Proyecto Picaflor
Juan Fernandez Islands, Chile

The breeding season is underway, with a record number of active Juan Fernández firecrown nests located in August. There is an expanded team helping out, including coordinatiors and biologists from the islands and visiting volunteers. 

In September, veterinarians administered vaccinations to pets and sterilized cats within the town of San Juan Bautista. This visit was supported by the community and inspired by a study where pet cats were followed to gain a clear understanding of the principal predator to the threatened hummingbird.

Water Education Program

The classroom program Plastics in the Ocean is now implemented in the City of Benicia schools in California. This program uses results of Oikonos' albatross research to teach science skills and ocean stewardship.  It is taught to all 6th and 7th grade students, one 8th grade class and three High School Oceanography classes.

Since 2006 these ocean stewardship activities have been used by over 1,400 students in the east San Francisco Bay area

Click to view student art, essays, and teacher comments

Standardizing Marine Debris Studies Across Oceans

In both the North Pacific and Atlantic, studies are underway to track the amount of offshore plastic entering the food web using an abundant seabird, the Northern Fulmar, as a bioindicator. 

In September, Oikonos and the Marine Wildlife and Veterinary Care and Research Center hosted a week-long workshop to standardize techniques and methods with the successful program in the North Sea managed by Jan van Franeker of IMARES.  Biologists from 7 institutions particpated.

The ultimate value of this work is to detect improvements in pollution levels as a result of multi-national efforts to reduce marine debris.  Long-term funding is needed to obtain the necessary time-series.