Until further notice, typically mid-August, Penobscot East Trail, Jordan Cliffs Trail, Precipice Trail, and Valley Cove Trail are closed for Peregrine falcon nesting season. Also, as roads reopen, the Precipice Trail parking lot will remain closed. More
Historic carriage roads closed until further notice for "mud season"
Spring thaw has led to temporary closures to protect Acadia's historic carriage roads during "mud season." Walking, bicycling or riding horses in these wet and soft conditions can cause costly ruts and potholes that channel water and exacerbate erosion. More
Scientific studies about wildlife at Acadia National Park are part of Acadia's Science Legacy including marine mammal research, bird research, invertebrates and more. Listed below are some important datasets and research studies related to wildlife in the park. A full species list and more research can be found on IRMA. For more stories about wildlife in Acadia, visit our Animals page.
Marine Mammal Research
Richardson (1971, 1972, 1973, 1977) conducted aerial inventories of harbor and gray seals in the Acadia National Park region of the coast.
Richardson, D.T. 1972. Semiannual progress report: Distribution and abundance of harbor and gray seals: Acadia National Park area: Period covered January 1 to June 30, 1972. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2180226
Richardson, D.T. 1972. Semiannual progress report: Distribution and abundance of harbor and gray seals: Acadia National Park area: Period covered July 1 to December 31, 1971. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2180237
Richardson, D.T. 1973. Semiannual progress report: Distribution and abundance of harbor and gray seals: Acadia National Park area: Period covered July 1 to December 30, 1972. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2180112
Richardson, D.T. 1977. Six year assessment of abundance and distribution of harbor seals and gray seals in the Acadia National Park area: Period covered: June, 1971 - July, 1977. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2180113
Bird Research
Birding research atAcadia has a long and stories history going back to the mid 1800s. Learn more on our Bird Research page and find more information about birds at Acadia on our birds and birdwatching pages.
Loons, peregrines, snowy owls, bald eagles, cormorants, and more
Invertebrate Research
The Champlain Society surveyed marine invertebrates of Somes Sound in 1880. William Procter conducted a complete and detailed survey of marine invertebrates in marine waters adjacent to Mount Desert Island in the 1926-1932. He noted over 500 species in 13 phyla. The collections from his survey are stored in Acadia National Park’s collections. The specimen nomenclature was updated by Mittelhauser and Kelly (2007).
Mittelhauser, G., and D. Kelly. 2007. Inventory of marine fauna in Frenchman Bay and Blue Hill Bay, Maine 1926-1932: catalog of William Procter's marine collections. Maine Natural History Observatory, Gouldsboro, ME. https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2179564
Locations:Acadia National Park, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Death Valley National Park, Devils Tower National Monument, Fire Island National Seashore, Fort Laramie National Historic Site, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Great Basin National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Mojave National Preserve, Prince William Forest Park, Rock Creek Park, Shenandoah National Park, Wind Cave National Parkmore »
Bats are amazing animals and a formidable force against insect pests, but a nasty fungal disease is killing them. A coordinated national response brings hope.
Locations:Acadia National Park, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Antietam National Battlefield, Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Bluestone National Scenic River, Booker T Washington National Monument, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Colonial National Historical Park, Crater Lake National Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Devils Postpile National Monument, Eisenhower National Historic Site, Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, Friendship Hill National Historic Site, Gauley River National Recreation Area, George Washington Memorial Parkway, George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Gettysburg National Military Park, Grand Teton National Park, Haleakalā National Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park, Monocacy National Battlefield, Morristown National Historical Park, Mount Rainier National Park, National Capital Parks-East, New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, Petersburg National Battlefield, Prince William Forest Park, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Rock Creek Park, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, Saratoga National Historical Park, Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Thomas Stone National Historic Site, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Weir Farm National Historical Park, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Parkmore »
Offices:Eastern Rivers and Mountains Inventory & Monitoring Network, Greater Yellowstone Inventory & Monitoring Network, Inventory and Monitoring Division, Mid-Atlantic Inventory & Monitoring Network, National Capital Inventory & Monitoring Network, North Coast and Cascades Inventory & Monitoring Network, Northeast Coastal and Barrier Inventory & Monitoring Network, Northeast Temperate Inventory & Monitoring Network, Pacific Island Inventory & Monitoring Network, Rocky Mountain Inventory & Monitoring Network, Sierra Nevada Inventory & Monitoring Networkmore »
From coast to coast, the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Division is helping park managers improve the health and function of forest ecosystems. From promoting resilient forests in the Northeast, to conserving whitebark pine in the West, to protecting Hawaiian forest birds from avian malaria, scientific partnerships are helping parks to share information, leverage funding sources, and work together for outcomes that extend beyond what any park could accomplish on its own.
Red squirrels, chipmunks, ermine, and other small mammals are part of Acadia’s community of wildlife. Encounters between wildlife and human activity, including park management, may be stressful for animals. Dr. Brittany Slabach, a lecturer of biology at Trinity University in Texas, has been studying how landscape ecology and park management affect biodiversity of small mammals.
Many mountains in Acadia National Park, including Cadillac and Dorr mountains, are covered in forests of pitch pine. These trees, growing at the northernmost edge of the pitch pine’s range in unique association with other plants and animals, are vulnerable to a recently spreading pest, the southern pine beetle.
Information on a research project occurring in Acadia National Park on finding effective communication strategies to limit unintentional wildlife feeding.
Acadia National Park has a long history of documenting pollinator species in the park. Those surveys continue to occur throughout the park to help researchers better understand the health of bumblebee populations.
To find and photograph different moths, Frank DiStefanos travels to other places around the country besides Acadia, including Everglades National Park in Florida and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, and parks in Costa Rica. After more than one hundred thousand photographs, DiStefano claims to be no expert. His humility—and his enthusiasm—were on display as he stood before moths decorating the white sheet in the dark summer Acadia night.
