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Marine bird density and distribution on Canada's Pacific coast, 2005-2008

Dataset homepage

Citation

Fox, CH, Huettmann, F, Harvey, GKA, Morgan, KH, Robinson, J, Williams, R, Paquet, PC. 2017. Predictions from machine learning ensembles: marine bird distribution and density on Canada’s Pacific coast. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 566:199-216. https://doi.org/10.15468/bgnezu accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-06.

Description

Original provider: Caroline Fox, Dalhousie University and Raincoast Conservation Foundation Dataset credits: Caroline Fox, Dalhousie University and Raincoast Conservation Foundation Abstract: Associated publication abstract: Increasingly disrupted and altered, the world’s oceans are subject to immense and intensifying anthropogenic pressures. Of the biota inhabiting these ecosystems, marine birds are among the most threatened. For conservation efforts targeting marine birds to be effective, quantitative information relating to their at-sea density and distribution is typically a crucial knowledge component. In this study, we generated predictive machine learning ensemble models for 13 marine bird species and 7 groups (representing 24 additional species) in Canada’s Pacific coast waters, including several species listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Predictive models were based on systematic marine bird line transect survey information collected in spring, summer, and fall on Canada’s Pacific coast (2005−2008). Multiple Covariate Distance Sampling (MCDS) was used to estimate marine bird density along transect segments. Spatial and temporal environmental predictors, including remote sensing information, were used in model ensembles, which were constructed using 4 machine learning algorithms in Salford Systems Predictive Modeler v7.0 (SPM7): Random Forests, TreeNet, Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines, and Classification and Regression Trees. Predictive models were subsequently combined to generate seasonal and overall predictions of areas important to marine birds based on normalized marine bird species or group richness and densities. Our results employ open access data sharing and are intended to better inform marine bird conservation efforts and management planning on Canada’s Pacific coast and for broader-scale geographic initiatives across North America and elsewhere. Supplemental information: Marine bird line-transect survey information collected using Distance Sampling in coastal British Columbia, Canada (2005-2008) is provided in three forms: (1) raw, unadjusted marine bird sightings; (2) for a subset of species, marine bird density estimates along 1km transect segments using Multiple Covariates Distance Sampling (MCDS), and; (3) for a subset of species, surface density estimates per ~14km2 hexagon using machine learning ensemble modeling. For data products 2 and 3, the marine bird subsets were restricted to species sighted in sufficient numbers for analysis. Surveys were completed by Raincoast Conservation Foundation. 1. Raw data: raw, unadjusted sighting of marine bird species on water and in flight. Attributes such as column labels are included in the attributes definition section. Note that several species alpha codes are non-standard, due to grouping of species identifications (e.g., large gulls and dark shearwaters). ANMU = Ancient Murrelet ANMUf = Ancient Murrelet family (varying #s of parents and chicks, or just chicks) BAEA = Bald Eagle BEKI = Belted Kingfisher BFAL = Black-footed Albatross BLKI = Black-legged Kittiwake BLOY = Black Oystercatcher BLSC = Black Scoter BLTU = Black Turnstone BOGU = Bonaparte's Gull BRAC = Brandt's Cormorant BRAN = Brant Goose BUFF = Bufflehead Duck BULS = Buller's Shearwater CAAU = Cassin's Auklet CAGU = California Gull CANG = Canada Goose COLO = Common Loon COME = Common Merganser COMU = Common Murre COMUf = Common Murre family (parent with chick, or just chicks) CORA = Common Raven DARK = Sooty Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater, Flesh-footed Shearwater DCCO = Double-crested Cormorant DEJU = Dark-eyed Junco DUNL = Dunlin FTSP = Fork-tailed Storm Petrel GBHE = Great Blue Heron GWGU = Glaucous-winged Gull HADU = Harlequin Duck HETHGU = Herring Gull/Thayer's Gull HOGR = Horned Grebe HOPU = Horned Puffin LAAL = Laysan Albatross LEFTSP = mixed flock Fork-tailed and Leach's Storm-petrels LESP = Leach's Storm Petrel LTDU = Longtail Duck LTJA = Long-tailed Jaeger MALL = Mallard Duck MAMU = Marbled Murrelet MEGU = Mew Gull NOCR = Northwestern Crow NOFU = Northern Fulmar NSHO = Northern Shoveler OSPR = Osprey PAJA = Parasitic Jaeger PALO = Pacific Loon PECO = Pelagic Cormorant PFSH = Pink-footed Shearwater PIGU = Pigeon Guillemot POJA = Pomarine Jaeger RBME = Red-breasted Merganser RHAU = Rhinoceros Auklet RNGR = Red-necked Grebe RNPH = Red-necked Phalarope RTLO = Red-throated Loon RUHU = Rufous