The Squam Lake Loon Initiative begun in 2007 is an increased monitoring, research, management and outreach effort to: 1. Determine the overall survival and reproductive success of Squam’s remaining loon population; 2. Assess causes of nest failure and collect inviable eggs from failed nests for analysis of a wide range of contaminants and pathogens; 3. Rescue sick or injured loons to increase loon survival whenever possible; 4. Find and collect loon carcasses, determine causes of death, and test liver samples from dead loons for contaminants and pathogens; 5. Band loons to allow us to identify and track individual birds and collect blood and feather samples for analysis; 6. Determine survival and breeding success of previously banded and sampled loons, and relate survival and breeding success of individuals to their levels of contaminants and pathogens; 7. Incorporate results into a systems dynamics model to determine the relative contributions of a wide range of possible stressors on the mortality and reproductive failure of loons on Squam Lake; and 8. Restore and maintain a healthy and stable population of loons on Squam Lake as a component of a healthy state-wide population of loons.
Project Report: Squam Lake Loon Initiative