Relationships among climate variability, ocean productivity and demography of Aleutian Island, Alaska populations of three planktivorous seabirds, 1990-2008, Jones, I.

Due to their low trophic position, planktivorous seabirds’ demography is expected to vary with ocean climate, but causal mechanisms are
poorly understood. Survival and productivity of least (Aethia pusilla), crested (A. cristatella), and whiskered auklets (A. pygmaea) were
measured across a 586 km span of the Aleutians at Buldir, Kiska and Kasatochi Islands, Alaska during 1990-2008. Survival was inferred from
resightings of least (n = 1258, 38623 resighting events) and crested auklets (n = 1008, 26821 resightings) and recaptures of whiskered auklets
(n = 715, 1557 recaptures). Productivity was quantified from hatching and fledging success at least (3791), crested (2810), and whiskered
auklet (1132) breeding crevices. Geospatial analysis indicated least auklet survival had positive correlations with Bering Sea spring sea
level pressure (SLP), while crested auklet survival correlated positively with wintertime SLP and sea surface temperature (SST) of the
northwestern Pacific, with survival correlating intra-specifically between Buldir and Kasatochi islands, and no inter-specific correlation.
Whiskered auklet survival showed no correlation with SLP or SST. Productivity varied with island, species, a negative relationship with the
Aleutian Low Pressure Index, a positive correlation with preceding winter SST in the western North Pacific, and negative correlations with SST
in the Gulf of Alaska and spring SLP. Demographic patterns at Kiska appeared different from other islands, possibly due to activity of an
introduced predator. Our data indicated that Aleutian auklet demography was correlated with ocean climate, with local factors and ecological
differences among species also important in determining variation over nearly two decades.
These datasets were archived as part of the North Pacific Research Board legacy project recovery effort undertaken by Axiom Data Science and NPRB in 2025. The goal of the recovery effort was to assess the NPRB-funded data projects from 2002 to 2014 and archive final data packages that were ready for publication to increase long-term accessibility and discoverability. Data packages were archived as is given limited funding and resources.