Hummingbird SAGU = Sabine's Gull SNGO = Snow Goose STAL = Short-tailed Albatross SUSC = Surf Scoter THGU = Thayer's Gull TOWA = Townsend's Warbler TRES = Tree Swallow TUPU = Tufted Puffin TUPUf = Tufted Puffin family (parent with chick) WEGR = Western Grebe WEGU = Western Gull WHIM = Whimbrel WWSC = White-winged Scoter YBLO = Yellow-billed Loon UNAL = Unidentified Alcid UNCO = Unidentified cormorant UNDU = Unidentified ducks in the distance UNGE = Unidentified Geese in the distance UNGO = Unidentified Goldeneye UNGR = Unidentified Grebe ULGU = Unidentified Larus Gull UNJA = Unidentified Jaeger UNLO = Unidentified Loon UNSO = Unidentified Scoter UNSW = Unidentified Shearwater UNSH = Unidentified Shorebirds UNST = Unidentified Storm-petrel UNTE = Unidentified Tern UNTU = Unidentified Turnstone 2. Marine bird density estimates along 1km transect segments using Multiple Covariates Distance Sampling (MCDS). Note that several species alpha codes are non-standard, due to grouping of species identifications (e.g., large gulls and dark shearwaters). ANMU = Ancient Murrelet BFAL = Black-footed Albatross CAAU = Cassin's Auklet COMU = Common Murre CORM = Cormorants (Brandt's, Double-crested, Pelagic) DARK = Dark shearwaters (Flesh-footed, Short-tailed, Sooty) FTSP = Fork-tailed Storm-petrel GREB = Grebes (Horned, Red-necked, Western) LESP = Leach's Storm-petrel lgGULL = large Larus spp. gulls (California, Glaucous-winged, American, Thayer's) LOON = Loons (Yellow-billed, Common, Red-throated, Pacific) MAMU = Marbled Murrelet NOFU = Northern Fulmar PFSH = Pink-footed Shearwater PIGU = Pigeon Guillemot RHAU = Rhinoceros Auklet RNPH = Red=necked Phalarope SCOT = Scoters (Black, White-winged, Surf) smGULL = small gulls (Black-legged Kittiwake, Bonaparte's, Mew, Sabine's) TUPU = Tufted Puffin Field names represent, using ANMU and BFAL as the examples: - first few fields represent summary fields (i.e., FID, Shape) - SEGID = unique line transect segment ID. Can use this field to join across species files. - VOYAGE = On planned transect (T) or on passage (P), which are unplanned transects. - SPEED = vessel speed (knts). - MO = Month, numeric (1-12). - SegLength = Segment length. Most should = 1 km, but shorter segments have been retained. - Season = Spring (april, may, june), Summer (August), Fall (October, November). - Point_X and Point_Y = x and y coordinates using BC Albers. - Effort = Same as SegLength. - DATE = year-month-day. - YEAR = year. - DAY_YR = Day of the year, beginning with with January 1 = 1. - AREA = Segment length (km) X perpendicular distance (km) from boat for that particular species (unit = km2; identified using MCDS Distance Analysis). - ANMUw_D (all other examples BIRDw_D) = estimated density of Ancient Murrelets along the transect segment (including family groups, see below). Lowercase "w" = birds on water. - ANMUf_D = exception for ANMU family groups. Lowercase "f" = family groups on water (parent(s) with flightless chicks or flightless chicks alone). - BFALs_D (all other examples BIRDs_D) = estimated density of Black-footed ALbatrosses along the transect segment. Lowercase "s" = birds in flight. Note that flying bird density estimates should be used and interpreted with caution. 3. Density estimations per hexagon (approx. 14km2): Shape file name represents the bird species (e.g., ANMU = Ancient Murrelet) plus "w" (w = density estimates of birds on water only) or "sw" (sw = density estimates of combination of birds in flight and on water). Note that several species alpha codes are non-standard, due to grouping of species identifications (e.g., large gulls and dark shearwaters). ANMU = Ancient Murrelet BFAL = Black-footed Albatross CAAU = Cassin's Auklet COMU = Common Murre CORM = Cormorants (Brandt's, Double-crested, Pelagic) DARK = Dark shearwaters (Flesh-footed, Short-tailed, Sooty) FTSP = Fork-tailed Storm-petrel GREB = Grebes (Horned, Red-necked, Western) LESP = Leach's Storm-petrel lgGULL = large Larus spp. gulls (California, Glaucous-winged, American, Thayer's) LOON = Loons (Yellow-billed, Common, Red-throated, Pacific) MAMU = Marbled Murrelet NOFU = Northern Fulmar PFSH = Pink-footed Shearwater PIGU = Pigeon Guillemot RHAU = Rhinoceros Auklet RNPH = Red=necked Phalarope SCOT = Scoters (Black, White-winged, Surf) smGULL = small gulls (Black-legged Kittiwake, Bonaparte's, Mew, Sabine's) TUPU = Tufted Puffin Field names represent, using ANMUw as the example: - first few ields represent summary fields (i.e., FID, Shape and Id) - HexagonID = unique hexagon cell ID. Can use this field to join across species files. - X_coord and Y_Coord = should be self explanatory. - spr_ANMUw = estimated Ancient Murrelet on water density estimates (birds/km2) in spring (April 2007, May 2007, June 2008) - sum_ANMUw = same as above, except in summer (August 2005, 2006 and 2008) - fal_ANMUw = same as above, except in fall (October and November 2007) - ANMUw_AnAv = average across spring, summer, and fall density estimates

