Regions

The Challenge: Polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs) are contaminants that bioaccumulate and biomagnify in aquatic and terrestrial food webs. Unlike many contemporary pollutants, these flame retardants have increased in the environment over the past 30 years. Studies in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays have documented concentrations of nearly 1 μg/g wet weight of PBDEs in osprey...

The Challenge: Like the canary in the coal mine, wild birds have long been recognized as bellwethers for environmental health. By monitoring populations of wild birds we gain an understanding of the state of the natural world and this, in turn, allows us to identify pressing environmental challenges, to set conservation priorities, and to measure the success of conservation action. But the...

The Challaenge: Each autumn, millions of landbirds migrate southward from breeding areas in the U.S. and Canada. Because these migrations occur during hurricane season, the impacts of hurricanes on migrating birds and their en route resting and foraging sites (stopover sites) are a real concern. Hurricane Sandy occurred late in the landbird migration season. By the time the storm made landfall...

The Challenge: Most landbird conservation efforts focus on protecting or enhancing breeding habitat. For migratory species, however, mortality is highest during the biannual migration periods. In fall, juvenile birds are making their first migratory flights; their success, and that of adult birds, depends on availability of suitable sites to safely rest and forage. Identifying important...

The Challenge: Demands for alternative energy are increasing and offshore wind projects are slated for several areas used by seabirds in coastal areas of the Atlantic flyway and in the Great Lakes. There is a need to identify the most important habitats for seabirds related to the construction of turbines to evaluate and minimize potential adverse effects on seabirds and their habitats. This...