Lead Institution(s): Birds Canada
Project Lead: David Bradley
Collaborator(s): Danielle Ethier (Birds Canada), Dean Evans (Birds Canada), Pete Davidson (Birds Canada), James Casey (Birds Canada)
Focal Species: Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola), Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica), Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus), Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis), Common Merganser (Mergus merganser), Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)
Project Description: Sea ducks constitute a marine bird vital sign indicator of ecosystem health in the Salish Sea, which is of global importance to many populations of marine birds that use different parts of the ecosystem through the course of each annual cycle. It is imperative to work across management jurisdictions to effectively conserve or recover key areas of habitat for these birds. However, the jurisdictional complexity presents a major challenge to taking an ecosystem scale approach to the problem, not least because many information sources (i.e., biological datasets) end at the international border. In the current project, we aim to overcome this barrier by harmonizing information in a way that assists the agencies responsible for implementing conservation prescriptions, especially in terms of key habitats. In doing so, our project will elevate sea duck needs into conservation planning processes, through convening a network of scientists and managers from both Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions of the Salish Sea.
