Spatial ecology of long‐tailed ducks and white‐winged scoters wintering on Nantucket Shoals

White, Timothy P.; Veit, Richard R.

doi:10.1002/ecs2.3002

Cited by 11 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 113 publications

(183 reference statements)

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“…Our study area encompassed ca. 1,500 km 2 of Nantucket Sound, was relatively shallow (generally <20 m deep), and included some of the most important sea duck wintering habitat in the western Atlantic (Silverman, Saalfeld, Leirness, & Koneff, ; White, Veit, & Perry, ). The primary species of sea ducks found in Nantucket Sound were Common Eider ( Somateria mollissima ; hereafter eider), Black Scoter ( Melanitta.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling spatiotemporal abundance of mobile wildlife in highly variable environments using boosted GAMLSS hurdle models

Smith

Hofner

Lamb

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Modeling organism distributions from survey data involves numerous statistical challenges, including accounting for zero‐inflation, overdispersion, and selection and incorporation of environmental covariates. In environments with high spatial and temporal variability, addressing these challenges often requires numerous assumptions regarding organism distributions and their relationships to biophysical features. These assumptions may limit the resolution or accuracy of predictions resulting from survey‐based distribution models. We propose an iterative modeling approach that incorporates a negative binomial hurdle, followed by modeling of the relationship of organism distribution and abundance to environmental covariates using generalized additive models (GAM) and generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS). Our approach accounts for key features of survey data by separating binary (presence‐absence) from count (abundance) data, separately modeling the mean and dispersion of count data, and incorporating selection of appropriate covariates and response functions from a suite of potential covariates while avoiding overfitting. We apply our modeling approach to surveys of sea duck abundance and distribution in Nantucket Sound (Massachusetts, USA), which has been proposed as a location for offshore wind energy development. Our model results highlight the importance of spatiotemporal variation in this system, as well as identifying key habitat features including distance to shore, sediment grain size, and seafloor topographic variation. Our work provides a powerful, flexible, and highly repeatable modeling framework with minimal assumptions that can be broadly applied to the modeling of survey data with high spatiotemporal variability. Applying GAMLSS models to the count portion of survey data allows us to incorporate potential overdispersion, which can dramatically affect model results in highly dynamic systems. Our approach is particularly relevant to systems in which little a priori knowledge is available regarding relationships between organism distributions and biophysical features, since it incorporates simultaneous selection of covariates and their functional relationships with organism responses.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling spatiotemporal abundance of mobile wildlife in highly variable environments using boosted GAMLSS hurdle models

Smith

Hofner

Lamb

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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“…But the evidence that tracked black scoters used wintering sites throughout the known eastern range of the species suggests sampling was relatively comprehensive of the species’ non‐breeding range. Moreover, white‐winged scoters tracked from a similarly narrow range of wintering sites in southern New England and the St. Lawrence River showed much greater variation in migratory strategies, with ≥4 distinct migratory routes involving several different staging areas (Meattey et al 2018, Lepage et al 2020, White and Veit 2020). Similarly, surf scoters tracked from wintering sites along the Pacific Coast also used multiple migration routes to and from inland breeding areas (De La Cruz et al 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Annual‐Cycle Movements and Phenology of Black Scoters in Eastern North America

Lamb

Gilliland²,

Savard

et al. 2021

J Wildl Manag

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Sea ducks exhibit complex movement patterns throughout their annual cycle; most species use distinct molting and staging sites during migration and disjunct breeding and wintering sites. Although research on black scoters (Melanitta americana) has investigated movements and habitat selection during winter, little is known about their annual‐cycle movements. We used satellite telemetry to identify individual variation in migratory routes and breeding areas for black scoters wintering along the Atlantic Coast, to assess migratory connectivity among wintering, staging, breeding, and molt sites, and to examine effects of breeding site attendance on movement patterns and phenology. Black scoters occupied wintering areas from Canadian Maritime provinces to the southeastern United States. Males used an average of 2.5 distinct winter areas compared to 1.1 areas for females, and within‐winter movements averaged 1,256 km/individual. Individuals used an average of 2.1 staging sites during the 45‐day pre‐breeding migration period, and almost all were detected in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Males spent less time at breeding sites and departed them earlier than females. During post‐breeding migration, females took approximately 25 fewer days than males to migrate from breeding sites to molt and staging sites, and then wintering areas. Most individuals used molt sites in James and Hudson bays before migrating directly to coastal wintering sites, which took approximately 11 days and covered 1,524 km. Males tended to arrive at wintering areas 10 days earlier than females. Individuals wintering near one another did not breed closer together than expected by chance, suggesting weak spatial structuring of the Atlantic population. Females exhibited greater fidelity (4.5 km) to previously used breeding sites compared to males (60 km). A substantial number of birds bred west of Hudson Bay in the Barrenlands, suggesting this area is used more widely than believed previously. Hudson and James bays provided key habitat for black scoters that winter along the Atlantic Coast, with most individuals residing for >30% of their annual cycle in these bays. Relative to other species of sea duck along the Atlantic Coast, the Atlantic population of black scoter is more dispersed and mobile during winter but is more concentrated during migration. These results could have implications for future survey efforts designed to assess population trends of black scoters. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.

