Black Scoter habitat use along the southeastern coast of the United States

While the Atlantic Coast of the United States and Canada is a major
wintering area for sea ducks, knowledge about their wintering habitat use
is relatively limited. Black Scoters have a broad wintering distribution
and are the only open water species of sea duck that is abundant along the
southeastern coast of the United States. Our study identified variables
that affected Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) distribution and
abundance in the Atlantic Ocean along the southeastern coast of the United
States. We used aerial survey data from 2009 to 2012 provided by the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service to identify variables that
influenced Black Scoter distribution. We used indicator variable selection
to evaluate relationships between Black Scoter habitat use and a variety
of broad- and fine-scale oceanographic and weather variables. Average time
between waves, ocean floor slope, and the interaction of bathymetry and
distance to shore had the strongest association with southeastern Black
Scoter distribution.