PMLF Supports Wedge-Tailed Shearwater Study This project evaluates the nesting success of wedge-tailed shearwaters, marine birds which arrive annually in June on Kapapa Islet, Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, and begin hatching later in the summer. The islet and its seabird inhabitants are often negatively impacted by activities of human visitors to Kapapa (fishing, camping, boating etc.) and the dogs accompanying them. Some 500 nests were identified and tagged for this study, followed by repeat surveys documenting egg hatching, chick survival and fledging. Data is presently being analyzed, but overall it appears that nesting success is low, with less than 50% of the nests yielding fledged chicks. David A. Krupp, principal investigator, hopes to compare this with nesting on other islets, especially those which are protected. Through these comparisons, scientists may begin to understand how human impacts influence nesting success of seabirds.
