Statewide | Seabirds
Atlas of Sea Duck Key Habitat Sites in North America Presenter: Kate Martin , kate_martin@fws.gov , U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Tim Bowman , bowmantim38@gmail.com , U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service James Churchill , james.churchill@accdc.ca , Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre Christine Lapage , christine.lepage@ec.gc.ca , Canadian Wildlife Service Shannon Badzinski , shannon.badzinski@ec.gc.ca, Canadian Wildlife Service Scott Gilliland , scott.gilliland@ec.gc.ca, Canadian Wildlife Service Nic McLellan , n_mclellan@ducks.ca , Ducks Unlimited Canada Emily Silverman , emily_silverman@fws.gov , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Sea ducks are a unique group of waterfowl that inhabit coastal marine habiitats throughout arctic and subarctic Alaska. They are members of the tribe Mergini and include eiders, scoters, mergansers, goldeneyes, Bufflehead, Long-tailed Duck, and Harlequin Duck. Available evidence suggests that numbers of several sea duck species are declining or are below historical levels of abundance, and the marine and coastal habitats they use are particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change and other anthropogenic factors. The Sea Duck Joint Venture (SDJV) is a conservation partnership formed under the auspices of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan to advance knowledge about sea ducks and improve their conservation and management. Since 2001, SDJV partners have completed surveys and studies of sea ducks that provided information on the distribution and abundance of sea ducks throughout the annual cycle. Using this information and other available resources, the SDJV developed the Sea Duck Key Habitat Sites Atlas describing 85 sites throughout North America that constitute important sea duck habitats, including 16 sites in Alaska. Criteria for inclusion in this atlas were strict, relative to criteria used for other bird habitat designations, to highlight those habitats most critical to sea ducks during at least one season. To be included in the Atlas, sites had to meet the following minimum criteria: 1a.) The area supports at least 5% of the continental population of a sea duck species, or 1b.) The area supports, or has recently supported, a total of at least 20,000 sea ducks (any species) during any season, and 2.) The density of sea ducks within the area is at least 10 birds per kilometer. Key habitat site descriptions in the Atlas include a syn¬opsis of sea duck abundance and temporal importance of the site to sea ducks, as well as sensitivities or potential conflicts that may impact sea ducks or their habitats. The Atlas is intended to heighten awareness of valuable sea duck habitats, aid in prioritizing habitat conservation and protection efforts such as oil spill prevention and response, and provide information for environmental assessments. The SDJV intends to regularly update the Atlas with new information as it becomes available. The Atlas and associated data products can be found at seaduckjv.org.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 30 3
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