National Museum of Natural History (U.S.) Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program field research records, 1961-1973
Physical Description:
1 folder (2 leaves)
Physical Location:
Smithsonian Institution Archives
Sublocation:
Box 2, folder 22
Record type:
Fieldbook record
Object Type:
Field notes
Place:
Oceania
Howland Island
Baker Island
Date Range:
1963-1964
Start Date:
19631013
End Date:
19640214
Abstract:
The Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program (POBSP) was initiated in 1962 when the Smithsonian Institution entered into a grant agreement with the Department of Defense. From January 1963 through June 1969 Smithsonian Institution employees undertook biological surveys in an area of the Pacific Ocean spanning the equator and extending from latitude 30 degrees north to 10 degrees south and from longitude 150 degrees east to 180 degrees west, an area dotted with clusters of islands and atolls. The major goals of the program were to learn what plants and animals occurred on the islands, the seasonal variations in their numbers and reproductive activities, and the distribution and population of the pelagic birds of that area. Emphasis was placed on the banding of birds in an effort to determine migration, distribution, and abundance of pelagic sea birds. During the six and a half years of field work 1,800,000 birds were banded; approximately 150,000 observations of pelagic birds at sea were made; and biological surveys of varying intensity were made on several islands. The present folder includes bird banding data for the blue-faced booby from Howland Island, and recovery data on various pelagic birds of Baker Island. dates range from October 13, 1963 to February 14, 1964.
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