Toby RossScience Manager

Puget Sound Seabird SurveyScience by Citizens

© 2006 Garrett Lau (pbase.com/garrettlau)© 2008 Adam Sedgley

Program of the Seattle Audubon Society

Managed by Toby Ross

Designed by Members of PSSS Advisory Group: Peter Hodum (UPS), Jerry Joyce, Scott Pearson (WDFW), and Eric Ward (NOAA)

Overview

Addresses the need for long term seabird population trends in the Puget Sound region

The Puget Sound Seabird Survey (PSSS) leverages the expertise of birdwatchers to provide valuable - and unique - data on wintering waterfowl - loons, grebes, cormorants, gulls/terns and alcids in Puget Sound.

Powered by Citizen Scientists

Nuts and Bolts

Nuts and Bolts

“Seabirds”

107 survey sites• at least 1 mile apart

• public access

Nuts and Bolts

“Seabirds”

107 survey sites• at least 1 mile apart

• public access

Nuts and Bolts

“Seabirds”

Monthly Surveys• Survey = 15-30 minutesduring 4 hour “survey window”

135 Citizen Scientists• Audubon members,

birdwatchers, and/or seabird scientists

• approx. 969 volunteer survey hours

(2013-14 season)

Nuts and Bolts

Monthly Survey• Survey = 15-30 minutes

during 4 hour “survey window”

107 survey sites• at least 1 mile apart

• public access

“Seabirds”

Distance Sampling• volunteers use ruler/compass

• addresses detectability

Nuts and Bolts

135 Citizen Scientists

• Audubon members, birdwatchers, and/or seabird scientists

• approx. 969 volunteer survey hours (2013-14 season)

Monthly Survey• Survey = 15-30 minutes during 4 hour “survey window”

107 survey sites• at least 1 mile apart, public access

“Seabirds”

Heinemann, D. (1991)

Survey summaries automatically prepared

Data Management

Data Management

Immediately viewable to public via clickable maps

Data Analyses

Monthly Data Summaries

October Survey November Survey December Survey Cumulative Oct-Dec

Location # Location # Location # Location #

Shipwreck Point 124 Port Williams (6) 80 Sekiu (2) 49 Shipwreck Point 201

Cape Flattery 66 Sekiu (4) 70 Port Williams (1) 44 Sekiu 179

John Wayne Marina 64 Fort Flagler West (4) 46 Joseph Whidbey SP (13) 37 Port Williams 174

John Wayne Marina (3) 46

October Survey November Survey December Survey Cumulative Oct-DecSpecies # of Birds Species # of Birds Species # of Birds Species # of Birds

California Gull 452 Surf Scoter (2) 224 Bufflehead (2) 371 Surf Scoter 702

Surf Scoter 316 Horned Grebe (5) 224 Horned Grebe (1) 202 Horned Grebe 576

Heermann’s Gull 206 Bufflehead (n/a) 152 Mew Gull (3) 163 Bufflehead 523

Mew Gull (15) 148

TOTAL ALL SPECIES 2114 1522 1532 5168

Seabird Abundance Leader Board – By species

Busiest Survey Site Leader Board

Season-end Summary

No. of Individual Birds & Species Richness – 2013-14

In-depth Data AnalysesSeabird Species Presence/Absence

TrendProbability of Decline

Status

American Wigeon 0.077 0.068 Rare & Increasing

Brandt’s Cormorant 0.103 0.096 Rare & Increasing

Rhinoceros Auklet 0.310 0.000 Rare & Increasing

Common Murre 0.137 0.088 Rare & Increasing

Greater Scaup 0.257 0.002 Rare & Increasing

D.C. Cormorant 0.051 0.052 Common & Increasing

Common Loon 0.076 0.040 Common & Increasing

Red-breasted Merganser 0.063 0.044 Common & Increasing

Surf Scoter 0.053 0.063 Common & Increasing

Horned Grebe 0.107 0.001 Common & Increasing

White-winged Scoter -0.074 0.902 Rare & Decreasing

Brant -0.173 0.988 Rare & Decreasing

Great Blue Heron -0.130 0.917 Rare & Decreasing

Red-necked Grebe -0.071 0.982 Common & Decreasing

Western Grebe -0.187 0.940 Common & Decreasing

Marbled Murrelet 0.146 0.372 No significant trend, but leaning positive

In-depth Data Analyses

Western GrebeCommon & Decreasing

Marbled MurreletSpecies of Concern

In-depth Data Analyses

Marbled MurreletOnly a few sites

Western GrebeMainly in the North

Application & Outcomes

Application & Outcomes

In the event of an oil spill• Baseline data and more long-term

trends of seabird populations• Trained early on-scene

reconnaissance volunteers

• Rapidly provide oil spill observations to Central Command

Conservation measures• Information provides power to

conservation litigation

• Serve as a watchdog for seabird populations in PS

• Produces trained and engaged advocates for environmental protection

© Dennis Paulson

www.seabirdsurvey.org

© Tom Sanders

Toby Ross Peter Hodum Jerry JoyceScott PearsonEric Ward