seabird and mammal surveys in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska: 2006-2008, PWS: 2012

• Main Author: Mayumi Arimitsu
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Gulf of Alaska Data Portal
• Subjects: Alaska; predators; forage fish; seabirds; Kenai Fjords; murrelets; Kittlitz's murrelets; marbled murrelets; Anas crecca; Anas platyrhynchos; Arenaria melanocephala; Aythya marila; Brachyramphus brevirostris; Brachyramphus marmoratus; Brachyramphus sp; Branta bernicla; Bucephala clangula; Bucephala islandica; Cepphus columba; Cerorhinca monocerata; Corvus caurinus; Corvus corax; Enhydra lutris; Eumetopias jubatus; Fratercula cirrhata; Fratercula corniculata; Gavia immer; Gavia pacifica; Gavia sp; Gavia stellata; Haematopus bachmani; Haliaeetus leucocephalus; Histrionicus histrionicus; Larus argentatus; Larus canus; Larus glaucescens; Lontra canadensis; Megaptera novaeangliae; Melanitta fusca; Melanitta nigra; Melanitta perspicillata; Melanitta sp; Mergus merganser; Mergus serrator; Phalacrocorax auritus; Phalacrocorax pelagicus; Phalacrocorax sp; Phalacrocorax urile; Phalaropus lobatus; Phoca vitulina; Phocoena phocoena; Phocoenoides dalli; Pica hudsonia; Podiceps grisegena; Puffinus griseus; Rissa tridactyla; Stercorarius parasiticus; Stercorarius pomarinus; Sterna paradisaea; Synthliboramphus antiquus; Uria aalge; Uria lomvia; Uria sp; Ursus americanus; crecca; platyrhynchos; melanocephala; marila; brevirostris; marmoratus; sp; bernicla; clangula; islandica; columba; monocerata; caurinus; corax; lutris; jubatus; cirrhata; corniculata; immer; pacifica; stellata; bachmani; leucocephalus; histrionicus; argentatus; canus; glaucescens; canadensis; novaeangliae; fusca; nigra; perspicillata; merganser; serrator; auritus; pelagicus; urile; lobatus; vitulina; phocoena; dalli; hudsonia; grisegena; griseus; tridactyla; parasiticus; pomarinus; paradisaea; antiquus; aalge; lomvia; americanus; Gulf of Alaska; Conway; Van Pelt; fratercula; rissa tridactyla; Lontra; uria
• Online Access: https://search.dataone.org/view/df35b.219.11

The Kittlitz’s Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris is a candidate species for listing under the US Endangered Species Act because of its apparent declines within core population areas of coastal Alaska. During the summers of 2006–2008, we conducted surveys in marine waters adjacent to Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska, to estimate the current population size of Kittlitz’s and Marbled murrelets B. marmoratus and examine seasonal variability in distribution within coastal fjords. We also evaluated historical data to estimate trend. Based on an average of point estimates, we find the recent population (95% CI) of Kittlitz’s Murrelet to be 716 (353–1080) individuals, that of Marbled Murrelet to be 6690 (5427–7953) individuals, and all Brachyramphus murrelets combined to number 8186 (6978–9393) birds. Within-season density estimates showed Kittlitz’s Murrelets generally increased between June and July, but dispersed rapidly by August, while Marbled Murrelets generally increased throughout the summer. Trends in Kittlitz’s and Marbled murrelet populations were difficult to assess with confidence. Methods for counting or sampling murrelets varied in early decades of study, while in later years there is uncertainty due to highly variable counts among years, which may be due in part to timing of surveys relative to the spring bloom in coastal waters of the Gulf of Alaska. Also included here are survey data from 2012 forage fish predator transects in Prince William Sound, Alaska Data published in: Arimitsu, M., Piatt , J., Romano, M. & Van Pelt , T.I. 2011. Status and distribution of the Kittlitz’s Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris in Kenai Fjords, Alaska. Marine Ornithology 39: 13–22. Arimitsu, M., Piatt, J., Madison, E., Conway, J., Hillgruber, N. 2012. Oceanographic gradients and seabird prey community dynamics in glacial fjords. Fisheries Oceanography 21:2-3, 148–169.