Healthy seabird populations are an indicator of a healthy ocean. Unfortunately, many of our seabird populations are imperiled and in need of conservation action. Among those monitoring seabird species and assessing population trends is the Puget Sound Seabird Survey (PSSS). However, the collection of data is only the first step toward understanding the underlying ecology of seabird declines. In this presentation, we explore the underbelly of translating counts of birds to estimates of population trends.
Matt Farr is a postdoctoral scholar at the U of Washington’s Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. His research has focused on population and community ecology, with an emphasis on modeling wildlife abundance and dynamics. Matt works with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, among other entities.
Toby Ross has been dedicated to global conservation efforts for more than 30 years. Locally, he has held the reins of the Puget Sound Seabird Survey since its inception in 2007. This year he is responsible for training and coordinating 268 volunteers distributed at 157 sites.