BioDiversity Research Institute

David C. Evers

President/Executive Director
Phone: (207) 839-7600 ex. 110/Fax: (207) 839-7655

Biography

Dave received his bachelor's degree in Wildlife Management from Michigan State University (1984), and his Master of Science in Ecology from Western Michigan University (1992). During this time, 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. He returned to school for a PhD in Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota (2001). In 1998, he founded the BioDiversity Research Institute to further progressive wildlife research and conservation. Dave holds positions as Adjunct professor at both the University of Southern Maine, where he teaches ornithology, and 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. Dave often testifies or presents scientific results to Congressional committees, state legislative committees, and other regulatory branches of government. Dave has published four books on the Common Loon, the Northwoods, and endangered and threatened species.

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 other Publications:

• Evers, D.C. and K. M. Taylor. 2008. Call of the Northwoods. Willow Creek Press, Minocqua, WI.
• 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. (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.

Peer-reviewed Publications (abridged version):

• Chen, C., Serrell, N., Evers, D., Fleishman, B., Lambert, K., Weiss, J., Mason, R., and Bank, M. Methylmercury bioavailability in marine ecosystems: Implications for environmental and human health. Environ. Health Perspectives. Submitted
• Franceschini, M.D., Lane, O.P., Evers, D.C., Reed, J.M., and Romero, L.M. Mercury contamination and plasma corticosterone in free-living tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor. Auk. Submitted
• Kenow, K.P., Adams, D., Schoch, N., Evers, D., Hanson, W., Major, A., Fox, T.J., and Kratt, R. Migration patterns and wintering range of common loons breeding in the northeastern United States. Waterbirds. Submitted
• 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. J. Wildl. Manage 72: In Press.
• 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. In Press.
• Evers, D.C., Lucas J. Savoy, Christopher R. DeSorbo, David E. Yates,William Hanson, Kate M. Taylor, Lori S. Siegel, John H. Cooley, Michael S. Bank, Andrew Major, Kenneth Munney, Barry F. Mower, Harry S. Vogel, Nina Schoch, Mark Pokras, Morgan W. Goodale and Jeff Fair (2008) Adverse effects from environmental mercury loads on breeding common loons. Ecotoxicology 17(2):69-81 pdf
• Evers, D.C. Status assessment and conservation plan for the Common Loon in North America. 2007. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Tech. Rept. Hadley, Massachusetts.
• Mager, J.N., Walcott, C.W. and Evers, D.C. 2007. Macrogeographic changes in yodels related to body mass in the common loon. Waterbirds 30:64-72.
• Evers, D.C., Y.J. Han, C.T. Driscoll, N.C. Kamman, M.W. Goodale, K.F. Lambert, T.M. Holsen, C.Y. Chen, T.A. Clair, and T. Butler.2007. Identification and Evaluation of Biological Hotspots of Mercury in the Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada. Bioscience 57:29-43.
• DeSorbo, C.R., K.M. Taylor, J. Fair, D. Kramar, J.L. Atwood, D.C. Evers, W. Hanson, and H.S. Vogel. 2007. Characterizing reproductive advantages for common loons (Gavia immer) nesting on artificial floating islands. J. Wildlife Manage. 71:1206-1213.
• Driscoll, C.T., Y.J. Han, C.Y. Chen, D.C. Evers, K.F. Lambert, T.M. Holsen, N.C. Kamman, and R. Munson. 2007. Mercury contamination in remote forest and aquatic ecosystems in the northeastern U.S.: Sources, transformations and management options. Bioscience 57:17-28.
