Naturalist Presentation

Clipperton Island in the eastern tropical Pacific is perhaps the most isolated island in the world. French-owned, it is a tiny (1.6 sq. km), uninhabited desert atoll, with an average elevation of only 3 m. It is, however, surrounded by very productive tropical waters, and tens of thousands of Masked and Brown boobies crowd its barren shores. Its teeming seabird population has been whip-sawed by human activity over the past 100+ years and its future remains uncertain. We will introduce you to its cast of feathered characters and summarize some of our research results there on booby taxonomy, diet, and abundance before discussing some of the ongoing conservation threats to this remarkable place. 

Our speaker is Robert Pitman.  Robert worked as a marine biologist for National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA) for 40 years, specializing on marine birds and mammals. He participated in survey cruises all over the world with main study areas in the eastern tropical Pacific, Alaska, Antarctica, and Western Australia. He has written dozens of papers on seabird and marine mammal ecology with a particular focus on killer whales. He currently lives in Newport, OR, and is an affiliate at the OSU Marine Mammal Institute where his wife and colleague, Lisa Ballance, is the Director.

MEETING LOCATION:
OSU Extension Lincoln County
1211 SE Bay Blvd
Newport, OR 97365

This event is sponsored by Yaquina Birders & Naturalists.