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Restoration of Gavia immer (Common Loon) in Minnesota—2022 Annual Report

Open-File Report 2023-1062
Prepared in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
By: , , , , , , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231062

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Abstract

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon mobile drilling platform on April 20, 2010, caused a massive oil spill and injury to natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico. Gavia immer (common loon) were negatively affected from the spill. The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group funded the project “Restoration of Common Loons in Minnesota” to restore common loons lost to the spill. Here, we report on activities conducted for this project in an eight-county region in Minnesota in calendar year 2022. We identified a subset of territories that were monitored in 2021 as focal territories (n=99) from which multiyear study inferences can ultimately be made. We monitored nonfocal territories on all study lakes as well. We conducted surveys from May 9 to August 12, 2022. At least 1 nest attempt was observed in 68 of 99 focal territories, and a second nest attempt after a failed initial attempt was observed in 17 focal territories. Chicks or other evidence of hatching was observed in 33 of 99 territories. Data collected in 2021 and 2022 for this project are presented in a U.S. Geological Survey data release (https://doi.org/10.5066/P9LA536E). We present no formal data analysis in this report.

Suggested Citation

Beatty, W.S., Fara, L.J., Houdek, S.C., Rabasco, R., Rettler, S., Rasmussen, E., Kenow, K.P., Gray, B.R., Yang, S., and Amoth, K., 2023, Restoration of Gavia immer (common loon) in Minnesota—2022 annual report: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1062, 5 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231062.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Acknowledgments
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Benchmarks to Evaluate Project Progress
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Restoration of Gavia immer (common loon) in Minnesota—2022 annual report
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2023-1062
DOI 10.3133/ofr20231062
Year Published 2023
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Description Report: vi, 5 p.; Data Release
Country United States
State Minnesota
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details