On Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Dr. Scott Pearson will give a presentation on rhinoceros auklets and tufted puffins, “penguins of the northwest.” Pearson, a Research Scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, studies the biology and conservation status of these and other marine birds.

Of the more than 130 different bird species that rely on the inland marine waters of Washington and British Columbia, rhinoceros auklets and tufted puffins are two of the most fascinating, says Joe Gaydos, Regional Director of the SeaDoc Society. “These birds spend their entire lives on the water, coming ashore only to nest. Like their southern hemisphere relatives the penguins, auklets and puffins use their wings to ‘fly’ underwater as they dive to catch small schooling fish. Both birds will eat the fish they catch underwater, but have special bills and tongues that allow them to catch and hold up to a dozen small fish in their bills, before returning back to their burrows to feed their young.”

Pearson has studied auklets and puffins at sea and at their nesting sites where they dig burrows that can be 15 feet deep. “Because they are so dependent on our marine ecosystem, the health of these birds tells us a lot about the health of our ocean,” says Gaydos. “While rhinoceros auklet populations appear to be stable, tufted puffin populations are not doing well. These colorful birds used to nest locally on Puffin, Bare, Skipjack, and Flattop Islands but now are rarely seen anywhere in the inland waters.”

This is the first lecture of the 2008/09 marine science lecture series designed for the general public. The program begins at 7 p.m. at the Camp Orkila Marine Salmon Center and is free. Guests are asked to park in the upper parking lot at Camp Orkila. Shuttle service from the parking lot to the talk is available before and after the lecture.

The 2008-2009 Marine Science Lecture Series is presented by program partners The SeaDoc Society (www.seadocsociety.org) and YMCA Camp Orkila (www.seattleymca.org). It has been made possible through generous sponsorship by Tom Averna of Deer Harbor Charters, Barbara Brown, The Gould Family Foundation and co-sponsorship by Shearwater Kayaks and Jim and Kathy Youngren.