This map shows all available marine bird survey data from the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) around St.
Sarah K Schoen
Population and community ecology, foraging biology, conservation, biogeography, animal behavior, food webs, and experiential education.
Professional Experience
2022 – Present Biologist - U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
2012 – 2022 Wildlife Biologist - U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK
2009 – 2012 Wildlife Biologist - Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Juneau, AK
2005 – 2006 Research Technician - Zoology - Alaska Natural Heritage Program, Anchorage, AK
2004 – 2005 Environmental Scientist - HDR Alaska, Inc., Anchorage, AK
Education and Certifications
M.S. 2008 Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID Biology
B.A. 2004 Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA Biology/Environmental Studies
Affiliations and Memberships*
Member, Pacific Seabird Group
Member, Kittlitz's Murrelet Technical Committee
Member, The Wildlife Society
Science and Products
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database
Seabird Die-offs in Alaska
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Cook Inlet Seabird and Forage Fish Study
Tidewater Glacier Influence on Marine Ecosystems
Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in Alaska Seabirds
Detecting Long-term Changes in Forage Fish Populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Use and History of the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD)
Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound During the Marine Heatwave
NPPSD Sampling Effort Maps
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Data from the Capture and Collection of Non Die-off Seabirds Across Alaska
Gridded Seabird Density Estimates in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Assessing the Status and Trends of Seabirds and Forage Fish in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD)
Data Associated With Algal Toxin Testing of Common Murres (Uria aalge) and Forage Fish in Alaska, 2015-2017
Data from Common Murre Die-off Surveys and Necropsies Following the North Pacific Marine Heatwave, 2015-2016
Pacific Sand Lance Energy Density, Length, and Age, Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2012-2016
Marine ecology near Tufted Puffin colonies across the Aleutian Archipelago and Alaska Peninsula, 2012-2014
Below are the media items associated with this project.
This map shows all available marine bird survey data from the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) around St.
A Common Murre feeds its chick a capelin at the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A Common Murre feeds its chick a capelin at the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A melanistic (all dark) Common Murre flies above the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, 2018. See related paper published in the Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation at: http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/50_2/50_2_225-227.pdf.
A melanistic (all dark) Common Murre flies above the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, 2018. See related paper published in the Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation at: http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/50_2/50_2_225-227.pdf.
A melanistic (all dark) Common Murre holds a display fish at its breeding site on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, 2019. See related paper published in the Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation at: http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/50_2/50_2_225-227.p
A melanistic (all dark) Common Murre holds a display fish at its breeding site on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, 2019. See related paper published in the Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation at: http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/50_2/50_2_225-227.p
A Common Murre holding a capelin at a breeding colony on Gull Island, in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A Common Murre holding a capelin at a breeding colony on Gull Island, in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A Tufted Puffin carrying a bill load of capelin back to its chick on Gull Island, in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A Tufted Puffin carrying a bill load of capelin back to its chick on Gull Island, in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A Tufted Puffin flies over the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A Tufted Puffin flies over the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A pair of Tufted Puffins stand above their burrows on the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A pair of Tufted Puffins stand above their burrows on the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A pair of Horned Puffins on the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A pair of Horned Puffins on the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
![Glaucous-winged Gulls fight over a Pacific Herring near Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/DSC_7569edit.jpg?itok=gAdyYAH2)
Glaucous-winged Gulls fight over a Pacific Herring near Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
Glaucous-winged Gulls fight over a Pacific Herring near Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
A juvenile Marbled Murrelet near Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. The Marbled Murrelet spends most of its life at sea, coming to land only in the summer to nest.
A juvenile Marbled Murrelet near Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. The Marbled Murrelet spends most of its life at sea, coming to land only in the summer to nest.
Common Murres holding Pacific herring at their breeding colony on Gull Island.
Common Murres holding Pacific herring at their breeding colony on Gull Island.
Arctic Terns in Cook Inlet, Alaska. There is bullwhip kelp on the surface of the water.
Arctic Terns in Cook Inlet, Alaska. There is bullwhip kelp on the surface of the water.
![A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake, Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/DSC_4491edit.jpg?itok=2qno38bR)
A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake from a colony on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake from a colony on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
![A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake from Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/DSC_4496edit1.jpg?itok=TUQuXV2E)
A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake from Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake from Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
USGS scientists Matthew Smith, Caitlin Marsteller, and Danielle Gerik necropsy Common Murres and harvest tissues to test for harmful algal bloom toxins.
USGS scientists Matthew Smith, Caitlin Marsteller, and Danielle Gerik necropsy Common Murres and harvest tissues to test for harmful algal bloom toxins.
Caitlin Marsteller stands on top of Duck Island, on the west side of lower Cook Inlet, after collecting time lapse cameras. Duck island is home to a breeding colony of Common Murres where time lapse cameras collect data, such as the number of eggs laid and the number of chicks hatched, to help estimate breeding productivity.