• Bank, M.S., J.R. Burgess, D.C. Evers, and C.S. Loftin. 2007. Mercury contamination of biota from Acadia National Park, Maine: a review. S. Kahl (ed.). Establishing paired gauged watersheds at Acadia National Park for long-term research on acidic deposition, nitrogen saturation, forest health, and mercury biogeochemistry (1998-2002). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 126:105-115.
• Wolfe, M.F., Atkeson, T., Bowerman, W., Burger, K., Evers, D.C., Murray, M.W. and Zillioux, E. 2006. Wildlife Indicators. In: R. Harris, D.P. Krabbenhoft, R. Mason, M.W. Murray, R. Reash and T. Saltman (Ed.), Ecosystem Response to Mercury Contamination: Indicators of Change (pp. 123-189). SETAC, Webster, NY: CRC Press.
• Shriver, G., D.C. Evers, T.P. Hodgman, B.J. MacCulloch, R.J. Taylor. 2006.Mercury in sharp-tailed sparrows breeding in coastal wetlands. Environmental Bioindicators 1:129-135.
• Champoux, L., D. Masse, D. Evers, O. Lane, M. Plante, and S.T.A. Timmerman. 2006. Assessment of mercury exposure and potential effects on Common Loons (Gavia immer) in Quebec. Hydrobiologia 567:263-274.
• Evers, D.C. 2006. Loons as biosentinels of aquatic integrity. Environ. Bioindicators. 1:18-21.
• Evers, D.C. and T.A. Clair. 2005. Mercury in northeastern North America: A synthesis of existing databases. Ecotoxicology 14:7-14.
• Evers, D.C., N. Burgess, L Champoux, B. Hoskins, A. Major, W. Goodale, R. Taylor, R. Poppenga, and T. Daigle. 2005. Patterns and interpretation of mercury exposure in freshwater avian communities in northeastern North America. Ecotoxicology 14:193-222.
• Rimmer, C., K. McFarland, D.C. Evers, E.K. Miller, Y. Aubry, D. Busby, and R. Taylor. 2005. Mercury levels in Bicknell's Thrush and other insectivorous passerine birds in montane forests of northeastern United States and Canada. Ecotoxicology 14:223-240.
• Burgess, N.M., D.C. Evers, J.D. Kaplan. 2005. Mercury and other contaminants in Common Loons breeding in Atlantic Canada. Ecotoxicology 14:241-252.
• Pennuto, C., D.C. Evers, and O. Lane. 2005. Patterns in the mercury content of benthic
• macroinvertebrates in temperate aquatic ecosystems. . Ecotoxicology 14:149-162.
• Yates, D., D. Mayack, K. Munney, D.C. Evers, R.J. Taylor, T. Kaur, and A. Major. 2005. Mercury levels in mink and river otter in northeastern North America. Ecotoxicology 14:263-274.
• Haefele, H. J., I. Sidor, D. E. Hoyt, M. A. Pokras, and D. C. Evers. 2005. Hematologic and physiologic reference ranges for adult Common Loons and chicks (Gavia immer). J. Zoo Wildl. Medicine. 36:385-390
• McMillan, A. M., M.J. Bagley, and D.C. Evers. 2004. Characterization of seven polymorphic microsatellite loci in the Common Loon (Gavia immer) Molecular Ecology Notes 4:297-299.
• Mason, R, M. Abbot, D. Bodaly, R. Bullock, C. Driscoll, D. Evers, S. Lindberg, M. Murray, and E. Swain. 2004. Monitoring the environmental response to changes in mercury contamination from the atmosphere: A multi-media challenge. Environ. Science and Technology. 39:15A-22A.
• Seiler, R.L., M.S. Lico, S.N. Wiemeyer, and D.C. Evers. 2004. Mercury in the Walker River Basin, Nevada and California-Sources, Distribution, and Potential Effects on the Ecosystem. U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Investigative Report 2004-5157.
• Evers, D. C., K. M. Taylor, A. Major, R. J. Taylor, R. H. Poppenga, and A. M. Scheuhammer. 2003. Common Loon eggs as indicators of methylmercury availability in North America. Ecotoxicology 12:69-81.
• Franson, J. C., S. P. Hansen, T. E. Creekmore, C. J. Brand, D. C. Evers, A. E. Duerr, and S. Destafno. 2003. Lead fishing weights, other fishing tackle, and ingested spent shot in selected waterbirds. Waterbirds 26: 345-352.
