Washington Project
Assessing threats to critical seabird foraging habitat in the Salish Sea
April 2022 - September 2024
Personnel
- Sarah Converse, Principal Investigator
- Liam Pendleton, Student / Post Doc
- Eric Wagner, Non-PI Collaborator
Participating Agencies
- SeaDoc Society/UC Davis
- USGS
- American Wildlife Conservation Foundation, Inc.
Seabirds are recognized as critical indicators of oceanic conditions. However, in the Salish Sea, increasing threats to seabird foraging habitat are not well understood in terms of their potential effects on seabird populations. A better understanding of threats to seabird foraging habitat could guide regional efforts to conserve these habitats. This project is a collaboration of researchers across multiple organizations, including US Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and University of Washington. We are developing a model to understand foraging habitat selection by Pigeon Guillemots and Rhinoceros Auklets nesting at Protection Island, mapping critical foraging habitat for these species, and developing a model linking breeding outcomes with foraging conditions.