ACCESS NUMEBER: TO-85239

STUDY TITLE: Population Structure of Common Elders Nesting on Coastal Barrier Islands Adjacent to

Oil Facilities in the Beaufort Sea

REPORT TiTLE: Population Structure of Common Elders Nesting on Coastal Barrier Islands Adjacent to

Oil Facilities in the Beaufort Sea

CONTRACT NUMBER(S): 1 4350 1 -98-CA-30909

TASK ORDER (TO): TO-85239

SPONSORING OCS REGION: Alaska

APPLICABLE PLANNING AREA(S): Beaufort Sea

FISCAL YEAR(S) OF PROJECT FUNDING: 2002-2005

COMPLETION DATE OF REPORT: August 2006

COST(S): 2002$49, 148, 2003$46,2 15, 2004$42,931; CUMULATIVE PROJECT COST: $138,294

PROJECT MANAGER(S): Kevin McCracken

AFFILIATION (of project manager): University of Alaska Fairbanks

ADDRESS: Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S)*: Sarah Sonsthagen, Kevin McCracken, Richard Lanctot, Sandra

Talbot, Kim Scribner

KEY WORDS: Common Eiders, Somateria mollissima, Beaufort Sea, barrier islands, population

genetics, phylogeography

BACKGROUND:

The Pacific race of the Common Eider (Somateria mollissima v-nigra) has declined severely in Alaska

since the late 1950s. The Beaufort Sea population of Common Elders is estimated to have declined by

53% from approximately 156,000 birds in 1976 to 72,600 birds in 1996. Reasons for this decline are

unknown, but may be related to low adult survival and poor productivity. The need to address these

issues, and the simultaneous development of oil production facilities in the near shore waters of the

Beaufort Sea, prompted the Minerals Management Service, in collaboration with the University of Alaska

Fairbanks and U.S. Geological Survey, to begin mark-recapture and population genetics studies of

breeding Common Elders inhabiting barrier islands adjacent to oil facilities in the Beaufort Sea.

OBJECTIVES:

Objectives were to: (1) Document population structuring among Common Elders breeding on coastal

barrier islands of the Beaufort Sea at the maco and microgeographic leve:s: 2 Assay and define

reproductvelv soatec oeneic socks of nreomng Cc,rnmor Euers eatvo o :beir proxmjtyooffsfinre

gEs foct:es Tha Bufo Si ;3 Unu:ent :n easoial y(i O C OL 7S eotic cousecue(ces u C,o:uoo ide s esrnO i:e 3au?ort Sea. nc 4 Assess :ne ce exaic

genetic diversity might play in the vuinerabiiity of Common Eiders nesting in areas of tne Beaufort Sea

that are at increased risk to aisturoance and on spills.

DESCRIPTION:

We estimated levels of spatial population structure of Pacific Common Eiders breeding on the barrier

islands in the western Beaufort Sea and throughout their range in North American and Scandinavia using

microsateliite genotypes and sequence information from rntDNA control region and two nuclear rttrons,

Otic.!ed vvizh hardinq aid cieet 'ecan:u'e dara
ACCESS NUMEBER: 10-85239

SIGNIFICANT CONCLUSIONS:

Common Eider populations exhibited population structuring at every geographic level based on all marker

types. Comparisons between two barrier island groups in the Beaufort Sea, Mikkelsen Bay and Simpson

Lagoon, revealed structuring at 14 microsateflite loci, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region, and

nuclear introns. Historical population demographic data suggest that Common Eiders were restricted to

four glacial refugia during the last glacial maximum; Belcher Islands, Newfoundland, Alaskan North Slope

and Svalbard. The Beaufort Sea population appears to have contributed little to colonizing deglaciated

regions and is genetically differentiated from southern Alaskan, Canadian and Scandinavian populations.

