8 JULY 2019 • FOGHORN FOGHORNFOCUS: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES BLOUNTBOATS.COM 401.245.8300 WARREN, RHODE ISLAND BUILT TO SERVE BUILT TO LAST BUILT BY BLOUNT 10th Vessel for Fire Island Ferries location that we know is important for birds but is challeng- ing to monitor from land,” says Dr. Pam Loring, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “When we combine these data with that of the tower network along the coast, we can get a better sense of where these birds feed within and fly through the Sound, and learn more about what might be influencing declines in populations.” Scientists are particularly interested in learning more about the movement patterns of roseate terns, a federally en- dangered species. Some of the world’s largest tern breeding colonies are found in Long Island Sound on nearby Great Gull and Falkner Islands. But biologists have observed a drop in the number of roseate tern chicks being born on Falkner Island in recent years. The challenge in using a wildlife tracking antenna on a boat is cutting through all the interference that might be out on the water, explains Scott Johnston, branch chief for migratory birds at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Northeast. For this project in Long Island Sound, they tried a different antenna that had never been tested on a boat before. The antenna was first placed on the P.T .Barnum in the spring of 2018. During that first season, there were a few technical kinks to sort out. By the end of the migration season, the antenna had picked up movements of three birds tagged for the project — a common tern, roseate tern and piping plover — in addition to other wildlife wearing tags, such as bats, hawks and even a sora rail. This initial data have already provided information that scientists just didn’t know before — such as feeding locations of terns near the Port Jefferson ferry terminal. As the 2019 monitoring season gets underway, everyone is excited and hopeful to gather even more information about our feathered friends at sea. A Unique Opportunity to Help Protect the Sound For Hall, this was not the first environmental science project his ferries have been part of. In 2003, scientists from SUNY Stony Brook placed environmental sensors on the P.T. Barnum to measure things like solar radiation, precipitation, salinity, sea surface temperature and more. He would encourage other ferry companies to participate in such projects whenever they can. “It was great being part of this work,” says Hall. “Our crews enjoyed the experience, and there are a lot of people The installed tracking antenna on the P.T. Barnum. Credit: Pam Loring/USFWS. A bird’s eye view of the P.T. Barnum ferry. Source: Bridgeport- Port Jefferson Steamboat Company.