WBIO PhD student Cindy Gilbert writes about her arctic research experience
“I have been collecting data for my Ph.D. research on a remote and isolated island in the Canadian high Arctic for the past 4 summers. St. Helena is a small, treeless island that lies in the Hell Gate-Cardigan Strait polynya (an area of open-water that remains unfrozen year-round) situated between Ellesmere and Devon Islands in Nunavut Territory.
We have been studying two species of gulls (Thayer’s and Glaucous Gulls) that return to this island every summer to nest and rear their young along with hundreds of other nesting seabirds, including: Black Guillemots, Common Eiders, Arctic Terns and European Brant.
Using various sampling techniques (stable isotopes, radio-telemetry, direct observation, etc.), I have been examining the foraging patterns, diet and reproductive success of these gulls under variable environmental conditions. I am very interested in understanding what strategies these two gull species employ under extreme weather conditions (i.e., blizzards, wind storms, intense fog and ice storms).
We have discovered that not all gulls are created equal. It appears that some gulls exhibit specialized foraging habits and are highly territorial whereas other
 gulls have more generalist tendencies and are less territorial. Also, through a recent resighting of a banded bird, we have learned that at least some of the Thayer’s Gulls banded at St. Helena Island spend time feeding on the salmon streams along the Alaskan coastline in the spring.
There are so many reasons that I enjoy working in the Arctic: stunning landscapes, endless daylight and it’s socially acceptable not to bathe for 3 months! But, there two main reasons I love to work in the Arctic. First, I am forced to truly live in the moment; there is nothing like having polar bears roaming the neighborhood to sharpen ones senses! Second, I am constantly humbled and awestruck by Nature. I have witnessed newly-hatched nestlings weather snow and wind storms simply by staying tucked under their parent’s wing while I must swaddle in multiple layers of down and windproof clothing to survive. The Arctic and the wildlife that inhabit this region are nothing short of amazing.”
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