• Bischoff, K., J. Pichner, W. E. Braselton, C. Counard, D. C. Evers, and W. C. Edwards. 2002. Mercury and selenium concentrations in liver and eggs of Common Loons (Gavia immer) from Minnesota. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 42:71-76.
• Kenow, K. P., M. W. Meyer, D. C. Evers, D. C. Douglas, and J. Hines. 2002. Use of satellite telemetry to identify Common Loon migration routes, staging areas, and wintering range. Waterbirds 25:449-458.
• Evers, D. C..2001. Common Loon population studies: Continental mercury patterns and breeding territory philopatry. Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. Minn., St. Paul, MN.
• Evers, D. C., J. D. Kaplan, P. S. Reaman, and J. D. Paruk. Demographic characteristics on the Common Loon in the Upper Great Lakes. J. W. McIntyre and D. C. Evers (eds.). 2000. Loons: Old history and new findings. Proc. of a symposium from the 1997 meeting, Am. Ornithologists' Union. N. Am. Loon Fund, Holderness, NH.
• Olsen, B., D. Evers, and C. DeSorbo. 2000. The effect of methylated mercury on the diving frequency of the common loon. The Juniata College Journal of Ecological Research. 2: 67-72.
• Kenow, K.P., M. W. Meyer, D. C. Evers, P.S. Reaman, and J. Hines. 2000. Effectiveness of abdominally implanted satellite transmitters to identify Common Loon migration routes, staging areas, and winter-ing range.
• Scheuhammer, A. M., C. M. Atchison, A. H. K. Wong, D. C. Evers. 1998. Mercury exposure in breeding Common Loons (Gavia immer) in central Ontario. Environ. Tox. Chem. 17:191-196.
• Walcott, C. , D. C. Evers, M. Froehler, and A. Krakauer. 1999. Individuality in "yodel" calls recorded from a banded population of Common Loons, Gavia immer. Bioaccoustics 10:101-114.
• Evers, D. C., J. D. Kaplan, M. W. Meyer, P. S. Reaman, A. Major, N. Burgess, and W. E. Braselton. 1998.
• Bioavailability of environmental mercury measured in Common Loon feathers and blood across North American. Environ. Tox. Chem. 17:173-183.
• Gostomski, T. J. and D. C. Evers. 1998. Time-activity budget for Common Loons, Gavia immer, nesting on Lake Superior. Canadian Field-Naturalist 112:191-197.
• Meyer, M. W., D. C. Evers, and J. Hartigan. 1998. Patterns of Common Loon (Gavia immer) mercury exposure, reproduction, and survival in Wisconsin, USA. Environ. Tox. Chem. 17:184-190.
• Piper, W. H., J. D. Paruk, D. C. Evers, and M. W. Meyer, K. B. Tischler, M. Klich, and J. J. Hartigan. 1998. Local
• movements of color-marked Common Loons. J. Wildlife Manage:1253-1261.
• Scheuhammer, A. M., C. M. Atchison, A. H. K. Wong, D. C. Evers. 1998. Mercury exposure in breeding Common Loons (Gavia immer) in central Ontario. Environ. Tox. Chem. 17:191-196.
• Dhar, A. K., M. Pokras,D.K. Garcia, D. Evers, Z. Gordon, and A. A. Alcivar-Warren. 1997. Analysis of genetic diversity in common loon Gavia immer using RAPD and mitochondrial RFLP techniques. Molecular Ecology 6:218-1 to 218-6.
• Piper, W. H., D. C. Evers, and M. Meyer. 1997. Behavioral and genetic monogamy in the common loon Gavia immer. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 41:25-31.
• Meyer, M. W., D. C. Evers, T. Daulton, and E. Braselton. 1995. Common Loons (Gavia immer ) nesting on
• low pH lakes in northern Wisconsin have elevated blood mercury content. Water, Air, Soil Pollut. 80:871-880.
• Evers, D. C. 1994. Activity budgets of a marked common loon (Gavia immer ) nesting population. Hydrobiologia 279/280:415-420.
• Evers, D. C. 1994. Expansion of the Yellow-throated Warbler in the southern Great Lakes Region. Mich. Birds 1:3-9.
• Cristol, D. A. and D. C. Evers. 1992. Dominance status and latitude are unrelated in wintering dark-eyed juncos. Condor 94:539-542.