At-sea distribution and abundance of seabirds and marine mammals off southern California GIS resource database: Aerial seabird and marine mammal surveys off southern California, 1999–2002

Background - Interest in developing alternative sources of renewable energy to reduce dependence on oil has increased in recent years. Some sources of renewable energy being considered will include power generation infrastructure and support activities located within continental shelf waters, and potentially within deeper waters off the U.S. Pacific coast and beyond state waters (i.e., outside three nautical miles). Currently, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is considering renewable energy proposals off the coast of Oregon, California, and Hawaii. From 1999–2002, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Humboldt State University (HSU) worked with BOEM (formely known as the Minerals Management Service, MMS) to conduct a multi-year study that quantified the at-sea distribution of seabirds and marine mammals. The aerial at-sea survey team flew over 55,000 kilometers and counted 485,000 seabirds (67 species) and 64,000 marine mammals (19 species). The study provided resource managers with updated information on distribution and abundance patterns and compared results with information from the late 1970s to early 1980s (Briggs et al. 1981, Briggs et al. 1987, see Mason et al. 2007). The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG; now CA Department of Fish and Wildlife, CADFW) and U.S. Navy also provided significant matching funds. Oceanographic Context - USGS-HSU surveys began in May 1999, immediately following the strong 1997–1998 El Niño event. The 1999–2002 period featured a series of cold-water, La Niña events which led some researchers to postulate that the California Current System (CCS) had undergone a fundamental climate shift, on the scale of those documented in the 1920s, mid 1940s, and mid 1970s (Schwing et al. 2002). Generally, La Niña events have corresponded with stronger than normal upwelling in the CCS, and during this period, resulted in the greatest 4-yr mean upwelling index value on record (Schwing et al. 2002). La Niñas often follow El Niños, and seabird community composition (i.e., relative species-specific abundances) in any given year off southern California, is subject to variability caused by shifts in distribution among both warm- and cool-water affiliated species (Hyrenbach and Veit 2003). In contrast to the Mason et al. (2007) surveys, Briggs et al. (1987) conducted surveys during 1975–1983, coincident with another climate shift—from cold to warm conditions throughout the CCS (Mantua et al. 1997). Briggs et al. surveyed north of Point Conception during 1980–1983, after the transition to warmer water conditions occurred in the CCS. Acknowledgements - This project was funded by BOEM through an Interagency Agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey. The authors of these GIS data require that data users contact them regarding intended use and to assist with understanding limitations and interpretation. Aerial survey fieldwork in 1999-2002 was conducted jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey (Western Ecological Research Center, California: Principal Investigators J.Y, Takekawa and D. Orthmeyer; Key Project Staff: J. Adams, J. Ackerman, W.M. Perry, J.J. Felis, and J.L. Lee) and Humboldt State University (Department of Wildlife, Arcata, California; Principal Investigators: R.T. Golightly and H.R. Carter; Project Leader: G. McChesney; Key Project Staff: J. Mason and W. McIver). Major project cooperators who actively participated in aerial at-sea surveys include the Minerals