Nocturnal Habitat Selection of Wintering Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) in the Salish Sea
Presentation Abstract
Marine bird surveys are primarily conducted during diurnal periods, thus our understanding of their ecology and distribution is biased; our understanding of Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) distribution is no different. Diurnal data currently guides conservation and management decisions regarding this declining species. Our research objectives were to 1) determine nocturnal use area habitat characteristics in the Salish Sea, 2) determine influencing factors of selection of nocturnal use, and 3) develop predictive models to estimate likely nocturnal use areas across the Salish Sea and assess vulnerabilities to potential oils spills or increased shipping traffic. We used existing Surf Scoter Platform Terminal Transmitter (PTT) data, provided by The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and various spatial layers in a GIS to identify habitat characteristics of nocturnal locations and to measure distances traveled between diurnal foraging and nocturnal resting areas. Results indicated that Scoters will travel an average of 3,967 m from diurnal foraging areas to nocturnal habitats. We implemented a use versus pseudo-non-use resource selection design, using logistic regression, and Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) to create a predictive model for nocturnal Scoter presence in the Salish Sea. Our resulting model identified distance to shore, water depth, tidal current and vessel traffic as strong predictors of nocturnal presence. Determining marine nocturnal use habitat characteristics fills an important data gap in understanding the winter ecology of Surf Scoters. Our results provide guidance for better management of over-wintering seabirds in the Salish Sea and inform oil spill response preparedness efforts.
Session Title
General Habitat Topics
Conference Track
Habitat
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events); posters
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Surf scoter--Habitat--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Nocturnal Habitat Selection of Wintering Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) in the Salish Sea
2016SSEC
Marine bird surveys are primarily conducted during diurnal periods, thus our understanding of their ecology and distribution is biased; our understanding of Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) distribution is no different. Diurnal data currently guides conservation and management decisions regarding this declining species. Our research objectives were to 1) determine nocturnal use area habitat characteristics in the Salish Sea, 2) determine influencing factors of selection of nocturnal use, and 3) develop predictive models to estimate likely nocturnal use areas across the Salish Sea and assess vulnerabilities to potential oils spills or increased shipping traffic. We used existing Surf Scoter Platform Terminal Transmitter (PTT) data, provided by The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and various spatial layers in a GIS to identify habitat characteristics of nocturnal locations and to measure distances traveled between diurnal foraging and nocturnal resting areas. Results indicated that Scoters will travel an average of 3,967 m from diurnal foraging areas to nocturnal habitats. We implemented a use versus pseudo-non-use resource selection design, using logistic regression, and Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) to create a predictive model for nocturnal Scoter presence in the Salish Sea. Our resulting model identified distance to shore, water depth, tidal current and vessel traffic as strong predictors of nocturnal presence. Determining marine nocturnal use habitat characteristics fills an important data gap in understanding the winter ecology of Surf Scoters. Our results provide guidance for better management of over-wintering seabirds in the Salish Sea and inform oil spill response preparedness efforts.
