Marine Ecology Progress Series
MEPS is a leading hybrid research journal on all aspects of marine, coastal and estuarine ecology. Priority is given to outstanding research that advances our ecological understanding.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14935
copiedInternational collaboration facilitates risk assessment of vessel activities on overwintering coastal waterbirds
ABSTRACT:
Global increases in vessel activity are significantly impacting nearshore environments. For marine birds, vessels have known localized impacts, ranging from energetically costly disturbances to deadly strikes and pollution. However, the overlap of regional bird distributions and areas of high vessel traffic is often poorly known. Using openly available vessel density data and citizen science avian data from British Columbia, Canada, and Washington State, USA, we applied a dynamic occupancy modeling approach to explore differences in occupancy and occupancy trends for 24 overwintering piscivorous and benthivorous coastal waterbird species in the Salish Sea between 2011 and 2023. We asked whether occupancy and trends differed between Canada and the USA, and then investigated whether areas of low or high vessel traffic exhibited differing occupancy and trends across the region. We identified a number of species exhibiting regional occupancy declines and found that occupancy trends varied frequently when compared across the international border. All examined coastal waterbird families exhibited some degree of overlap with areas of high vessel traffic, though some families, such as cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), were more closely associated with high vessel traffic areas. With particular attention to regionally declining species, we discuss the degree of risk faced by each family in high vessel traffic areas. These results provide crucial regional conservation insights and offer resource managers a broadly applicable roadmap for investigation into the distributional overlap of coastal waterbirds and vessel traffic in nearshore environments across the globe.
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Rory Macklin (Co-author)
- Birds Canada, Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0, Canada
Devin de Zwaan (Co-author)
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC V4K 3Y3, Canada
David Bradley (Co-author)
- Birds Canada, Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0, Canada
Danielle Ethier (Corresponding Author)
- Birds Canada, Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0, Canada
Handling Editor:
Thierry Boulinier, Montpellier, France
Reviewers:
3 anonymous referees
Acknowledgements:
This project would not be possible without the ingenuity and initiative of the creators of the BCCWS and PSSS, and the dedication of their respective volunteer participants. The collaborative spirit of the Puget Sound Bird Observatory also facilitated this work significantly. Core funding for the BCCWS was provided by the Canadian Wildlife Service, a branch of Environment and Climate Change Canada, and TD Friends of the Environment. Funding for the Puget Sound Seabird Survey was provided by Boeing, Sustainable Path Foundation, Russell Family Foundation, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Sea Grant, Patagonia, and Conservation, Research and Educational Opportunities International. Funding for R.D.J.M.’s position was provided by the University of British Columbia Biodiversity Research: Integrative Training and Education internship and the EcoCanada Science Horizons program. We additionally thank the 3 anonymous reviewers who contributed helpful critiques which greatly improved the paper.