Table_1_Environmental, behavioral, and design-related factors affect accuracy and precision of beluga abundance estimates from aerial surveys.docx
Abundance estimation of wildlife populations is frequently derived from systematic survey data. Accuracy and precision of estimates, however, depend on the number of replicate surveys, and on adjustments made for animals unavailable to (availability bias), or available but undetected (perception bia...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1289220.s001 |
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ftsmithonianinsp:oai:figshare.com:article/25414771 2024-04-14T08:09:43+00:00 Table_1_Environmental, behavioral, and design-related factors affect accuracy and precision of beluga abundance estimates from aerial surveys.docx Véronique Lesage Sara Wing Alain F. Zuur Jean-François Gosselin M. Tim Tinker Arnaud Mosnier Anne P. St-Pierre Robert Michaud Dominique Berteaux 2024-03-15T04:29:15Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1289220.s001 unknown https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Table_1_Environmental_behavioral_and_design-related_factors_affect_accuracy_and_precision_of_beluga_abundance_estimates_from_aerial_surveys_docx/25414771 doi:10.3389/fmars.2024.1289220.s001 CC BY 4.0 Oceanography Marine Biology Marine Geoscience Biological Oceanography Chemical Oceanography Physical Oceanography Marine Engineering availability bias beluga aerial survey abundance estimation accuracy precision diving behavior turbidity Dataset 2024 ftsmithonianinsp https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1289220.s001 2024-03-18T19:37:52Z Abundance estimation of wildlife populations is frequently derived from systematic survey data. Accuracy and precision of estimates, however, depend on the number of replicate surveys, and on adjustments made for animals unavailable to (availability bias), or available but undetected (perception bias) by observers. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the relative influence of methodological, environmental and behavioral factors on availability bias estimates from photographic and visual aerial surveys of a small cetacean with a highly clumped distribution, the beluga (Delphinapterus leucas). It also estimates the effect of the number of surveys on accuracy and precision of abundance estimates, using 28 replicate visual surveys flown within a 16—29 day window depending on survey year. Availability bias was estimated using detailed dive data from 27 beluga from the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada, and applied to systematic visual and photographic aerial surveys of this population, flown using various survey platforms. Dive and surface interval durations varied among individuals, and averaged (weighted) 176.6 s (weighted s.e. = 12.6 s) and 51.6 s (weighted s.e. = 4.5 s), respectively. Dive time and instantaneous availability, but not surface time, were affected by local turbidity, seafloor depth, whale behavior (i.e., whether beluga were likely in transit or not), and latent processes that were habitat-specific. Overall, adjustments of availability for these effects remained minor compared to effects from survey design (photographic or visual) and type of platform, and observer search patterns. For instance, mean availability varied from 0.33—0.38 among photographic surveys depending on sightings distribution across the study area, but exceeded 0.40 for all visual surveys. Availability also varied considerably depending on whether observers searched within 0-90° (0.42—0.60) or 170° (0.70—0.80). Simulation-based power analysis indicates a large benefit associated with conducting more than 1 or 2 survey reps, ... Dataset Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas Smithsonian Institution: Figshare Canada |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Smithsonian Institution: Figshare |
op_collection_id |
ftsmithonianinsp |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Oceanography Marine Biology Marine Geoscience Biological Oceanography Chemical Oceanography Physical Oceanography Marine Engineering availability bias beluga aerial survey abundance estimation accuracy precision diving behavior turbidity |
spellingShingle |
Oceanography Marine Biology Marine Geoscience Biological Oceanography Chemical Oceanography Physical Oceanography Marine Engineering availability bias beluga aerial survey abundance estimation accuracy precision diving behavior turbidity Véronique Lesage Sara Wing Alain F. Zuur Jean-François Gosselin M. Tim Tinker Arnaud Mosnier Anne P. St-Pierre Robert Michaud Dominique Berteaux Table_1_Environmental, behavioral, and design-related factors affect accuracy and precision of beluga abundance estimates from aerial surveys.docx |
topic_facet |
Oceanography Marine Biology Marine Geoscience Biological Oceanography Chemical Oceanography Physical Oceanography Marine Engineering availability bias beluga aerial survey abundance estimation accuracy precision diving behavior turbidity |
description |
Abundance estimation of wildlife populations is frequently derived from systematic survey data. Accuracy and precision of estimates, however, depend on the number of replicate surveys, and on adjustments made for animals unavailable to (availability bias), or available but undetected (perception bias) by observers. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the relative influence of methodological, environmental and behavioral factors on availability bias estimates from photographic and visual aerial surveys of a small cetacean with a highly clumped distribution, the beluga (Delphinapterus leucas). It also estimates the effect of the number of surveys on accuracy and precision of abundance estimates, using 28 replicate visual surveys flown within a 16—29 day window depending on survey year. Availability bias was estimated using detailed dive data from 27 beluga from the St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada, and applied to systematic visual and photographic aerial surveys of this population, flown using various survey platforms. Dive and surface interval durations varied among individuals, and averaged (weighted) 176.6 s (weighted s.e. = 12.6 s) and 51.6 s (weighted s.e. = 4.5 s), respectively. Dive time and instantaneous availability, but not surface time, were affected by local turbidity, seafloor depth, whale behavior (i.e., whether beluga were likely in transit or not), and latent processes that were habitat-specific. Overall, adjustments of availability for these effects remained minor compared to effects from survey design (photographic or visual) and type of platform, and observer search patterns. For instance, mean availability varied from 0.33—0.38 among photographic surveys depending on sightings distribution across the study area, but exceeded 0.40 for all visual surveys. Availability also varied considerably depending on whether observers searched within 0-90° (0.42—0.60) or 170° (0.70—0.80). Simulation-based power analysis indicates a large benefit associated with conducting more than 1 or 2 survey reps, ... |
format |
Dataset |
author |
Véronique Lesage Sara Wing Alain F. Zuur Jean-François Gosselin M. Tim Tinker Arnaud Mosnier Anne P. St-Pierre Robert Michaud Dominique Berteaux |
author_facet |
Véronique Lesage Sara Wing Alain F. Zuur Jean-François Gosselin M. Tim Tinker Arnaud Mosnier Anne P. St-Pierre Robert Michaud Dominique Berteaux |
author_sort |
Véronique Lesage |
title |
Table_1_Environmental, behavioral, and design-related factors affect accuracy and precision of beluga abundance estimates from aerial surveys.docx |
title_short |
Table_1_Environmental, behavioral, and design-related factors affect accuracy and precision of beluga abundance estimates from aerial surveys.docx |
title_full |
Table_1_Environmental, behavioral, and design-related factors affect accuracy and precision of beluga abundance estimates from aerial surveys.docx |
title_fullStr |
Table_1_Environmental, behavioral, and design-related factors affect accuracy and precision of beluga abundance estimates from aerial surveys.docx |
title_full_unstemmed |
Table_1_Environmental, behavioral, and design-related factors affect accuracy and precision of beluga abundance estimates from aerial surveys.docx |
title_sort |
table_1_environmental, behavioral, and design-related factors affect accuracy and precision of beluga abundance estimates from aerial surveys.docx |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1289220.s001 |
geographic |
Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas |
genre_facet |
Beluga Beluga* Delphinapterus leucas |
op_relation |
https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Table_1_Environmental_behavioral_and_design-related_factors_affect_accuracy_and_precision_of_beluga_abundance_estimates_from_aerial_surveys_docx/25414771 doi:10.3389/fmars.2024.1289220.s001 |
op_rights |
CC BY 4.0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1289220.s001 |
_version_ |
1796307203225812992 |