Monitoring planktivorous seabird populations: validating surface counts of crevice-nesting auklets using mark–resight techniques
Least Auklets ( Aethia pusilla (Pallas, 1811)) are the most abundant species of seabird in the Bering Sea and offer a relatively efficient means of monitoring secondary productivity in the marine environment. Counting auklets on surface plots is the primary method used to track changes in numbers of...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
2006
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-061 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/z06-061 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z06-061 |
id |
crcansciencepubl:10.1139/z06-061 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crcansciencepubl:10.1139/z06-061 2023-12-17T10:28:09+01:00 Monitoring planktivorous seabird populations: validating surface counts of crevice-nesting auklets using mark–resight techniques Sheffield, Lisa M. Gall, Adrian E. Roby, Daniel D. Irons, David B. Dugger, Katie M. 2006 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-061 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/z06-061 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z06-061 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 84, issue 6, page 846-854 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics journal-article 2006 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/z06-061 2023-11-19T13:38:19Z Least Auklets ( Aethia pusilla (Pallas, 1811)) are the most abundant species of seabird in the Bering Sea and offer a relatively efficient means of monitoring secondary productivity in the marine environment. Counting auklets on surface plots is the primary method used to track changes in numbers of these crevice-nesters, but counts can be highly variable and may not be representative of the number of nesting individuals. We compared average maximum counts of Least Auklets on surface plots with density estimates based on mark–resight data at a colony on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, during 2001–2004. Estimates of breeding auklet abundance from mark–resight averaged 8 times greater than those from maximum surface counts. Our results also indicate that average maximum surface counts are poor indicators of breeding auklet abundance and do not vary consistently with auklet nesting density across the breeding colony. Estimates of Least Auklet abundance from mark–resight were sufficiently precise to meet management goals for tracking changes in seabird populations. We recommend establishing multiple permanent banding plots for mark–resight studies on colonies selected for intensive long-term monitoring. Mark–resight is more likely to detect biologically significant changes in size of auklet breeding colonies than traditional surface count techniques. Article in Journal/Newspaper Bering Sea St Lawrence Island Alaska Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) Bering Sea Lawrence Island ENVELOPE(-103.718,-103.718,56.967,56.967) Canadian Journal of Zoology 84 6 846 854 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
spellingShingle |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Sheffield, Lisa M. Gall, Adrian E. Roby, Daniel D. Irons, David B. Dugger, Katie M. Monitoring planktivorous seabird populations: validating surface counts of crevice-nesting auklets using mark–resight techniques |
topic_facet |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
description |
Least Auklets ( Aethia pusilla (Pallas, 1811)) are the most abundant species of seabird in the Bering Sea and offer a relatively efficient means of monitoring secondary productivity in the marine environment. Counting auklets on surface plots is the primary method used to track changes in numbers of these crevice-nesters, but counts can be highly variable and may not be representative of the number of nesting individuals. We compared average maximum counts of Least Auklets on surface plots with density estimates based on mark–resight data at a colony on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, during 2001–2004. Estimates of breeding auklet abundance from mark–resight averaged 8 times greater than those from maximum surface counts. Our results also indicate that average maximum surface counts are poor indicators of breeding auklet abundance and do not vary consistently with auklet nesting density across the breeding colony. Estimates of Least Auklet abundance from mark–resight were sufficiently precise to meet management goals for tracking changes in seabird populations. We recommend establishing multiple permanent banding plots for mark–resight studies on colonies selected for intensive long-term monitoring. Mark–resight is more likely to detect biologically significant changes in size of auklet breeding colonies than traditional surface count techniques. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sheffield, Lisa M. Gall, Adrian E. Roby, Daniel D. Irons, David B. Dugger, Katie M. |
author_facet |
Sheffield, Lisa M. Gall, Adrian E. Roby, Daniel D. Irons, David B. Dugger, Katie M. |
author_sort |
Sheffield, Lisa M. |
title |
Monitoring planktivorous seabird populations: validating surface counts of crevice-nesting auklets using mark–resight techniques |
title_short |
Monitoring planktivorous seabird populations: validating surface counts of crevice-nesting auklets using mark–resight techniques |
title_full |
Monitoring planktivorous seabird populations: validating surface counts of crevice-nesting auklets using mark–resight techniques |
title_fullStr |
Monitoring planktivorous seabird populations: validating surface counts of crevice-nesting auklets using mark–resight techniques |
title_full_unstemmed |
Monitoring planktivorous seabird populations: validating surface counts of crevice-nesting auklets using mark–resight techniques |
title_sort |
monitoring planktivorous seabird populations: validating surface counts of crevice-nesting auklets using mark–resight techniques |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-061 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/z06-061 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z06-061 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-103.718,-103.718,56.967,56.967) |
geographic |
Bering Sea Lawrence Island |
geographic_facet |
Bering Sea Lawrence Island |
genre |
Bering Sea St Lawrence Island Alaska |
genre_facet |
Bering Sea St Lawrence Island Alaska |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 84, issue 6, page 846-854 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/z06-061 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
84 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
846 |
op_container_end_page |
854 |
_version_ |
1785580179709493248 |