L. Bogomolni, D.H. Taylor, C.R. Hammerschmidt, S.H. Jones, N.M. Burgess, K. Munney, K.C. Parsons. 2008. An integrated mercury monitoring program for temperate estuarine and marine ecosystems on the North American Atlantic Coast. EcoHealth 5:426-441.
- Evers, D.C., L. Savoy, C.R. DeSorbo, D. Yates, W. Hanson, K.M. Taylor, L. Siegel, J.H. Cooley, M. Bank, A. Major, K. Munney, H.S. Vogel, N. Schoch, M. Pokras, W. Goodale, and J. Fair. 2008. Adverse effects from environmental mercury loads on breeding Common Loons. Ecotoxicology 17:69-81.
- Goodale M.W., Evers DC, Mierzykowski S.E., Bond A.L., Burgess N.M., Otorowski C.I., Welch, LJ, Hall CS, Ellis JC, Allen RB, Diamond AW, Kress SW, Taylor RJ. 2008. Marine foraging birds as bioindicators of mercury in the Gulf of Maine. EcoHealth 5:409-425.
- Han, Y.J., T.M. Holsen, D.C. Evers, and C.T. Driscoll. 2008. Reduced mercury deposition in New Hampshire from 1996 to 2002 due to changes in local sources. Environmental Pollution 156:1348-1356.
- Mitro, M.G., Evers, D.C., Meyer, M.W., and Piper, W.H. 2008. Common Loon survival rates and mercury in New England and Wisconsin. Journal of Wildlife Management. 72:665-673.