. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Baby pelican chicks He's speculating that the boom in pelican populations can be traced to more natural events. "Number one, I think a series of warmer winters that we've had over the last decade has contributed to the pelican moving northward into North Carolina and Virginia," he says. "You see, a pelican is a warm-weather bird. We've had a couple real cold spells in the last couple years and a lot of pelicans have died. But the warmer winters in general have helped ; Also, Parnel
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Baby pelican chicks He's speculating that the boom in pelican populations can be traced to more natural events. "Number one, I think a series of warmer winters that we've had over the last decade has contributed to the pelican moving northward into North Carolina and Virginia," he says. "You see, a pelican is a warm-weather bird. We've had a couple real cold spells in the last couple years and a lot of pelicans have died. But the warmer winters in general have helped ; Also, Parnell says the rise in the numbers of pelicans has increased along with the rise in the number of juvenile menhaden off the coast. The increase in menhaden schools might be the result of a recent state law that forbids fishermen to seek these fish within one mile of shore. "I'm not sure why the menhaden have increased," Parnell says. "I just know that I WE'VE NEVER REALLY LINKED TO HE DECLINE OF THE PELICAN ; JAMES PARNELL don't see as many of those menhaden boats as I used ; The pelican's penchant for clear, unmurky water is satisfied in North Carolina's large coastal sounds. "They're visual feeders," Parnell says. "A pelican must be able to see its prey. That's easier for him to do here than in other ; These ideas are speculative, Parnell says. But there are people who are beginning serious study of the possibilities. In any case, he sees the upswing in pelican populations as long-term. "The trend is going nicely upward and will probably stay that way for a long time," he says. "And that's encouraging, because birds, especially fish-eating birds, are a good indicator of the general health of an area. If the pelican is any indication, our coastal areas are in better shape than some people ; 0 COASTXVATCH 13. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have bee
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