Food resources available to sea ducks on migration at the Restigouche River in New Brunswick, Canada and potential contaminant problems

Project Number: 37

Year Funded: 2005

Lead Institution(s): Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Project Lead: Matthew Perry

Email:

Collaborator(s): Keith McAloney (CWS)

Location: New Brunswick

Focal Species: Black Scoter (Melanitta americana)

Project Description: Populations have declined for some species of seaducks in North America and there has been an increased concern over the status of seaducks in general. Four species, including the black scoter (Melanitta nigra), are at risk and deserve immediate attention. Surveys of seaducks wintering on the Atlantic coast (1991-99) have shown major declines for the black scoter. Surveys are continuing in hopes to better understand and delineate the size and location of Atlantic coast black scoter populations. Approximately 100,000 black scoters use the Restigouche River in New Brunswick, Canada every spring as a staging area before movement north to breeding areas in Quebec and Manitoba.

The coastline of the Restigouche River has paper mills and power plants, possibly contributing contaminants that could accumulate in the food resources available for seaducks feeding in these areas during migration. There is an urgent need to know more about the potential role of these contaminants to scoter populations. There also is a need to create some baseline data on what food resources are available for these ducks and to monitor the seasonal and annual availability of these food resources.