STUDY RESULTS:

Common Eider populations exhibited population structuring at every geographic level. Comparisons

between two barrier island groups in the Beaufort Sea, Mikkelsen Bay and Simpson Lagoon, revealed

structuring at 14 microsatellite loci, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region and nuclear introns.

Genetic recapture data revealed substructuring between island groups, as we did not detect any female

dispersal between island groups (n = 34). Historical population demographic data suggest that Common

Elders were restricted to four glacial refugia during the last glacial maximum; Beicher Islands,

Newfoundland, Alaskan North Slope and Svalbard. The Beaufort Sea population appears to have

contributed little to colonizing deglaciated regions and is genetically differentiated from southern Alaskan,

Canadian and Scandinavian populations. Significant structuring also was observed at microgeographic

scales within Beaufort Sea island groups, indicating that elders may nest in kin groups. Clusters of

positive genetic autocorrelation observed among nesting females could make these elders more

susceptible to disturbance, as localized disturbance could potentially affect a kin group rather than a

cluster of individuals randomly associated to each other.

STUDY PRODUCT(S):

Manuscripts

Sonsthagen, S.A. 2006. Population genetic structure and phylogeography of Common Eiders

(Somateria mollissima). Ph.D. dissertation. University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Sonsthagen, S.A., S.L. Talbot, R.B. Lanctot, K. Scribner, and K.G. McCracken. 2006. Population genetic

structure of Common Elders (Somateria mollissima) breeding in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska.

Conservation Genetics. Submitted for peer-review.

Sonsthagen, S.A., S.L. Talbot, and KG. McCracken. Genetic characterization of Common Elders

(Somateria mollissima) breeding in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. Condor. Submitted for

peer-review.

Sonsthagen, S.A., J.R. Gust, G.K. Sage, S.L. Talbot, R. Tiedemann, and K.G. McCracken. 2006.

Detection of sex-linkage in waterfowl "autosomal" microsatellite locus and its implication on an

estimator of population differentiation. Molecular Ecology Notes. Submitted for peer-review.

Sonsthagen, S.A., S.L. Talbot, RB. Lanctot, and KG. McCracken. Do waterfowl nest in kin groups?

Evidence from the Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) breeding in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska.

Conservation Genetics. In prep.

Sonsthagen, S.A., S.L. Taibot, R.B. Lanctot, K. 1. Scribner, and KG. McCracken. Stepwise post-glacial

colonization of Common Elders (Somateria mollissirna) breeding in North America and

Scandinavia. Molecular Ecology. In prep.

Sonsthagen. S,A., SI. Talbot RB. Lanctot, K. T Scribner, and KG. McCracken Multiiocus population

enetc srructure f Common Eiders Somateria rncIlis.'-'ima Oreedra n North Amedca and

S:.onoirav MoIec,& Eco!gy' In orep.

Sorsftaer S,A, SI. TaiUOl R,3 iancto, K 1. Scrftrier, era KG. VicGrackeo Ciagnoscuity at

subspecies using a multliocus approacn: An example from the Common Eider iSorr,ateria

mollissirna). Molecular Ecology. In prep.

Sonsthagen. S.A., S.L. Talbot, R.B. Lanctot, and K.G. McCracken. Population genetic structure of

Common Elders (Somateria mollissima) breeding on the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Condor. In

prep.
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Annual Reports

Sonsthagen, S.A., RB. Lanctot, S,L. Talbot, K. Scribner, and KG. McCracken. 2005. Population

structure of Common Elders nesting on the coastal barrier islands adjacent to oil facilities in the

Beaufort Sea. Coastal Marine Institute Annual Report.

Sonsthagen, S.A., R.B. Lanctot, S.L. Talbot, K. Scnbner, and K.G. McCracken. 2004. Population

structure of Common Elders nesting on the coastal barrier islands adjacent to oil facilities in the

Beautort Sea. Coastal Marine Institute Annual Report.

