Distribution, habitat characteristics, prey abundance and diet of surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) and long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) in polyhaline wintering habitats in the mid-Atlantic region: a comparison of shallow coastal lagoons and Chesapeake Bay environs

Project Number: 104

Year Funded: 2009

Lead Institution(s): Virginia Institute of Marine Science College of William and Mary

Project Lead: Paige Ross

Email:

Collaborator(s): Mark Luckenbach (CWM)

Location: Chesapeake Bay

Focal Species: Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis), Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)

Project Description: To the best of our knowledge there are no published data on sea duck winter habitat use in the higher salinity portion of the lower Chesapeake Bay or in adjacent coastal bays along the Atlantic margin of the Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) peninsula. Within these regions both SUSC and LTDU have been observed in shallow water environments (Ross, pers. obs.), yet little is known about their habitat use or feeding habits in these areas. Importantly, these two adjacent areas, which are separated by as little as 20 km, differ in several key environmental components.