Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Image Details

A number of offshore rocks and islands within Oregon Islands NWR are research sites, prized for their relatively undisturbed habitat and wildlife. Many of these sites see virtually zero human interference outside of specially-trained researchers—and even then, the disturbance is intermittent and as minimal as possible. Seabird monitoring via helicopter and plane, on-the-ground monitoring of nests and chicks, plant surveys, and invasive predator removal are all projects conducted in the past or currently underway at this Refuge.

Biological Investigations

Many land management objectives occur at scales that can be challenging to grasp from ground level. A good aerial photograph is worth thousands of words when conveying the big picture perspective of how all the pieces of a landscape fit together.

How do you count 50,000 tightly-packed Common Murres on an inaccessible offshore rock without disturbing them? Surveying birds from high altitude using aerial photographs is often the only accurate, low-impact way to do it. And when you have 320 miles of coastline to survey, it's the only efficient option.

The coastal refuges offer unique opportunities to study plants and animals in pristine or relatively undisturbed habitats. These field studies seek to answer questions ranging from the needs of a single species to how an entire ecosystem functions.

Biologists conduct innovative research in many coastal habitats. Oregon Islands NWR currently hosts the only Leach's Storm-petrel research on the U.S. west coast. Ground-breaking fisheries research is being conducted on Siletz Bay, Nestucca Bay, and Bandon Marsh Refuges. Native plant communities on coastal refuges provide models for habitat restoration elsewhere on the Pacific coast.