There will be two presentations, the first titled, "New Monitoring Technologies to Inform CA Least Tern Recovery on DoD Lands". California least terns (CLT), endangered since 1970, have key colonies at Naval Base Coronado and Camp Pendleton, but reproductive success has declined since 2009. This project uses innovative tools--time-lapse cameras, mini radiotelemetry, underwater imagery with computer vision, and fecal DNA analysis--to investigate if limited nearshore fish affect this decline. It aims to improve DoD monitoring efficiency and management of threatened species. If successful, these methods could benefit other endangered species and bolster DoD infrastructure resilience.

The second presentation is titled, "Metabarcoding to Assess Habitat Quality for Birds on Military Lands". Monitoring tools for threatened and endangered species (TES) on DoD sites are needed to assess habitat quality and its effects. This project uses DNA metabarcoding to analyze over 1,000 bird fecal samples from five military bases, identifying the arthropods birds eat. This helps pinpoint habitat features that support TES, guiding targeted conservation efforts. These strategies enable DoD to balance mission readiness with effective environmental stewardship.