Purpose

Not available

Sampling Description

Study Extent

NA

Sampling

NA

Method steps

  1. NA

Additional info

marine, harvested by iOBIS

Taxonomic Coverages

Scientific names are based on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
  1. Synthliboramphus antiquus
    common name: Ancient Murrelet rank: species
  2. Synthliboramphus antiquus
    common name: Ancient Murrelet rank: species
  3. Haliaeetus leucocephalus
    common name: Bald Eagle rank: species
  4. Megaceryle torquata
    common name: Ringed Kingfisher rank: species
  5. Phoebastria nigripes
    common name: Black-footed Albatross rank: species
  6. Rissa tridactyla
    common name: Black-legged Kittiwake rank: species
  7. Haematopus bachmani
    common name: Black Oystercatcher rank: species
  8. Melanitta nigra
    common name: Black Scoter rank: species
  9. Arenaria melanocephala
    common name: Black Turnstone rank: species
  10. Chroicocephalus philadelphia
    common name: Bonaparte's Gull rank: species
  11. Phalacrocorax penicillatus
    common name: Brandt's Cormorant rank: species
  12. Branta bernicla
    common name: Brant rank: species
  13. Bucephala albeola
    common name: Bufflehead rank: species
  14. Puffinus bulleri
    common name: Buller's Shearwater rank: species
  15. Ptychoramphus aleuticus
    common name: Cassin's Auklet rank: species
  16. Larus californicus
    common name: California Gull rank: species
  17. Branta canadensis
    common name: Canada Goose rank: species
  18. Gavia immer
    common name: Common Loon rank: species
  19. Mergus merganser
    common name: Common Merganser rank: species
  20. Uria aalge
    common name: Common Murre rank: species
  21. Uria aalge
    common name: Common Murre rank: species
  22. Corvus corax
    common name: Common Raven rank: species
  23. Puffinus
    rank: genus
  24. Phalacrocorax auritus
    common name: Double-crested Cormorant rank: species
  25. Junco hyemalis
    common name: Dark-eyed Junco rank: species
  26. Calidris alpina
    common name: Dunlin rank: species
  27. Oceanodroma furcata
    common name: Fork-tailed Storm Petrel rank: species
  28. Ardea herodias
    common name: Great Blue Heron rank: species
  29. Larus glaucescens
    common name: Glaucous-winged Gull rank: species
  30. Histrionicus
    common name: Harlequin Ducks rank: genus
  31. Larus
    rank: genus
  32. Podiceps auritus
    common name: Horned Grebe rank: species
  33. Fratercula corniculata
    common name: Horned Puffin rank: species
  34. Phoebastria immutabilis
    common name: Laysan Albatross rank: species
  35. Oceanodroma
    common name: Dark Storm Petrels rank: genus
  36. Oceanodroma leucorhoa
    common name: Leach's Storm Petrel rank: species
  37. Clangula hyemalis
    common name: Long-tailed Duck rank: species
  38. Stercorarius longicaudus
    common name: Long-tailed Jaeger rank: species
  39. Anas platyrhynchos
    common name: Mallard rank: species
  40. Brachyramphus marmoratus
    common name: Marbled Murrelet rank: species
  41. Larus canus
    common name: Mew Gull rank: species
  42. Corvus caurinus
    common name: Northwestern Crow rank: species
