Mercury Monitoring
– Impacts to Biodiversity: To advance scientific understanding of mercury exposure in biota from around the world, an esteemed group of nearly 200 international scientists collaborated on producing 18 peer-reviewed papers that form a two-part Special Issue of Ecotoxicology. This broad collection of studies emphasized mercury exposure in fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Other papers further define global sensitivity of mercury in the environment, impacts of mercury to biodiversity, and theories of change for ASGM. Impacts to Biodiversity is BRI’s summary publication of the special issue papers...
– Caribbean Region Mercury Monitoring Network: Under the leadership of the government of Antigua and Barbuda, an integrated network of laboratories will be established to assist in the assessment of mercury in the environment and the food that people depend on, and to guide policies to address mercury risks. The Department of Analytical Services in Antigua and Barbuda serves as the primary toxicology laboratory in the region for this initiative. Saint Kitts and Nevis, under the Bureau of Standards Multipurpose laboratory, may serve as a secondary laboratory in the region to help with future interlab calibration needs and to build stronger regional capacity..
–Mercury In Indonesia: Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), in collaboration with Nexus3 Foundation and other nongovernmental organizations, is leading initiatives with funding from the U.S. Department of State, to support the Government of Indonesia in restricting mercury supplies, especially for the artisanal small-scale gold mining sector...
–Skin Lightening Project: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded project Eliminating Mercury Skin Lightening Products aims to reduce the risk of exposure to mercury-added skin lightening products in both humans and the environment. The goal is to eliminate mercury-containing skin lightening products through initiatives that address the main needs for the management of SLPs, which include (but are not limited to) national capacity building on legislation, enforcement, laboratory capabilities, and awareness raising strategies.
Other publications:
- Center for Mercury Studies
- The Impact of Mercury on North American Songbirds
- Global Mercury Monitoring in Biota
- Global Mercury Synthesis
- Global Mercury Hotspots
- Phasing Out/Phasing Down Mercury-added Products
- Hidden Risk
Mercury Connections
Mercury in the Global Environment
Mercury Sampling and Ecosystem Sensitivity
Featured publications and reports
– Mid Atlantic Wildlife Studies: The Mid-Atlantic Baseline Studies Project was funded by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind and Water Power Technologies Office in 2011, with additional support from a wide range of partners. The study goal was to provide comprehensive baseline ecological data and associated predictive models and maps to regulators, developers, and other stakeholders for offshore wind energy. This knowledge will help inform the siting and permitting of offshore wind facilities on the mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf.
–Wildlife Studies Offshore Maryland: Waters offshore of Maryland’s Atlantic coast are important for many species year-round, including breeding, nonbreeding, and migration periods. Baseline knowledge of wildlife distributions and habitat use is key to understanding conservation and management needs. Researchers studied the distribution and abundance of prominent wildlife species, including birds, marine mammals, and sea turtles, in relation to environmental factors on the Outer Continental Shelf. These data can be used to identify important habitat areas, inform siting decisions for future development or other activities, and inform environmental permitting requirements and mitigation efforts aimed at minimizing effects from these activities to wildlife.
Stepanuk, J.; Adams, E.; Dodgin, S.; Gilbert, A.; Goodale, W.; Jenkins, E. 2022. Supporting offshore wind siting in the Gulf of Maine – Marine birds. Report to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME. 52 pp
NYSERDA. 2020. Stakeholder Workshop: Scientific Research Framework to Understand the Effects of Offshore Wind Energy Development on Birds and Bats in the Eastern United States. Building Energy Exchange, March 4-6, 2020. NYSERDA Report 20-26. Prepared by J Gulka and K Williams, Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland ME. nyserda.ny.gov/publications
Stenhouse, I. J., A. M. Berlin, A. T. Gilbert, M. W. Goodale, C. E. Gray, W. A. Montevecchi, L. Savoy, & C. S. Spiegel. 2020. Assessing the exposure of three diving bird species to offshore wind areas on the U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf using satellite telemetry. Divers. Distrib. 26(12):1703-1714.
Allison, TD, J Diffendorfer, E Baerwald, J Beston, D Bigger, D Drake, A Hale, C Hein, M Huso, S Loss, J Lovich, D Strickland, K Williams, V Winder. 2019. The ecological impacts of the siting and operation of wind energy in the United States. Issues in Ecology 21:1-24.
NYSERDA. 2019. The Dynamic Ocean: Offshore Wind Energy and Other Activities in the New York Bight. NYSERDA Report 19-39. Prepared by: KA Williams, I Stenhouse, J Gulka, and D Meattey, Biodiversity Research Institute (Portland, ME). 20 pp.
Sussman, AL, B Gardner, EM Adams, L Salas, KP Kenow, DR Luukkonen, MJ Monfils, WP Mueller, KA Williams, M Leduc-Lapierre, EF Zipkin. A comparative analysis of common methods to identify waterbird hotspots. 2019. Methods in Ecology & Evolution 10:1454-1468.
Gulka, JG and KA Williams. 2019. The State of the Science on Wildlife and Offshore Wind Energy Development: Proceedings for a Workshop held November 13-14, 2018, in Woodbury, New York. 84 pp. Available at: https://www.nyetwg.com/past-workshops
Goyert, HF, B Gardner, RR Veit, AT Gilbert, EE Connelly, M Duron, S. Johnson & KA Williams. 2018. Evaluating habitat, prey, and mesopredator associations in a community of marine birds. ICES Journal of Marine Science 75(5):1602-1612.
Williams, KA, EE Connelly, SM Johnson & IJ Stenhouse, eds. 2015. Wildlife Densities and Habitat Use Across Temporal and Spatial Scales on the Mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf: Final Report to the Department of Energy Wind & Water Power Technologies Office. Report BRI 2015-11. 715 pp.
Center for Conservation and Climate Change
Center for Waterbird Studies
– Loon Landscapes: Authors David Evers and Kate Taylor chronicle the stories of the world’s five loon species. Stunning and intimate images capture these loons breeding and wintering habitats across the varying landscapes of three continents.
State Status Reports for the Common Loon
