History of PSG

To read more about the PSG’s history, we invite you to read Pacific Seabirds, and to talk with long-time PSG members at the Annual Meetings.

First interim Executive Council

This photo has been shown at many banquets by PSG’s unofficial “Master of Ceremonies”, Dr. George Divoky. This historic black and white photo from August 1973 shows the PSG Interim Executive Council that preceeded the first member-elected Executive Council.

PSG Interim Executive Council 1973

Perspectives of PSG History

In 1971 James C. Bartonek, James G. King, and William Bourne began to discuss among themselves the need for a professional group of seabird researchers and managers in North America, analogous to the Seabird Group in the UK, to become an organization that would assess threats to Pacific Basin seabird populations and provide that information to decision makers and resource managers to better inform their decisions. At the time marine oil spills were making the headlines.

In December of 1972, at a meeting of the Western Society of Naturalists in Arcata, California, J. Michael Scott organized a symposium on “Marine Birds: Their Behavior, Biology, Ecology and Distribution” which was attended by many of the seabird researchers at the time. During the symposium, Jim Bartonek and Jim King brought up the need for a professional organization as discussed above, and the idea received overwhelming support. It was decided at the meeting that an Interim Executive Council should be formed to establish committees, write by-laws, publish a seabird bulletin, identify conservation issues and ongoing research, and reach out to others interested in marine birds to seek out their ideas and priorities. An initial list of prospective members was drawn up from attendees at the symposium.

In Fall of 1973, an Interim Executive Council was formed at a meeting at Point Reyes Bird Observatory in Bolinas, California.  J. Michael Scott was selected as Chair, Spencer Sealy as vice chair, and George Divoky as Secretary/Treasurer and also as Editor of the Pacific Seabirds Bulletin.  Other members of the Interim Executive Council were David Ainley, M.T. Myers, C. Eugene Knoder, Miklos D. F. Udvardy, Daniel W. Anderson, Gerald A. Sanger, and David A. Manuwal.

The purpose of the Pacific Seabird Group is to increase the flow of knowledge of seabird ecology and its influence on the marine environment among people interested in Pacific seabirds.  The first official meeting of the Pacific Seabird was in Issaquah, Washington on December 6-8, 1974 and was attended by more than 100 individuals. The ideas of Bourne, Bartonek and King had become reality.

Citations

  • Pacific Seabirds, Vol. 1: 1-3. 
  • Marine Ornithology, Vol 50: 253-257.
  • Pacific Seabirds, Vol. 24: 51-53.
  • King, J.G. 2008. Attending Alaska’s Birds: A Wildlife Pilot’s Story.
  • J. Michael Scott, personal experience, 1972-1974.
  • Personal communication from David Ainley, Dan Anderson, George Divoky, Pat Baird, and Spencer Sealy.
MO50-2-InMemoriam-4-FINAL-SIGNED-OFFDownload

PSG Original Logo

The original PSG logo was created in 1972 by Helen Strong, and the story of how the artwork came to be is emerging in the context of when it was created. The logo represents Pacific seabirds from both northern and southern hemispheres, rhinoceros auklets and shearwaters, respectively. Both species can be seen simultaneously during the boreal summer (austral winter) where they overlap in the Northeast Pacific. The globe is showing the Pacific Ocean.

“To me, the original PSG logo says populations, world ocean and interconnections.  For me it is what PSG and seabird research and monitoring have meant to me through the years, deep below the data, publications and friendships”
Dr. Vivian Mendenhall
Pacific Seabirds Editor (2000 – 2013)

PSG Trivia

Data, facts, and information are from Pacific Seabirds Bulletins, Pacific Seabirds, and Annual Meeting programs.

  • In 1982, the 9th Annual Meeting was held at the Hawaiian Regent Hotel; room rates were $40/night. 
  • 1n 1992, the 19th Annual Meeting was held at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology. Steller’s Sea Lions resting on the log booms could be heard from the Boat House, where the talks were being given. 
  • The Asilomar Conference Grounds in California has been a popular location for PSG’s Annual Meetings. From 1975 – 2007, PSG held meetings there nine times, the most for any single venue we’ve used. 
  • In 2014, abstract submissions were made online for the first time! Before that, abstracts were emailed to the Scientific Program chair who had to compile and organize everything manually. 
  • As of 2017, PSG Annual Meetings have been held in 4 countries, 10 states/provinces and 27 cities!  

Contribute to History of PSG

PSG is looking for stories, early photos and trivia to capture PSG’s history on the website. To contribute photos, trivia, and stories, please contact the Communications Committee (communications@pacificseabirdgroup.org).