— 2004 Season —
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| Lighthouse on Matinicus Rock. Credit: USFWS |
Matinicus Rock is a 27 acre island which has been owned by the U.S. Coast Guard for over 155 years. The USCG transferred the island to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1999. The island is located 25 miles south of Rockland, and is the site of the historic Matinicus Rock Light Station. The island was staffed by the USCG until light automation in 1984. Matinicus Rock was the only puffin colony (2 pairs) within Maine to have survived the market hunting that decimated most seabird colonies. Since 1900, Matinicus Rock has been a principal breeding site for Arctic Terns on the Maine coast. In 1901, there were approximately 500 pairs of terns, and the population had increased to approximately 3,000 pairs by 1931. By 1990, 1,252 pairs of Arctic Terns nested on Matinicus Rock.
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| Razorbill in flight. Credit: USFWS |
During the early 1990's the colony experienced a decline in the nesting population which was likely associated with the dramatic increase in nesting terns at the nearby Seal Island NWR In 2004, 116 Common Terns and 830 Arctic Terns nested on Matinicus Rock. The island also supports 524 pairs of Laughing Gulls, 237 pairs of Razorbills, and at least 210 pairs of Atlantic Puffin. The crew did not conduct a complete census of the puffin colony in 2004. The island continues to be cooperatively managed by National Audubon Society and the Service.
