Ruth Boettcher

November 28, 2018

• Formed in 2005 to identify marine bird conservation needs

& develop collective actions for birds at-sea in the NW

Atlantic.

• Accomplishments:

Atlantic Marine Bird Cooperative (AMBC)

- NW Atlantic Seabird Catalog

- Fisheries Bycatch Reduction Business Plan

- Surveying, tracking, modelling research to

inform offshore energy development

- Oil spill damage assessment mapping

- Incorporation of seabird diet information in fisheries mangt. plans

2016 Waterbird Society Conference

PURPOSE: Determine future objectives & structure

EXPANDED SCOPE: 1. Inclusion of breeding colonies

2. Inclusion of Gulf of Mexico for species that occur in the

Gulf and the NW Atlantic.

WHY:To merge breeding information with at-sea

information → full life cycle conservation

& management approach.

AMBC Reset

SCAW-WG

Announcing the birth of the SCAW-WG!

DOB: February 17, 2017

SCAW-WG Mission

Monitor, manage & conserve seabird

breeding colonies, habitats and prey species

along the North American Atlantic coast &

U.S. Gulf coast using collaborative,

consistent and science-based approaches.

SCAW-WG

Geographic Scope

Five Regional Sub-groups

Southeast:

North Carolina

– Atlantic coast

of Florida

Gulf of Mexico: Gulf coast

of Florida - Mexico

Mid-Atlantic:

New Jersey -

Virginia

Lower Northeast:

Rhode Island – New

York

Gulf of Maine:

Atlantic Canada

- Massachusetts

SCAW-WG Organizational

Structure

SCAW-WG Steering Committee: Regional sub-groups leads

Lower Northeast:

RI- NY

Mid-Atlantic: NJ - VA

Southeast: NC - FL

Gulf Coast: FL - TX

Atlantic Marine Bird Cooperative: ≥ 2 Steering Committee

members represent the SCAW-WG at AMBC meetings

Gulf of Maine: Atlantic CAN - MA

SCAW-WG Focal Species

Black skimmerLeast tern

Common tern

Laughing gull Double-crested cormorant

Key SCAW-WG Long-

term Goals

1. Provide accurate seabird breeding population estimates.

2. Coordinate and facilitate historical and current seabird

breeding data storage, sharing and analyses.

3. Within each region, facilitate the development and

implementation of coordinated seabird colony

management.

4. Develop and implement regional and coast-wide research

and monitoring objectives.

5. Facilitate linking breeding population trends to offshore

abundance and distribution.

Key SCAW-WG Short-

term Goals

1. Obtain information from states & provinces to identify

commonalities within and across regions.

• Seabird breeding monitoring efforts/methods;

• Existing seabird breeding data and data gaps;

• Key threats affecting seabird breeding success;

• Existing management and outreach efforts.

2. Develop regional (and multi-regional) seabird breeding

survey plans → 2018 Colonial Waterbird Survey!

States will:

1. Support/participate in 2018 CWB survey to the greatest

extent possible.

2. Contribute historical, recent, and future CWB data.

3. Develop a shared CWB data management system with

mapping tools.

4. Establish regular coordinated CWB surveys by 2023.

Colonial Waterbird (CWB)

Recommendations adopted by the Atlantic

Flyway Council September 2017 & February 2018

Atlantic Coast CWB Staff

Interviews

RESULTS:

• Contacted 13 of 14 Atlantic coast states.

• 3/13 states – complete coast-wide seabird survey

in 2018.

• All states - complete surveys of one or more

SCAW-WG focal species in 2018.

• All states agreed to provide past & current data.

Resurrected the USGS CWB website: https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/cwb/

Inventoried existing USGS CWBD contents.

Updated CWB data entry spreadsheet in prep for 2018 data and posted it

on the USGS CWB website.

Made a formal request to states and provinces for 2018 data as well as

past CWB survey data.

• 2018-2020 (funded in August 2018)

• USGS Maine Coop Unit (Cyndy Loftin & Zachary Loman)

• Goal: Update and improve the USGS CWB database (CWBD)

• Completed tasks:

USGS - USFWS Science Support Program

Project: Laying the groundwork for science-based

management of CWB

Laying the groundwork for science-based

management of CWB: additional key

tasks

1. Compile and enter all data received into the USGS

CWBD and prepare the CWBD for future incorporation

into the Avian Knowledge Network (AKN) platform.

2. Develop and evaluate population trends for SCAW-WG

focal species using all available data, and graphically

display trend data on the USGS CWB website.

Looking into the future…

Upload CWBD into the AKN; test analytical &

mapping tools.

Explore the feasibility of uploading the AKN CWB

node into an on-line data warehouse that can store and

integrate large, disparate datasets for storage, analyses

and mapping → Big Data Hub.

Planning the 2023 SCAW-WG CWB survey – stay

tuned!