Have you ever wondered what field biologists do during the wintertime when they are not in the field?
We’re not quite as busy as during the field season, but we still don’t stop! Probably the most exciting thing we do is look at the data we’ve collected and see what we’ve learned. We also share these results with colleagues at meetings, and make plans for the next field season by applying for permits and animal handling approval from our institution’s Animal Care and Use Committee. We also spend time organizing the next field crew and setting up logistics (like housing and travel) for the next field season.
Just like the seabirds, the team from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, is busy getting ready to return to St. Paul Island!
The team is excited to deploy GPS loggers on more black-legged kittiwakes to see where they will go to catch their food this summer, and they are even more excited to see if they can catch the birds carrying geolocators from last year! If they can recatch these birds, they can find out where they spent their winter months out at sea.