Arctic 2003

Many migratory shorebirds nest in the Arctic and fly south to winter. On the way back they stop in Delaware Bay. The birds build weight on the bay to get back to the Arctic and without it, they will die on the way or fail to breed. Our first trips to the Arctic were about what role the Arctic played in the decline of shorebirds – were conditions in the Arctic causing the declines in shorebirds seen in Delaware Bay? We learned in our expeditions that the answer was no, but threats exist. In this our fourth trip to the Arctic, we focused on finding and studying red knots and breeding success.