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Abstracts

“New Monitoring Technologies to Inform CA Least Tern Recovery on DoD Lands” by Dr. Jessica Carilli (RC23-7872)

California least terns (CLT), endangered since 1970, have important colonies on Naval Base Coronado and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, but face declining reproductive success since 2009. This project showcases an innovative, multi-technology approach by integrating cutting-edge monitoring tools—time-lapse cameras, miniaturized radiotelemetry, underwater imagery with computer vision, and fecal DNA analysis—to investigate whether limited nearshore fish availability contributes to this decline. This project aims to provide documented progress in data collection and cost savings for DoD natural resource monitoring, allowing for improved management of threatened and endangered species. If validated, these technologies can also be applied to studies of other threatened and endangered species, enhancing the resilience of DoD built and natural infrastructure.

“Metabarcoding to Assess Habitat Quality for Birds on Military Lands” by Dr. Jeffrey Foster (RC22-7440)

Practical tools to monitor populations of threatened, endangered, and at-risk species (TES) on DoD installations are critically needed, specifically ones that assess the factors directly affecting TES populations such as habitat quality and how habitat changes affect TES populations. This project delivers practical monitoring solutions by developing innovative DNA metabarcoding techniques that help installation managers make evidence-based decisions about habitat management. By analyzing over 1,000 fecal samples from eight bird species across five military installations (Fort Cavazos, Camp Pendleton, Fort McCoy, Schofield Barracks, and Fort Drum), our approach precisely identifies the arthropod species birds consume, revealing which habitat features most directly support TES populations. This precision allows installations to focus limited conservation resources on high-impact habitat improvements that satisfy regulatory requirements. The resulting management strategies from this work will help DoD maintain mission-critical testing and training capabilities while demonstrating environmental stewardship through scientifically validated conservation practices.

Speaker Biographies

Dr. Jessica Carilli is a scientist in the Basic and Applied Research Division at the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific in San Diego, CA. Prior to joining NIWC, Dr. Carilli was an assistant professor at UMass Boston, and an adjunct professor at the University of California San Diego, University of San Diego, and Miracosta College. She has served as PI and co-PI on projects funded by ESTCP, NESDI, the Naval Facilities Engineering System Command, the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and others on a wide range of environmental research. Dr. Carilli received her doctoral degree in Earth Sciences from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Jeff Foster is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University. He has worked broadly across ecology and evolutionary biology, with a particular focus on applying molecular tools on research in conservation, disease ecology, and pathogen evolution. His work has been funded by ESTCP and SERDP, NSF, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and other federal and state agencies. Dr. Foster has authored over 150 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. He received his doctoral degree in biology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.