Susan E. W. De la Cruz

Characterizing Environmental Drivers of Macroinvertebrate and Biofilm Food Resources for Waterbirds Using the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2022 19:35:27 +0000

Characterizing Environmental Drivers of Macroinvertebrate and Biofilm Food Resources for Waterbirds Using the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project

Slide: Susan De la Cruz

admin Thu, 06/16/2022 - 12:35

Presentation

Author(s)

Susan E. W. De la Cruz

Date

Wed, 05/11/2022 - 11:10am

Migration Timing and Spatial Distribution of Phalaropes in South San Franicsco Bay

Biruk — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 19:32:50 +0000

Migration Timing and Spatial Distribution of Phalaropes in South San Franicsco Bay

Biruk Fri, 11/01/2019 - 12:32

Presentation

Author(s)

Susan E. W. De la Cruz

Migration Timing and Spatial Distribution of Phalaropes in South San Franicsco Bay

Biruk — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 19:28:39 +0000

Migration Timing and Spatial Distribution of Phalaropes in South San Franicsco Bay Biruk Fri, 11/01/2019 - 12:28

Document Category

Scientific Reports

Author(s)

Susan E. W. De la Cruz

Date

2019

Pond Complex

Eden Landing

Will wintering and migrating birds be affected by the restoration?

lorenzof — Thu, 30 May 2019 00:56:46 +0000

Will wintering and migrating birds be affected by the restoration?

Will wintering and migrating birds be affected by the restoration? (Title Slide)

lorenzof Wed, 05/29/2019 - 17:56

Presentation

Author(s)

Susan E. W. De la Cruz

Date

Thu, 10/22/2015 - 3:30pm

Trends and habitat associations of waterbirds using the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, San Francisco Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1040

Biruk — Fri, 11 May 2018 17:59:54 +0000

Trends and habitat associations of waterbirds using the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, San Francisco Bay, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1040

Cover of report.

Biruk Fri, 05/11/2018 - 10:59

Document Category

Scientific Reports

Author(s)

Susan E. W. De la Cruz

Date

2018

Summary

The aim of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project is to restore 50–90 percent of former salt evaporation ponds to tidal marsh in San Francisco Bay. However, hundreds of thousands of waterbirds use these ponds over winter and during fall and spring migration. To ensure that existing waterbird populations are supported while tidal marsh is restored in the Project area, managers plan to enhance the habitat suitability of ponds by adding islands and berms to change pond topography, manipulating water salinity and depth, and selecting appropriate ponds to maintain for birds. To help inform these actions, we used 13 years of monthly (October–April) bird abundance data from Project ponds to (1) assess trends in waterbird abundance since the inception of the Project, and (2) evaluate which pond habitat characteristics were associated with highest abundances of different avian guilds and species. For comparison, we also evaluated waterbird abundance trends in active salt production ponds using 10 years of monthly survey data.

We assessed bird guild and species abundance trends through time, and created separate trend curves for Project and salt production ponds using data from every pond that was counted in a year. We divided abundance data into three seasons—fall (October–November), winter (December–February), and spring (March–April). We used the resulting curves to assess which periods had the highest bird abundance and to identify increasing or decreasing trends for each guild and species.

Keywords

roosting

waterbird abundance

habitat characteristics

Content available here

https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20181040

Incorporating the Coastal Blue Band into a Remote Sensing Toolkit for Mapping Intertidal Mudflats in South SF Bay

admin — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 00:21:53 +0000

Incorporating the Coastal Blue Band into a Remote Sensing Toolkit for Mapping Intertidal Mudflats in South SF Bay admin Wed, 11/22/2017 - 16:21

Document Category

Scientific Reports

Author(s)

Susan E. W. De la Cruz

YangQuan Chen

David Thomson

Date

2015

Summary

One of the key uncertainties identified within the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project (SBSPRP) Adaptive Management Plan is whether the sediment source will come at the expense of critical mudflat habitat. If so, erosion of existing mudflats may result in changes in foraging area and food resources, thus reducing the ecosystem benefits of this habitat to waterbirds and other species. As a result, the SBSPRP requires methods for tracking changes to the distributions, extent and quality of mudflats within its expansive project area. A prior SBSPRP study (Fulfrost, et al. 2012) found that use of satellite imagery for tracking changes to approximately 2000 acres of mudflats was problematic because of the difficulty of matching a day and time when low tide (at Mean Lower Low Water) fully exposed the mudflats with satellite flyover. One impediment to tracking mudflats is that must be mapped while they are exposed at the lowest tides (mean lower low water, MLLW). The number of days that high resolution satellites, such as Ikonos, Landsat 8, or WoldView 2 or 3 pass over during MLLW limits the effectiveness of these resources for mapping. The inclusion of the Coast Blue Band (CBB) aboard WorldView 2/3 improves capabilities for mapping shallow water substrates

Keywords

mapping

mudflats

The Critical Role of Islands for Waterbird Breeding and Foraging Habitat in Managed Ponds of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, South San Francisco Bay, California

admin — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 00:21:53 +0000

The Critical Role of Islands for Waterbird Breeding and Foraging Habitat in Managed Ponds of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, South San Francisco Bay, California admin Wed, 11/22/2017 - 16:21

Document Category

Scientific Reports

Author(s)

Susan E. W. De la Cruz

Julie L. Yee

John Y. Takekawa

Date

2014-12-31

Summary

The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project aims to restore 50–90 percent of former salt evaporation ponds into tidal marsh in South San Francisco Bay, California. However, large numbers of waterbirds use these ponds annually as nesting and foraging habitat. Islands within ponds are particularly important habitat for nesting, foraging, and roosting waterbirds. To maintain current waterbird populations, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project plans to create new islands within former salt ponds in South San Francisco Bay. In a series of studies, we investigated pond and individual island attributes that are most beneficial to nesting, foraging, and roosting waterbirds.

Keywords