Since 2000, PRBO Conservation Science has been involved in studies of the federally and state listed, endangered California Least Tern colony that began breeding at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, California in 1976.
Currently, PRBO concentrates on studying Least Tern diet and foraging. The Bay is an important fish spawning area and nursery, and the Least Tern (a small fish-eating bird) can provide information on the timing of spawning and relative abundances of different fish species.
Contact: Meredith Elliott
PROJECT GOALS
- Elucidate the changing fish populations in the San Francisco Bay.
- Understand relationships between diet and breeding success.
- Compare diet data from the nearby Hayward Shoreline Least Tern colony to Alameda's.
FOCAL SPECIES
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Least Tern
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Northern Anchovy
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Smelts
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Pacific Herring
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PRODUCTS
Using seabird long-term data for monitoring the state of the San Francisco Bay Estuary
Breeding Biology and Status of the California Least Tern at Alameda Point
PARTNERS
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
California Department of Fish and Game
East Bay Regional Parks
