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NAVAL BASE GUAM T & E SPECIES RECOVERY Mariana Swiftlet Endangered Green Turtle Threatened Mariana Common Moorhen Endangered Location Mariana Islands Mariana Swiftlet Aerodramus bartschi Characteristics Endemic to Mariana Islands Eats insects Roosts and nests in caves Nests of moss “glued” with saliva to cave walls Echo locates inside caves for navigation Causes of Decline Nests With Egg and Adult Predators: Rats, Snakes on Guam Cockroaches: eat nest “glue”-nests fall Cave disturbance by humans Development: loss of foraging habitat Pesticides ? Forages on the Wing Current Swiftlet Populations Saipan 5000 declining Tinian extirpated 1970’s Aguijan 400 declining Rota extirpated 1970’s Guam 1500 increasing Naval Base Guam 2014 population estimates 3 caves: • Mahlac = 1203 • Maemong = 226 • Fachi = 64 Population Estimates 1986-2014 Mahlac Maemong Fachi Swiftlet Project: Monitoring Populations and Predators Through Use of Thermal and Near IR Cameras, and Lidar System. Thermal Cameras and Software: successful at tracking and counting birds monitoring distribution of nesting/roosting birds, and detecting rodents. Thermal Image Near-IR Data: can be manually processed to count entering/exiting birds. Lidar system: was unsuccessful. Near IR Images Swiftlet Projects: Brown Treesnake Control Evaluation of BTS Use at Caves FY 14: Quarterly visual searches at swiftlet and non-swiftlet caves. BTS captured at all swiftlet caves = 23. No BTS captured at non-swiftlet caves. Isotope Analysis of BTS Captured at Swiftlet Caves: Examined diet composition: In progress, results in FY2015. Evaluation of Mouse-baited Traps to Attract Snakes to a Focal Area: Results suggest that mouse baited traps do not attract BTS to a focal area of conservation concern, potentially increasing predation rates on birds . Live Mouse Baited Trap Snake Trapping and Toxicant Baiting FY 14: 94 mouse baited traps caught 131 snakes. 90 “pinkie” toxicant baited tubes: 394 baits taken. Pinkie Toxicant Baited Tube Mariana Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus guami Characteristics Subspecies Endemic to Mariana Islands. Eats aquatic plants, insects; generalist omnivore. Prefers shallow wetlands with both open water and emergent vegetation. Nests of woven vegetation in emergent plants. Chicks precocial. Nest With Chick Causes of Decline Predators: Rats, cats, monitor lizards, snakes on Guam. Loss of wetland habitat. Competition with invasive species like tilapia. Outreach Signage Current Moorhen Populations Saipan 100 Tinian 50 Rota 10 Guam 100-150 declining? Moorhen Project: Wetland Use and Population Survey Mariana common moorhen were surveyed during the 2014 dry and wet seasons. Recorded moorhen vocalization “playback” point count methodology was used. Nest on Pond Water Fountain Dry season results: 104 point count stations surveyed, and detected 22 adults in 12 wetlands. Wet season results: 109 point count stations surveyed, and detected 8 adults and 4 chicks in 5 wetlands. Surveys will be repeated in 2015 with addition of motion activated cameras placed at nests to document nesting success. Nest With Eggs Moorhen Project: Nesting Platforms Fena Reservoir Ten 6’X6’ and two 20’x20’ platforms deployed, November 2014. Small platforms with sedge. Large platforms with Hydrilla. Platforms anchored in shallow water. No nesting as of February 2015. Towing Platform Small Platform Before Sedge Large Platform Being Anchored Hydrilla Small Platform After Sedge Platform Locations Green Turtle Chelonia mydas Trashed Nesting Beach Characteristics Worldwide distribution: tropical/sub-tropical. Eats sea grass and corollaceous algae. Migrate long distances to nest. Eggs and meat delicacies. Causes of Decline Overharvest. Ingestion of plastics. Entanglement and boat strikes. Development of beach nesting areas. Artificial lights on nesting beaches. Disease. Green Turtle Populations Saipan-Tinian-Rota: Nesting Females = 10-20 Annually Juvenile Foragers = 1000-2000 Guam: Nesting Females = 40 recorded in 10 years Juvenile Foragers = 200-250 Green Turtle Project: Satellite Tagging PAC FLEET Funded: NBG Facilitated. Free diving hand capture of turtles. Twenty turtles Tagged. Study will examine distribution and abundance of sea turtles and identify habitat used by turtles on DoD submerged lands around Guam. Final results and report expected FY2016. Green Turtle Projects: Nesting Surveys and Nest Excavation FY 2014: 347 surveys conducted on 9 beaches during nesting season. 9 nesting events recorded at 2 beaches. Hatchling Failed to Emerge Trapped by Roots Tissue Sample Nests excavated to determine clutch size and survivorship. Number of Nesting Events Spanish Steps 2009-2014 50 Excavating 40 30 Tracks 20 10 0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Nest Green Turtle Projects: Invasive Plant and Trash Removal From Nesting Beaches Remote Nesting Beach trash Removal Tinian Military Lease Area. 17 Coast Guard Volunteers. 850 cubic feet of trash removed Invasive lily removal to restore Spanish Steps nesting beach. ? ? ?