Gabrielle Dorr works as the Outreach Coordinator for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Montrose Settlements Restoration Program, a FCEC partner, where she focuses much of her efforts to restore the Bald Eagle population in Southern California’s Channel Islands. She recently answered some questions about the work that she does as well as issues that FCEC currently faces.

FCEC: Can you describe the Bald Eagle restoration project and why it’s important?

Gabrielle Dorr : The purpose of the bald eagle restoration project is to restore the bald eagles that have been absent from the California Channel Islands since the 1950′s primarily due to DDT contamination. Bald eagles were hunted in the earlier part of the century, this pressure combined with the introduction of the chemical DDT to the ocean system had devastating effects to the bald eagles. DDT caused bald eagles to lay thin-shelled eggs which would break when the eagles tried to incubate them leading to the eagles’ disappearance.

The Montrose Settlements Restoration Program (MSRP) funded the Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS) and partnered with the National Park Service to implement a feasibility study. The goal of this study is to determine if bald eagles could successfully reproduce on the Channel Islands. Between 2002 and 2006, 61 juvenile bald eagles were released on the islands. Biologists are tracking their movements, ability to reproduce, and their exposure to DDT. As a top predator, bald eagles are an important component of the Channel Islands ecosystem.

FCEC: Explain how the Bald Eagle restoration project ties back to the DDT/PCB contamination that FCEC is addressing.

Gabrielle Dorr: Releases of DDT and PCBs into the marine environment during the 1940′s to 1970′s from manufacturing plants in southern California are still impacting fish and wildlife today. The eagles that IWS reintroduced to the Channel Islands have significant levels of DDT in their bloodstreams from eating contaminated fish and marine mammal carcasses in this area.
FCEC which is a group funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the important task of informing the human population of issues with consuming contaminated fish caught in this area. In addition, EPA is working on trying to put a sediment cap on the contaminated area to reduce the amount of DDT and PCBs that enter the food chain. If EPA is successful then fish, wildlife, and humans will benefit from the reduction of DDT and PCBs in the environment.

FCEC: What the Channel Islands Live Bald Eagle Webcam all about? How is this allowing the community to feed scientific research?

Gabrielle Dorr : The Bald Eagle Webcam offers live views of the Pelican Harbor bald eagle nest located on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park, California. The camera is web accessible, has sound, and runs 24 hours a day year round. The best time to watch is during the bald eagle season which begins in January and ends in July. In 2009, the camera received over 200,000 views from the public. This camera is funded by the Montrose Settlements Restoration Program (MSRP), in partnership with the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) and National Park Service (NPS).

Shortly after the webcam was live VCOE created a discussion board where eagle enthusiasts could get more information about the bald eagle program. The discussion board currently has 1,500 members. The members can chat with each other, post nest observations, read updates from IWS biologists, or get background information about the program. To access the webcam and discussion board visit: http://www.nps.gov/chis/

FCEC: How has the restoration work paid off? What is the number of eagles that have nested and hatched? Where have these eagles nested and hatched?

Gabrielle Dorr: This year was a record year for the number of bald eagle nests and number of chicks hatched on the Channel Islands. There are a total of 13 bald eagle nests and 15 chicks that have hatched on Catalina, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa Islands in 2010. A milestone was reached this year when two chicks hatched on Santa Rosa Island for the first time in 60 years.

The number of historical nesting pairs for the Channel Islands was 35. It is too early to say that bald eagles are fully recovered but they are definitely showing clear signs of returning to these islands.

Posted in Contamination, Partners