NODC Standard Format Marine Birds from Coastal Alaska and Puget Sound Data (1974-1983): Marine Bird Sighting, Ship/Aircraft Census (F033) (NCEI Accession 0014155)

Marine Bird Sighting, Ship/Aircraft Census (F033) is one of a group of seven datasets related to Marine Birds from Coastal Alaska and Puget Sound Data (1974 -1983). Each dataset uses the NODC Taxonomic Code to indicate species.

Marine Bird Sighting, Ship/Aircraft Census (F033) contains data from field observations of marine birds made along ship or aircraft survey tracks. These data are collected to provide information on population density and distribution. Start and end position, date and elapsed time, speed and course, platform type and observing techniques are reported for each survey. Environmental information may include meteorological and sea surface conditions, distances to the shoreline and shelf break, ice characteristics within and outside each transect and surface debris, including oil slicks. Species data may include age, sex, color, plumage, number of individuals, direction of flight, behavior and food source association. Any number of species may be reported within one observation time span. These data were collected from 1975 - 1982 for coastal Alaska and adjacent North Pacific Ocean.