A Plover Split?

A DNA study suggests that Kentish Plovers and Snowy Plovers, currently counted as populations of the same species (Charadrius alexandrinus), are in fact two separate species.

The scientists from the Universities of Bath and Sheffield analysed the DNA of 166 birds from two different American populations of Snowy Plover, four Eurasian populations of Kentish Plover, and one African population of a closely related species, the White-fronted Plover.

They found that the European birds were more similar to their African cousins than to their relatives in America, indicating that the bird population split and colonised America, where they became Snowy Plovers, before splitting again to produce Kentish and White-fronted plovers....

Professor of Molecular Ecology Terence Burke, from the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences at the University of Sheffield, said: "It will hopefully make a huge difference. Usually few people are concerned if a local population of birds vanishes. However, when an entire species is threatened, conservation efforts will be stepped up."

The researchers hope next to map exactly how the Snowy Plovers colonised America.

If this becomes the consensus view, it should lengthen the life list of any birders who has seen both. It gives an extra reason to check those plovers carefully!

Election Day

Today is Election Day in New Jersey, which holds its state government elections in odd-numbered years. The election this year will decide who will serve as governor for the next four years, as well as the state legislature and various local offices.

There is also a public question on the ballot:

GREEN ACRES, WATER SUPPLY AND FLOODPLAIN PROTECTION, AND FARMLAND AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOND ACT OF 2009

Shall the "Green Acres, Water Supply and Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2009," which authorizes the State to issue bonds in the amount of $400 million to provide moneys for (1) the acquisition and development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, including lands that protect water supplies, (2) the preservation of farmland for agricultural or horticultural use and production, (3) the acquisition, for recreation and conservation purposes, of properties that are prone to or have incurred flood or storm damage,and (4) funding historic preservation projects; and providing the ways and means to pay the interest on the debt and also to pay and discharge the principal thereof, with full public disclosure of all spending, be approved?

I am somewhat conflicted about this. Green Acres is a very useful program that has preserved valuable habitat and historic sites. Since 1961, the program has protected over 640,000 acres. However, it needs a more stable source of funding than annual bond initiatives. Ballot questions involving the Green Acres program usually pass, since it is a popular program, but bond initiatives remain vulnerable to negative campaigns. New Jersey has struggled to balance its budgets over the past decade due to revenue shortfalls; as a result, voters have been more apt to vote down ballot questions that would involve more debt. This situation leaves funding for the Green Acres program somewhat unpredictable and may make it difficult to plan or negotiate future land purchases. I don't see this as a reason to oppose the initiative. But I would like to see the state government work on making these initiatives unnecessary.

How Much Will the Oil Spill Affect San Francisco's Estuary?

 An article from the weekend discusses some possible ecological effects of the latest oil spill in San Francisco Bay. Even though the spill was relatively small, recent droughts and toxic spills have made the bay particularly vulnerable.

The estuary that defines so much of life in the Bay Area faces increasing ecological pressures from polluted urban runoff, the vagaries of climate change and the effects of more fresh water pumped out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The herring season - the bay's last commercial fishery - was canceled last month because of concerns about the health of the fish population.

On Friday, ecologists were most immediately worried about the oil spill's effect on marshlands and rocky outcroppings where birds and fish congregate to feed and spawn, according to Deb Self, executive director of San Francisco BayKeeper. The areas of highest concern include Richardson Bay, Brooks Island off of Richmond, Keil Cove near Tiburon and the Emeryville Lagoon and mudflats.

It also looks at some specific groups that might be harmed by the bunker oil.

Once they're covered in oil, many birds die from toxicity and hypothermia. The oil interferes with the natural waterproofing effect of birds' feathers, making them more susceptible to cold. As they preen to get rid of the oil, birds often ingest the oil and sustain internal damage.

Farther down the food chain and earlier in the life cycle, oil spills can decimate certain marine species. Self and others say this year's canceled herring season may be due in part to the Cosco Busan spill.

Herring egg samples collected within the spill zone showed "high degrees of embryo mortality and abnormalities," according to recent research, while those collected outside the spill zone were largely normal. Because bunker oil breaks down slowly and is difficult to clean up, it can affect marine life for years.

Crabs were also affected by the last oil spill; this year's crab fishing season was shortened to protect the remaining population. It is unclear from the linked article how much other invertebrates suffered from the Cosco Busan spill. Some research projects on that question started soon after the spill. I am not sure if results have been published, but there is good reason to expect some harm among invertebrate communities.

In response to a question on my last post on the current spill, it is not yet clear who will pay the cleanup costs from the Cosco Busan spill, which are estimated to be $70 million. Earlier this year, both the ship's pilot and the operating company pled guilty to various charges related to the spill. The pilot received a prison sentence, and the company will pay a $10 million fine. That is clearly not enough to pay the cleanup costs. Responsibility for the remaining costs will be determined by a lawsuit filed by the federal, state, and local governments, plus private parties who suffered losses because of the spill.

Oil Rig Catches Fire in Timor Sea

In other oil spill news, an oil rig northwest of Australia has been leaking oil for two and a half months despite various attempts to plug the leak. Yesterday, during another failed attempt, the oil rig caught fire.

A director of the company, Jose Martins, said the only way to stop the fire was to plug the leak.

"The measures which we have been able to take so far can only mitigate the fire. They will not stop the fire.

"The best way to stop the fire is to complete the well-kill and stop the flow of gas and oil at the surface from the H-1 well, cutting off the fuel source for the fire."

Australian Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said in a statement that some of the world's leading experts were working to fix the leaking well and respond to this latest problem.

Mr Ferguson said the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority had been called out to help fight the fire and that Geoscience Australia and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority were on standby.

So the upshot is that now the Timor Sea has a leaky petroleum torch. In a way, I am surprised that a fire did not break out sooner given that oil has been leaking 400 barrels per day for so long. I also have to agree with the opposition leader quoted by the BBC that the performance of the oil company and Australian government in this incident has not inspired much confidence in their abilities to fix the problem.

Oil Spill Kills Birds

The oil spill in San Francisco Bay has already killed some birds.

Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda is hardest hit by the spill.

Tar balls - some the size of silver dollars and a few as big as seat cushions - have washed up along shore every five to 10 yards. About 60 oiled birds, about half dead, were found at that site.

In addition to tar balls along Crown Memorial Beach, oil was washing up in the Ballena Isle Marina in Alameda, Coast Guard officials said.

The California Department of Fish and Game banned shoreline fishing and shellfish harvesting until state health officials could evaluate any contamination caused by the spill.

The current estimate of the size of the spill is 400-800 gallons.