Sonsthagen, S.A., R.B. Lanctot, S.L. Talbot, K. Scribner, and K.G. McCracken. 2003. Population

structure of Common Eiders nesting on the coastal barrier islands adjacent to oil facilities in the

Beaufort Sea. Coastal Marine Institute Annual Report.

Sonsthagen, S.A., R.B. Lanctot, S.L. Talbot, K. Scribner, and KG. McCracken. 2002. Population

structure of Common Elders nesting on the coastal barrier islands adjacent to oil facilities in the

Beaufort Sea. Coastal Marine Institute Annual Report.

Oral Presentations

Sonsthagen, S.A., S.L. Talbot, R.B. Lanctot, K. Scribner, and K.G. McCracken. 2005. Population

structure and phylogeography of Common Elders. 2 Annual North American Sea Duck

Conference, Annapolis, Maryland.

Sonsthagen, S.A., S.L. Talbot, R.B. Lanctot, K. Scribner, and K.G. McCracken. 2005. Population

structure of Common Elders. Evolution Conference, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Sonsthagen, S.A., R.B. Lanctot, S.L. Talbot, K. Scribner, and KG. McCracken. 2004. Population

structure of Common Eiders breeding in North America and Scandinavia. Alaska Bird

Conference, Anchorage, Alaska.

Poster Presentations

Sonsthagen, S.A., RB. Lanctot, S.L. Taibot, K. Scribner, and K.G. McCracken. 2004. Population

structure of Common Eiders breeding in North America and Scandinavia. 55th Arctic Science

Conference, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Anchorage, Alaska.

Sonsthagen, S.A., R.B. Lanctot, S.L. Talbot, K. Scribner, and K.G. McCracken. 2003. Population

structure of Common Elders breeding in Alaska and Canada. North American Duck Symposium,

Sacramento, California.

Sonsthagen, S.A., R.B. Lanctot, Si. Talbot, K. Scribner, and K.G. McCracken. 2002. Population

structure of Common Elders nesting on the coastal barrier islands adjacent to oil facilities in the

Beaufort Sea. North American Seaduck Conference and Workshop, Victoria, Canada.

Guest Presentations

Sonsthagen, S.A., R.B. Lanctot, S.L. Taibot, K. Scribner, and K.G. McCracken. 2006. Population

structure of Common Elders nesting on the coastal barrier islands adjacent to oil facilities in the

Beaufort Sea. Coastal Marine Institute Annual Meeting, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Sonsthagen, S.A., R.B. Lanctot, S.L. Talbot, K. Scribner, and K.G. McCracken. 2005. Population

structure of Common Eiders nesting on the coastal barrier islands adjacent to oil facilities in the

Beaufort Sea. Mineral Management Service 10th Information Transfer Meeting, Anchorage,

Alaska.

Sonsthagen, S.A., R.B. Lanctot, S.L. Talbot. K. Scribner, and K,G, McCracken. 2005. Population

structure of Common Elders nesting on the coastal barrier islands adjacent to oil facilities in the

Beaufort Sea. Coastal Marine Institute Annual Meeting, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Sonsthagen, S.A., R.B. Lanctot, S.L. Talbot, K. Scribner, and K.G. McCracken, 2004. Population

structure of Common Elders nesting on the coasta barrier siands adjacent to o!I facilities in tre Beautort Sea Coasta Marina nsnur nna Mactoo uJrbank.s Alaska

;stnaoer,. S.A B arctot S. L iabo . Suibor ac K :; McOra;Ker Popuiuu

structure Coo r.r Eds rasting on oarier sarcs aajacen . ot :aoines the

Beaufort Sea. Coastal Marine Institute Annual Meeting, Farbanks, Alaska.
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1 S

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S S S 55 II

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10 0 0 20 I<ilometrs

Beaufort Sea barrier islands located in (A) Simpson Lagoon (western group) and (B) Mikkelsen Bay

(eastern group) with sample sizes.

5 / 5.

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SK

m.

Subspecies distribution and oca!ties of the 15 Common Eider ooputions samped in this study,