The Direction of Research and Management of Double-crested Cormorants Heading into the 2000s: Symposium Overview and Future Information Needs

—An overview is provided of a symposium on the direction of research and management of Doublecrested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) heading into the 2000s. The current symposium built on previous efforts and described a number of focus areas of informational need, including cormorant impacts on natural resources, demographics of cormorants, assessment of control efforts, assessment of fish consumption and bioenergetics, and cormorant spatial ecology and influences on movements. The cormorant symposium highlighted a shift in research focus relative to earlier symposia, from evaluating potential impacts on commercial and natural resources to evaluating management actions in attaining desired goals. In addition, the symposium addressed the pressing need to obtain baseline information on cormorant population demographics. The shift reflects a response to increasing management efforts and intensity in North America and the need to understand the effects and effectiveness of increased cormorant control at several spatial scales. The symposium furthered communication and the sharing of information on cormorant issues in North America. However, uncertainty regarding impacts to cormorants associated with policy changes and management actions and outcomes presents significant future challenges. Received 26 July 2012, accepted 26 August 2012.