Caitlin Marsteller stands on top of Duck Island, on the west side of lower Cook Inlet, after collecting time lapse cameras. Duck island is home to a breeding colony of Common Murres where time lapse cameras collect data, such as the number of eggs laid and the number of chicks hatched, to help estimate breeding productivity.
![Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses on beach in Bristol Bay, Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/DSC_4669ed.jpg?itok=fLxPhmbt)
Short-tailed Shearwater die-off in the Bering Sea. Emaciated Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses littered the beaches of Bristol Bay during the summer of 2019
Short-tailed Shearwater die-off in the Bering Sea. Emaciated Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses littered the beaches of Bristol Bay during the summer of 2019
Two Common Murre chicks on rock ledge at Gull Island, Alaska.
Two Common Murre chicks on rock ledge at Gull Island, Alaska.
![Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses and debris on beach in Bristol Bay](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/DSC_4599ed.jpg?itok=Hwnyjd0h)
Short-tailed Shearwater die-off in the Bering Sea. Emaciated Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses littered the beaches of Bristol Bay during the summer of 2019
Short-tailed Shearwater die-off in the Bering Sea. Emaciated Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses littered the beaches of Bristol Bay during the summer of 2019
Below are the publications associated with this project.
Predator disturbance contributed to Common Murre Uria aalge breeding failures in Cook Inlet, Alaska following the 2014–2016 Pacific marine heatwave
Lingering impacts of the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave on seabird demography in Cook Inlet, Alaska (USA)
Joint spatiotemporal models to predict seabird densities at sea
Melanism in a Common Murre Uria aalge in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Paralytic shellfish toxins associated with Arctic Tern mortalities in Alaska
Another bad year for seabirds on Gull Island
Kittlitz’s murrelet seasonal distribution and post-breeding migration from the Gulf of Alaska to the Arctic Ocean
Monitoring the recovery of seabirds and forage fish following a major ecosystem disruption in Lower Cook Inlet
Reduced quality and synchronous collapse of forage species disrupts trophic transfer during a prolonged marine heatwave
Heatwave-induced synchrony within forage fish portfolio disrupts energy flow to top pelagic predators
Seabird synthesis
Extreme mortality and reproductive failure of common murres resulting from the northeast Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database Visualization Tool
The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) is maintained by the USGS ASC and includes survey transect data designed and conducted by numerous partners primarily to census seabirds at sea. The USGS developed a R Shiny application to facilitate viewing and filtering the NPPSD using an interactive leaflet map.
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database Visualization Tool (NPPSD_viz)
SeaLog
Below are news items associated with this project.
Science and Products
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database
Seabird Die-offs in Alaska
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Cook Inlet Seabird and Forage Fish Study
Tidewater Glacier Influence on Marine Ecosystems
Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in Alaska Seabirds
Detecting Long-term Changes in Forage Fish Populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Use and History of the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD)
Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound During the Marine Heatwave
NPPSD Sampling Effort Maps
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Data from the Capture and Collection of Non Die-off Seabirds Across Alaska
Gridded Seabird Density Estimates in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Assessing the Status and Trends of Seabirds and Forage Fish in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD)
Data Associated With Algal Toxin Testing of Common Murres (Uria aalge) and Forage Fish in Alaska, 2015-2017
Data from Common Murre Die-off Surveys and Necropsies Following the North Pacific Marine Heatwave, 2015-2016
Pacific Sand Lance Energy Density, Length, and Age, Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2012-2016
Marine ecology near Tufted Puffin colonies across the Aleutian Archipelago and Alaska Peninsula, 2012-2014
Below are the media items associated with this project.
This map shows all available marine bird survey data from the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) around St.
This map shows all available marine bird survey data from the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) around St.
A Common Murre feeds its chick a capelin at the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A Common Murre feeds its chick a capelin at the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A melanistic (all dark) Common Murre flies above the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, 2018. See related paper published in the Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation at: http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/50_2/50_2_225-227.pdf.
A melanistic (all dark) Common Murre flies above the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, 2018. See related paper published in the Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation at: http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/50_2/50_2_225-227.pdf.
A melanistic (all dark) Common Murre holds a display fish at its breeding site on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, 2019. See related paper published in the Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation at: http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/50_2/50_2_225-227.p
A melanistic (all dark) Common Murre holds a display fish at its breeding site on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, 2019. See related paper published in the Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation at: http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/50_2/50_2_225-227.p
A Common Murre holding a capelin at a breeding colony on Gull Island, in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A Common Murre holding a capelin at a breeding colony on Gull Island, in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A Tufted Puffin carrying a bill load of capelin back to its chick on Gull Island, in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A Tufted Puffin carrying a bill load of capelin back to its chick on Gull Island, in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Capelin are an important, energy rich forage fish for many marine predators.
