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Adirondack Loon Conservation
The many lakes of the Adirondack region are home to a breeding population of common loons, which are an icon of the Adirondack Park and its connection to the Northern Forest for many residents and visitors. To better understand loon natural history and the effects of environmental contaminants and human activity on the Adirondack loon population, WCS has partnered with other organizations in developing the Adirondack Loon Conservation Program. The Loon Program is dedicated to improving the overall health of the environment, particularly the protection of air and water quality, through collaborative research and education efforts focusing on Adirondack loons as an example.
The Human Aspect
Adirondack residents, both seasonal and year-round, value loons as a beloved presence on lakes in the area. These captivating birds inspire the public to become actively engaged in conservation efforts. This motivation has widespread effect, since people locally, regionally and nationally have an effect on loons through their actions, their energy use, and their policy decisions.
Threats
Long-lived and high on the food chain, the common loon is an excellent sentinel of environmental health. Loon populations face many threats, including environmental pollutants, such as mercury and acid deposition, and impacts related to human activities including recreation, fishing with toxic lead sinkers, and shoreline development.
Mercury, a byproduct of coal-burning power plants and trash incineration, is transported to the Adirondack landscape through prevailing winds and deposited in lakes and ponds in the form of rain or snow. Along with acid rain, mercury enters lakes, where it is converted into a more toxic form called methylmercury, which accumulates in the aquatic food chain. Top predators like humans and loons are most impacted by this concentration of toxins in the food chain. To minimize the impacts on human health, state health departments issue warnings about the amount and type of fish people should consume. For loons subsisting entirely on a diet of fish and other aquatic animals, the neurotoxins concentrating up the food chain can impact behavior and reproduction, leading to changes in population size over time.
WCS Activities
Initiated in 2001, the Loon Program is committed to collaborative research and education focused on the common loon and conservation issues affecting loon populations and their aquatic habitats.
The program's research projects include:
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understanding the effects of mercury pollution on loons’ reproductive success
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determining the status and trends in the Adirondack breeding loon population
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identifying the migratory patterns and wintering areas of Adirondack loons
This research is coordinated with organizations throughout northeastern North America to better understand the impact of environmental pollution on the regional loon population and to inform policy on a regional scale.
In addition, the Loon Program focuses on public participation, outreach, and education to inspire the public and students to take an active role in environmental conservation. Information obtained through the program's research is communicated to the general public, scientific community, and policy-makers through a number of education projects, including:
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public presentations
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interactive school curricula
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a biannual newsletter, The Adirondack Tremolo
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lay and scientific reports
Important Next Steps
• Continue long-term monitoring of the Adirondack loon population as a sentinel to evaluate the impact of environmental mercury contamination on Adirondack wildlife inhabiting aquatic ecosystems in the Park.
• Coordinate results of Adirondack loon-mercury research with other regional scientists to increase understanding of environmental mercury contamination in northeastern North America, and provide policy-makers with a scientific basis to implement effective regulation of mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.
• Minimize impacts from human disturbance and activities on Adirondack loons through outreach activities and classroom education.
• Monitor trends in the Adirondack loon population through the Annual Loon Census and evaluate long-term population trends through comparison of census results with prior population surveys.
• Provide research results on Adirondack loon migration, impact of mercury pollution on loons in the Park, and on the status of the Adirondack loon population to the public and scientific communities through lay and scientific reports.
Through public participation and education outreach, the Loon Program seeks to minimize anthropogenic impacts on loons and their habitats by increasing public awareness about environmental issues affecting loons and aquatic ecosystems in North America. The results of the program's research efforts are used by wildlife managers and other decision makers, as well as the public, to ensure that Common Loons remain an integral and vital part of New York’s wildlife heritage, and that their haunting calls continue to echo across Adirondack lakes for generations to come.
More information
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