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“…These values represent prey available to sea ducks during their spring migration between wintering sites and the breeding ground (Figure 1), with some fraction of these duck populations known to stage in this region before moving inland to breeding sites (Lovvorn et al, 2015; Martin et al, 2015; Oppel & Powell, 2009b; Sexson et al, 2014). We selected marine prey taxa to include in our analyses based on those included in Lovvorn et al (2015) for King Eiders collected along the Chukchi Sea coast, and on dietary and foraging studies of all four species in other regions (Blicher et al, 2011; Bustnes & Erikstad, 1988; Bustnes & Galaktionov, 2004; Bustnes & Systad, 2001; Jamieson et al, 2001; Lovvorn et al, 2003; Merkel et al, 2007; Ouellet et al, 2013; Petersen et al, 1998; White & Veit, 2020; Žydelis & Ruškytė, 2005). Reported isotopic values for a given taxon in Alaskan marine waters (Appendix S1: Tables S3 and S4) were averaged among sampling areas to yield a single value.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of marine vs. freshwater proteins for egg‐laying and incubation by sea ducks breeding in Arctic tundra

et al. 2022

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Understanding dietary nutrient sources is fundamental to conserving sensitive species, especially as climate change alters food web dynamics. Migratory species that depend on both marine and terrestrial habitats face unique challenges, as the locations and quality of resources in the two realms may respond quite differently to environmental changes, with potential for spatial and temporal carryover effects. For sea ducks (Mergini) that winter at sea but move inland to breed, body size may determine their capacity to store nutrient reserves for later use in alternative habitats. We assessed ultimate sources of protein for reproduction in four sea duck species in northern Alaska: smaller‐bodied Long‐tailed Ducks and Steller's Eiders (Clangula hyemalis and Polysticta stelleri), and larger‐bodied Spectacled and King Eiders (Somateria fischeri and Somateria spectabilis). To assess the relative use of local freshwater foods vs. marine protein for both egg production and body maintenance of incubating females, we measured stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in egg membranes, red blood cells, marine and freshwater invertebrates, and vegetation. For egg production, isotope mixing models indicated that proteinaceous egg membranes of all four species were derived mostly (89%–95%) from freshwater foods on the breeding grounds, with broad individual variation in specific prey types selected by the larger species. For incubation, isotopes in red blood cells indicated that body maintenance of females also relied mainly (87%–91%) on freshwater foods in Long‐tailed Ducks and Steller's Eiders. However, incubating Spectacled and King Eiders obtained only about 60% of their protein from freshwater foods and the remainder from marine‐derived body tissues. The latter strategy allows the larger‐bodied species to incubate almost continuously, whereas the smaller species must take more frequent incubation breaks and generally incur higher rates of predation on eggs. Thus, depending on body size, cross‐seasonal effects of feeding conditions in marine habitats may strongly influence population processes well after the birds move to inland nesting sites. Although conservation programs on land and sea are often researched, planned, and administered by different agencies and organizations, our results emphasize the need to coordinate marine and land‐based efforts for species that integrate conditions across both environments.

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Spatial ecology of long‐tailed ducks and white‐winged scoters wintering on Nantucket Shoals

Cited by 11 publications

References 113 publications

Modeling spatiotemporal abundance of mobile wildlife in highly variable environments using boosted GAMLSS hurdle models

Modeling spatiotemporal abundance of mobile wildlife in highly variable environments using boosted GAMLSS hurdle models

Annual‐Cycle Movements and Phenology of Black Scoters in Eastern North America

Use of marine vs. freshwater proteins for egg‐laying and incubation by sea ducks breeding in Arctic tundra

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