A Tufted Puffin flies over the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A Tufted Puffin flies over the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A pair of Tufted Puffins stand above their burrows on the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A pair of Tufted Puffins stand above their burrows on the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A pair of Horned Puffins on the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
A pair of Horned Puffins on the Gull Island breeding colony in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
![Glaucous-winged Gulls fight over a Pacific Herring near Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/DSC_7569edit.jpg?itok=gAdyYAH2)
Glaucous-winged Gulls fight over a Pacific Herring near Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
Glaucous-winged Gulls fight over a Pacific Herring near Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Four Tufted Puffins on the water, near their breeding colony at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
A juvenile Marbled Murrelet near Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. The Marbled Murrelet spends most of its life at sea, coming to land only in the summer to nest.
A juvenile Marbled Murrelet near Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. The Marbled Murrelet spends most of its life at sea, coming to land only in the summer to nest.
Common Murres holding Pacific herring at their breeding colony on Gull Island.
Common Murres holding Pacific herring at their breeding colony on Gull Island.
Arctic Terns in Cook Inlet, Alaska. There is bullwhip kelp on the surface of the water.
Arctic Terns in Cook Inlet, Alaska. There is bullwhip kelp on the surface of the water.
![A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake, Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/DSC_4491edit.jpg?itok=2qno38bR)
A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake from a colony on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake from a colony on Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
![A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake from Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/media/images/DSC_4496edit1.jpg?itok=TUQuXV2E)
A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake from Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
A Bald Eagle flies off with a Black-legged Kittiwake from Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
USGS scientists Matthew Smith, Caitlin Marsteller, and Danielle Gerik necropsy Common Murres and harvest tissues to test for harmful algal bloom toxins.
USGS scientists Matthew Smith, Caitlin Marsteller, and Danielle Gerik necropsy Common Murres and harvest tissues to test for harmful algal bloom toxins.
Caitlin Marsteller stands on top of Duck Island, on the west side of lower Cook Inlet, after collecting time lapse cameras. Duck island is home to a breeding colony of Common Murres where time lapse cameras collect data, such as the number of eggs laid and the number of chicks hatched, to help estimate breeding productivity.
Caitlin Marsteller stands on top of Duck Island, on the west side of lower Cook Inlet, after collecting time lapse cameras. Duck island is home to a breeding colony of Common Murres where time lapse cameras collect data, such as the number of eggs laid and the number of chicks hatched, to help estimate breeding productivity.
![Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses on beach in Bristol Bay, Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/DSC_4669ed.jpg?itok=fLxPhmbt)
Short-tailed Shearwater die-off in the Bering Sea. Emaciated Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses littered the beaches of Bristol Bay during the summer of 2019
Short-tailed Shearwater die-off in the Bering Sea. Emaciated Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses littered the beaches of Bristol Bay during the summer of 2019
Two Common Murre chicks on rock ledge at Gull Island, Alaska.
Two Common Murre chicks on rock ledge at Gull Island, Alaska.
![Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses and debris on beach in Bristol Bay](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/DSC_4599ed.jpg?itok=Hwnyjd0h)
Short-tailed Shearwater die-off in the Bering Sea. Emaciated Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses littered the beaches of Bristol Bay during the summer of 2019
Short-tailed Shearwater die-off in the Bering Sea. Emaciated Short-tailed Shearwater carcasses littered the beaches of Bristol Bay during the summer of 2019
Below are the publications associated with this project.
Predator disturbance contributed to Common Murre Uria aalge breeding failures in Cook Inlet, Alaska following the 2014–2016 Pacific marine heatwave
Lingering impacts of the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave on seabird demography in Cook Inlet, Alaska (USA)
Joint spatiotemporal models to predict seabird densities at sea
Melanism in a Common Murre Uria aalge in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Paralytic shellfish toxins associated with Arctic Tern mortalities in Alaska
Another bad year for seabirds on Gull Island
Kittlitz’s murrelet seasonal distribution and post-breeding migration from the Gulf of Alaska to the Arctic Ocean
Monitoring the recovery of seabirds and forage fish following a major ecosystem disruption in Lower Cook Inlet
Reduced quality and synchronous collapse of forage species disrupts trophic transfer during a prolonged marine heatwave
Heatwave-induced synchrony within forage fish portfolio disrupts energy flow to top pelagic predators
Seabird synthesis
Extreme mortality and reproductive failure of common murres resulting from the northeast Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database Visualization Tool
The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) is maintained by the USGS ASC and includes survey transect data designed and conducted by numerous partners primarily to census seabirds at sea. The USGS developed a R Shiny application to facilitate viewing and filtering the NPPSD using an interactive leaflet map.
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database Visualization Tool (NPPSD_viz)
SeaLog
Below are news items associated with this project.
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government