  43. Fulmarus glacialis
    common name: Northern Fulmar rank: species
  44. Anas clypeata
    common name: Northern Shoveler rank: species
  45. Pandion
    common name: Ospreys rank: genus
  46. Stercorarius parasiticus
    common name: Parasitic Jaeger rank: species
  47. Gavia pacifica
    common name: Pacific Loon rank: species
  48. Phalacrocorax pelagicus
    common name: Pelagic Cormorant rank: species
  49. Puffinus creatopus
    common name: Pink-footed Shearwater rank: species
  50. Cepphus columba
    common name: Pigeon Guillemot rank: species
  51. Stercorarius pomarinus
    common name: Pomarine Jaeger rank: species
  52. Mergus serrator
    common name: Red-breasted Merganser rank: species
  53. Cerorhinca monocerata
    common name: Rhinoceros Auklet rank: species
  54. Podiceps grisegena
    common name: Red-necked Grebe rank: species
  55. Phalaropus lobatus
    common name: Red-necked Phalarope rank: species
  56. Gavia stellata
    common name: Red-throated Loon rank: species
  57. Selasphorus rufus
    common name: Rufous Hummingbird rank: species
  58. Xema sabini
    common name: Sabine's Gull rank: species
  59. Chen caerulescens
    common name: Blue Goose rank: species
  60. Phoebastria albatrus
    common name: Short-tailed Albatross rank: species
  61. Melanitta perspicillata
    common name: Surf Scoter rank: species
  62. Setophaga townsendi
    common name: Townsend's Warbler rank: species
  63. Fratercula cirrhata
    common name: Tufted Puffin rank: species
  64. Fratercula cirrhata
    common name: Tufted Puffin rank: species
  65. Larus
    rank: genus
  66. Alcidae
    rank: family
  67. Phalacrocorax
    rank: genus
  68. Anatidae
    common name: Ducks rank: family
  69. Anatidae
    common name: Ducks rank: family
  70. Bucephala
    common name: Goldeneyes rank: genus
  71. Podicipedidae
    rank: family
  72. Stercorarius
    rank: genus
  73. Gaviidae
    common name: Divers rank: family
  74. Charadriiformes
    rank: order
  75. Melanitta
    common name: Scoters rank: genus
  76. Procellariidae
    common name: Fulmars rank: family
  77. Procellariidae
    common name: Fulmars rank: family
  78. Laridae
    common name: Gulls rank: family
  79. Arenaria
    rank: genus
  80. Aechmophorus occidentalis
    common name: Western Grebe rank: species
  81. Numenius phaeopus
    common name: Whimbrel rank: species
  82. Melanitta fusca
    common name: Velvet Scoter rank: species
  83. Gavia adamsii
    common name: Yellow-billed Loon rank: species

Geographic Coverages

British Columbia,Canada

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Caroline Fox
originator
position: Primary contact
Dalhousie University
email: carolinehfox@gmail.com
OBIS-SEAMAP
metadata author
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu
OBIS-SEAMAP
distributor
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu
Caroline Fox
owner
position: Primary contact
Dalhousie University
email: carolinehfox@gmail.com
Caroline Fox
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
Dalhousie University
email: carolinehfox@gmail.com
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