Foreword 



The international symposium "Conservation of Marine Birds of Northern North America" 

 was convened because of a growing awareness that not all was well with our marine birds. The 

 symposium provided a forum for scientists, governmental administrators, conservationists, 

 and laypeople to discuss the diverse topics and issues that we must all understand if we are to 

 act both responsively and responsibly to assure that marine birds will not be lost through our 

 neglect. 



The symposium was cosponsored by the Natural Resources Council of America, National 

 Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish 

 and Wildlife Service; additional support was provided by the Canadian Wildlife Service, the 

 International Association of Game, Fish, and Conservation Commissioners, the Pacific Seabird 

 Group, the Sierra Club, the Smithsonian Institution, the Wildlife Management Institute, and 

 the Wildlife Society. 



Persons interested and knowledgeable in the many and varied aspects of marine bird conser- 

 vation were invited to participate in this symposium. There were 139 registered and several 

 score of unregistered participants in attendance. Major topics treated were: (1) socioeconomic 

 considerations and conservation of marine birds; (2) the marine environment of birds; (3) status 

 of marine bird populations on land and sea; (4) the biology and ecology of marine birds in the 

 North; (5) conflicts between the conservation of marine birds and uses of other resources; 

 (6) programs and authorities related to the conservation of marine birds; and (7) conservation 

 of marine birds in other lands. 



The objective of the symposium was to identify problems and the needed information and 

 programs necessary for the conservation of marine birds of northern North America. For the 

 purpose of this symposium the term "northern North America" referred to the coasts of Wash- 

 ington, British Columbia, Alaska, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territories and the adja- 

 cent North Pacific and Arctic Oceans. "Marine bird" was defined as being any bird using 

 marine or estuarine waters. Speakers were asked to describe the status of information or the 

 state of the art as it pertained to their topic within the limitations set by the objective of the 

 symposium. Examples from other regions and of bird species not found in the regions of con- 

 cern were to be used for comparative purposes when little pertinent information was known for 

 regions or species of concern. Speakers were asked to identify the gaps in the knowledge and 

 methodology that are most critical to their topic. 



I believe that this symposium was particularly successful in that it provided a timely forum 

 for many scientists who were about to embark on studies of marine birds in those areas of 

 Alaska and California being considered for outer continental shelf oil and gas exploration and 

 development. These published proceedings may be of lesser importance from that standpoint 

 because some data, particularly those on populations, are out of date. However, I believe that 

 the proceedings will long be of importance to biologists and administrators alike in charting 

 their respective courses to ultimately assure conservation of this valuable avian resource. 



Many people from many organizations and agencies worked hard to put together the sym- 

 posium in the relatively short time of about 8 months. Nathaniel P. Reed was the person pri- 

 marily responsible for bringing this symposium to fruition. The Steering Committee was com- 

 posed of Daniel A. Poole, John S. Gottschalk, David N. Nettleship, Amos S. Eno, C. Eugene 

 Knoder, Warren G. King, Louis Clapper, Robert Hughes, Fred G. Evenden, James C. Bar- 

 tonek, and me. James C. Bartonek, Warren G. King, David N. Nettleship (Cochairmen), 

 C. Eugene Knoder, David A. Manuwal, William H. Drury, and Spencer G. Sealy served on the 

 Program Committee. David A. Manuwal and Terence R. Wahl arranged trips for persons to 

 observe pelagic birds off the Washington coast and other birds on Skagit Flats. C. Eugene 

 Knoder handled financial matters. John A. Sayre and Richard Bauer made arrangements for 

 facilities and entertainment. Elaine Rhode prepared the program and abstracts for printing. 

 John Pitcher kindly contributed the artwork used in this publication as well as that used in the 

 program and abstracts. 



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