Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Washington
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Washington Project


Maximizing the value of Salish Sea aerial surveys for sea duck management

September 2021 - June 2024


Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • WDFW

Many sea duck populations are in decline, and the Salish Sea - as one of the main North American overwintering sites for sea ducks - is critical to their conservation. Salish Sea data have the potential to greatly improve our understanding of factors driving sea duck populations both locally and range-wide. This project is a collaboration with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. We are developing a model for nearly 20 years of aerial survey data on sea ducks in the Salish Sea, to better understand factors driving both their annual growth and their distribution within the Salish Sea.