Coastal Bird Program
Our studies of seabirds, such as the Double-crested Cormorant, Black Guillemot and Leach's Storm Petrel give us a better understanding of spatial and temporal contamination in the world's oceans. The coastal bird program is a part of the marine ecology division.
Program Director
Wing Goodale
207-839-7600 ex: 109
Program Goals
- Evaluate the pervasiveness of mercury and other contaminants in the world's oceans
- Use birds as an indicator of local and global mercury levels.
Current BRI Projects
- Gulf of Maine Seabird Contaminant Assessment Network (GOMSCAN)
- Broad-base contaminant study
- Maine Coast Heritage Trust Project
Geographic Focus
- Gulf of Maine
Recent Reports, Papers and Presentations
- Evers, D.C. and DeSorbo, C.R. 2008. Preliminary assessment of Osprey nests in southern Belize: developing future monitoring and sampling programs. Report BRI 2008-07, BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, Maine. pdf
- W. Goodale. 2008. Preliminary findings of contaminant screening of Maine bird eggs: 2007 Field Season. BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, Maine. pdf
- Goodale. M.W. 2007. Distribution of birds on nine Maine Coast Heritage TrustIslands. BRI report number 2006-14. Submitted to Maine Coast Heritage Trust. BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, Maine.
- W. Goodale. 2007. Progress report of contaminant screening in Maine Birds, 2007 Field Season. BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, Maine. pdf
- Goodale, W., D.C. Evers, R. Mauck, S. Hall, and L. Welch. 2007. Leach's storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) feather mercury levels in the Gulf of Maine. Report BRI 2007-19.Submitted to the Davis Conservation Foundation. BioDiversity Research Institute, Gorham, Maine. pdf
- Goodale, M.W., Evers, D.C., Allen, B., Ellis, J., Hall, S., Kress, S., Mierzykowski, S., and Welch, L. 2006. Mercury levels in seabirds in the Gulf of Maine. Report BRI 2006-08. Submitted to Gulf of Maine Council. Biodiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME. pdf
