Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) were first observed nesting in the upper St. Lawrence River at Strachan Island in 1992. Cormorants now nest at a number of islands in the Thousand Islands section of the river. Griswold, McNair, and Strachan islands are among the largest colonies in the upper river. Until 2011, nest counts had remained relatively stable, ranging from 200 to 603 nests per colony. However, since 2011 the number of nests at McNair Island have exceeded 700 each year. Although the size of cormorant colonies in the upper St. Lawrence River is smaller than those in the eastern basin of Lake Ontario, the close proximity of islands in the upper river that have colonies may cause a cumulative fish consumption effect similar to a larger colony. Because of increasing numbers of Double-crested Cormorants in the upper St. Lawrence River and the possible effects on fish populations, studies were initiated in 1999 to quantify cormorant diet and fish consumption at the three largest colonies. From 1999 to 2012, these studies have shown that cormorants consumed about 128.6 million fish including 37.5 million yellow perch (Perca flavescens), 17.4 million rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) and 1.0 million smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolemieu) (Johnson et al. 2012). During this same time period fish assessment studies near some of these islands have shown a major decrease in yellow perch populations (Klindt 2007). This occurrence is known as the halo effect and happens when piscivorous birds deplete local fish populations in areas immediately surrounding the colony (Ashmole 1963). This paper describes the diet and fish consumption of cormorants in the upper St. Lawrence River in 2013.
Study Area
Publication type | Report |
---|---|
Publication Subtype | State or Local Government Series |
Title | Diet composition and fish consumption of double-crested cormorants from three St. Lawrence River colonies in 2013 |
Series title | NYSDEC Lake Ontario Annual Report |
Series number | 2013 |
Chapter | 15 |
Year Published | 2014 |
Language | English |
Publisher | New York State Department of Environmental Conservation |
Publisher location | Albany, NY |
Contributing office(s) | Great Lakes Science Center |
Description | 12 p. |
Larger Work Type | Report |
Larger Work Subtype | State or Local Government Series |
Larger Work Title | 2013 Annual report: Bureau of Fisheries, Lake Ontario unit and St. Lawrence River unit, to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee |
First page | 15-1 |
Last page | 15-12 |
Conference Title | Lake Ontario Committee Meeting |
Conference Location | Windsor, ON |
Conference Date | March 26-27, 2014 |
Country | Canada, United States |
State | New York |
Other Geospatial | Griswold Island, McNair Island, St. Lawrence River, Strachan Island |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |