Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
The Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba), one of the only alcids that nests in the Salish Sea, has been identified as an indicator species by the Puget Sound Environmental Monitoring Program. Indicator status is based on Salish Sea abundance and trend, and abundance estimates suggest that the population remains stable. However, little is known about demographic rates, limiting our ability to understand how populations may respond to a changing Salish Sea ecosystem. Based on a 15-year study monitoring color-banded individuals at approximately 40 nest boxes at Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge, we estimated demographic rates and examined how life history traits and ocean conditions influence these rates. Based on repeated observations at nest boxes throughout the summer breeding season, we describe the nesting ecology, including phenology, site fidelity, incubation period, clutch size, and chick growth rate. We used Bayesian state-space mark-recapture and nest survival models to examine both the effects of individual characteristics, such as adult and chick weight, and the effects of local and large-scale ocean conditions on survival and reproductive success. Examining the effects of individual characteristics and environmental variables on a colony that is exposed to little human disturbance will lend greater insight into the physical and ecological processes that drive population trends, which will in turn give us greater insight into what this indicator species is telling us about the Salish Sea ecosystem. We hope to expand this work going forward to further our knowledge of the demography of this population in the context of foraging conditions. The results of our work will also help contextualize the findings of the Salish Sea Guillemot Network, highlighting the value of the data and insights gained from this growing community science program in Puget Sound.
Session Title
Poster Session 2: The Salish Sea Food Web and Cycles of Life
Conference Track
SSE14: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-posters-48
Start Date
26-4-2022 4:30 PM
End Date
26-4-2022 5:00 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Pigeon guillemot--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Environmental monitoring--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Ecosystem management--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
The effects of individual characteristics and ocean conditions on the reproductive phenology and demography of pigeon guillemots (Cepphus columba) on Protection Island, WA
The Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba), one of the only alcids that nests in the Salish Sea, has been identified as an indicator species by the Puget Sound Environmental Monitoring Program. Indicator status is based on Salish Sea abundance and trend, and abundance estimates suggest that the population remains stable. However, little is known about demographic rates, limiting our ability to understand how populations may respond to a changing Salish Sea ecosystem. Based on a 15-year study monitoring color-banded individuals at approximately 40 nest boxes at Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge, we estimated demographic rates and examined how life history traits and ocean conditions influence these rates. Based on repeated observations at nest boxes throughout the summer breeding season, we describe the nesting ecology, including phenology, site fidelity, incubation period, clutch size, and chick growth rate. We used Bayesian state-space mark-recapture and nest survival models to examine both the effects of individual characteristics, such as adult and chick weight, and the effects of local and large-scale ocean conditions on survival and reproductive success. Examining the effects of individual characteristics and environmental variables on a colony that is exposed to little human disturbance will lend greater insight into the physical and ecological processes that drive population trends, which will in turn give us greater insight into what this indicator species is telling us about the Salish Sea ecosystem. We hope to expand this work going forward to further our knowledge of the demography of this population in the context of foraging conditions. The results of our work will also help contextualize the findings of the Salish Sea Guillemot Network, highlighting the value of the data and insights gained from this growing community science program in Puget Sound.
