In this colorful slide presentation, local ecologist Dr. Brenda Johnson will introduce the Pigeon Guillemot—a striking black-and-white seabird of Puget Sound—and explain why our rocky shores and sandy bluffs are critical during the guillemot nesting season. Participants will learn how guillemots depend on our nearshore ecosystem, and which tools scientists and citizen volunteers use to understand whether colonies are thriving.
Topics will include: What is a Pigeon Guillemot? Why do we study them? What is unique about guillemot ecology? Where, how, and why do guillemots use coastal bluffs? What can guillemot behavior tell us about the marine food web and climate change?
The goal of this talk is to prepare participants for the following day’s field walk so they will know exactly what to watch for and how to observe without disturbing the nesting birds.
About the Presenter: Retired ecologist Dr. Brenda Johnson is a Marrowstone Island resident and a long-time volunteer with the Salish Sea Guillemot Network. She also serves on the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee and Northwest Straits Commission. Her work supports ongoing efforts to understand seabird nesting success, nearshore forage fish availability, and the health of Puget Sound’s coastal ecosystems—especially in areas where guillemots rely on rocky crevices and bluff habitats to raise their young.