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Systematic surveys of marine birds from ships were first conducted by the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) in Atlantic Canada in 1965, and then expanded to the Canadian Arctic in 1969 under PIROP (Programme intégré de recherches sur les oiseaux pélagiques). PIROP surveys ended in 1992, then resumed in 2006 under the Eastern Canada Seabirds at Sea (ECSAS) program with an updated survey protocol. Surveys under both monitoring programs were conducted from a variety of ship types engaged in scientific, transport, and supply activities, totalling over 120,000 km within sub-Arctic and Arctic Canada waters and over a million marine birds observed, primarily northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), and dovekie (Alle alle). The data collected inform offshore ecological inquiries, environmental impact reviews, mortality estimates from accidental oil releases, and define areas in need of protection. Although surveys were designed to quantify seabird distribution within the waters of eastern Canada, the data also include sightings of non-avian taxa that are made publicly available. Long-term and large-scale monitoring programs will remain essential for assessing the status and health of Canada’s marine birds, including surveys that take place at sea where these species spend most of their time.
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This content will become publicly available on April 1, 2026
Cruising for Data: Defining the Seabird Community from Vessels of Opportunity in Canada’s Eastern Arctic
Information on marine bird abundance and distribution at sea is required to identify important habitat for protection, mitigate pressures from human activities, and understand the role of seabirds in marine food webs. Arctic waters support millions of marine birds, including globally significant numbers of some species, but the remote location coupled with the financial costs of research and monitoring in this region limit our ability to quantify marine habitat use. We used standardized survey data collected from vessels of opportunity during 2007-2023 to describe the distribution and abundance of marine birds in eastern Canadian Arctic waters and to examine the relative contribution of data collected from two primary platform types: research vessels and cruise ships. Northern Fulmars Fulmarus glacialis, Thick-billed Murres Uria lomvia, Black-legged Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla, and Dovekies Alle alle accounted for 92% of the sightings. The survey area covered by research vessels was 3.5 times greater than that covered by cruise ships, but there was minimal (< 1%) spatial overlap between the two platform types. Cruise ships travelled closer to shore and in shallower water than research vessels, including areas close to major colonies during the breeding season, which resulted in higher densities of birds observed. In addition to providing access to unique survey areas, cruise ships presented opportunities to engage tourists in the process of science and the outcomes of biodiversity monitoring programs. Large-scale monitoring programs that include boat-based surveys from a variety of platform types and collaboration among multiple organizations will remain important for defining marine bird habitat use in an area where human impacts are increasing as sea ice cover declines.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1902595
- PAR ID:
- 10618290
- Publisher / Repository:
- Marine Ornithology
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Marine Ornithology
- Volume:
- 53
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 1018-3337
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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