Nonlethal avian deterrence measures are implemented on South Island by the HRBT expansion construction company, and DWR provided more than 2 acres of temporary seabird nesting habitat on Ft. Wool and floating barges in the embayment between South Island and Ft. Wool as mandated by the Governor on February 14, 2020. These efforts prove to be incredibly successful when more than 12,000 adult seabirds utilize the newly created habitat for nesting. End-of-season nest counts estimate that the Ft. Wool/barge complex supported approximately:
- 5,250–6,011 royal tern nests
- 414 common tern nests
- 71 black skimmer nests
- 1 gull-billed tern nest