Tetiaroa Society Ecostation

18 Jul, 01 PM - 08 Aug, 01 PM

This project seeks to quantify the importance of seabird nutrient subsidies to nutrient cycling and understand wider effects on island ecosystems and coral reef ecology, and associated feedback loops. We plan to: conduct terrestrial vegetation surveys on all possible motus, following the Global Ecosystems Monitoring (GEM) protocol; take soil samples using corers (~30 mL / 5 cm; 5 samples / plot) to survey soil nutrients, isotopes and microbial communities; sample seabird guano using transects of 10 sample plots (160 × 160 cm) covered with black plastic. At reef sites near terrestrial survey locations, we will conduct surveys of water quality (using 2.5 litre Niskin water sampling bottles) and benthic reef communities (using underwater cameras). To track changes in water chemistry over time, we will deploy five multi-parameter water quality sensors over a period of two years. In addition, Two drones (a Trinity F90+ fixed wing drone and a DJI Inspire 2 drone) will be equipped with the MicaSense 10-band multispectral Dual Camera System to measure and map: 1) vegetation chemistry on the island, and 2) the spatial and temporal extent of nutrient exports to the marine environment. This allows us to tie the terrestrial sampling to the marine sampling. The longest duration of any drone flight will be 1 hour and we will not be flying more than twice a day over any island. We will be flying at >50m altitude and will not fly low over sites with bird colonies to reduce any risks to wildlife.

Visit #76246 @Tetiaroa Society Ecostation

Approved

Under Project # 49068 | Research

Understanding nutrient feedbacks across seabird-island-reef systems

research_assistant - University of Oxford

Reservation Members(s)

Martin Kearney Jul 18 - 22, 2022 (5 days)
Lisa Wedding Jul 18 - 29, 2022 (12 days)
Group of 0 Other Aug 1 - 5, 2022 (5 days)
Rosalie Wright Jul 18 - Aug 5, 2022 (19 days)
Yadvinder Malhi Jul 18 - Aug 8, 2022 (22 days)
Kaya Malhi Jul 18 - Aug 8, 2022 (22 days)
Pirta Palola Jul 18 - Aug 8, 2022 (22 days)
Eleanor Thomson Jul 18 - Aug 8, 2022 (22 days)
Melissa Ward Jul 27 - Aug 8, 2022 (13 days)
Rachel Malhi Aug 1 - 8, 2022 (8 days)
Solène Fabre Barroso Jul 18 - Aug 8, 2022 (22 days)

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