Management Service (M. Pierson, M. McCrary), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (P. Kelly), and the U.S. Navy (S. Schwartz, T. Keeney). For additional acknowledgments, see Mason et al. (2007). These data are associated with the following publication: Mason, J.W., McChesney, G.J., McIver, W.R., Carter, H.R., Takekawa, J.Y., Golightly, R.T., Ackerman, J.T., Orthmeyer, D.L., Perry, W.M., Yee, J.L. and Pierson, M.O. 2007. At-sea distribution and abundance of seabirds off southern California: a 20-Year comparison. Cooper Ornithological Society, Studies in Avian Biology Vol. 33. References - Briggs, K.T., E.W. Chu, D.B. Lewis, W.B. Tyler, R.L. Pitman, and G.L. Hunt Jr. 1981. Summary of marine mammal and seabird surveys of the Southern California Bight area 1975–1978. Volume III. Investigators’ reports. Part III. USDI Bureau of Land Management BLM/YN/SR-81/01-04 (PB81-248197) and University of California, Institute of Marine Sciences, Santa Cruz, CA. Briggs, K.T., W.B. Tyler, D.B. Lewis, and D.R. Carlson. 1987. Bird communities at sea off California: 1975–1983. Studies in Avian Biology 11. Schwing, F.B., T. Murphree, and P.M. Green. 2002. The Northern Oscillation Index (NOI): a new climate index for the northeast Pacific. Progress in Oceanography 53: 115-139. Hyrenbach, K.D. and R.R. Veit. 2003. Ocean warming and seabird communities of the southern California Current System (1987–98): response at multiple temporal scales. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 50: 2537-2565. Mantua, N.J., Hare, S.R., Zhang, Y., Wallace, J.M. and Francis, R.C. 1997. A Pacific interdecadal climate oscillation with impacts on salmon production. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 78: 1069-1079. ESRI. ArcGIS Desktop: Release 10. Redlands, CA: Environmental Systems Research Institute. Mason, J.W., McChesney, G.J., McIver, W.R., Carter, H.R., Takekawa, J.Y., Golightly, R.T., Ackerman, J.T., Orthmeyer, D.L., Perry, W.M., Yee, J.L. and Pierson, M.O. 2007. At-sea distribution and abundance of seabirds off southern California: a 20-Year comparison. Cooper Ornithological Society, Studies in Avian Biology Vol. 33.背景：近年来，为减少对石油的依赖而开发可再生替代能源的兴趣日益增长。当前考量的部分可再生能源项目，其配套的发电基础设施与支持作业将部署于大陆架水域（continental shelf waters），也可能设于美国太平洋沿岸外海、州属水域以外（即3海里以外）的深水区。目前，海洋能源管理局（Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, BOEM）正在俄勒冈州、加利福尼亚州与夏威夷州沿岸评估可再生能源提案。 1999年至2002年间，美国地质调查局（U.S. Geological Survey, USGS）与洪堡州立大学（Humboldt State University, HSU）联合海洋能源管理局（其前身为矿产管理局（Minerals Management Service, MMS））开展了一项多年期研究，对海鸟与海洋哺乳动物的海上分布情况进行了量化分析。本次航空海上调查团队累计飞行航程超55000公里，共记录到485000只海鸟（隶属于67个物种）与64000只海洋哺乳动物（隶属于19个物种）。该研究为资源管理者提供了海鸟与海洋哺乳动物分布及种群丰度的最新数据，并将本次研究结果与1970年代末至1980年代初的调查数据进行了对比（Briggs等，1981；Briggs等，1987；详见Mason等，2007）。加利福尼亚州鱼类与狩猎局（California Department of Fish and Game, CDFG；现更名为加利福尼亚州鱼类与野生动物局（CA Department of Fish and Wildlife, CADFW））与美国海军亦提供了大额配套资助。 海洋学背景：USGS-HSU的调查始于1999年5月，紧随1997-1998年强厄尔尼诺（El Niño）事件之后。1999年至2002年间先后出现了多起冷水型拉尼娜（La Niña）事件，促使部分研究者推测加利福尼亚流系统（California Current System, CCS）已发生了根本性的气候转变，其规模可与1920年代、1940年代中期及1970年代中期记录到的气候转变相提并论（Schwing等，2002）。通常而言，拉尼娜事件会伴随加利福尼亚流系统出现强于常态的上升流活动，本次调查期间的4年平均上升流指数更是达到了有记录以来的峰值（Schwing等，2002）。拉尼娜事件常紧随厄尔尼诺事件发生，而南加州外海某一年的海鸟群落组成（即各物种的相对丰度）会因暖水性与冷水性物种的分布偏移发生变化（Hyrenbach与Veit，2003）。与Mason等（2007）的调查不同，Briggs等（1987）的调查开展于1975年至1983年间，恰逢加利福尼亚流系统经历另一次从冷态到暖态的气候转变（Mantua等，1997）。Briggs等在1980年至1983年间于康塞普西翁角以北区域开展调查，此时加利福尼亚流系统已完成向暖水环境的转变。 致谢：本项目由海洋能源管理局通过与美国地质调查局签订的跨部门协议提供资助。本GIS数据的作者要求数据使用者在使用前与其联系，以便协助理解数据的局限性与解读方法。1999年至2002年的航空调查野外作业由美国地质调查局（加利福尼亚州西部生态研究中心：首席研究员J.Y. Takekawa与D. Orthmeyer；核心项目人员：J. Adams、J. Ackerman、W.M. Perry、J.J. Felis与J.L. Lee）与洪堡州立大学（加利福尼亚州阿卡塔市野生动物系：首席研究员R.T. Golightly与H.R. Carter；项目负责人G. McChesney；核心项目人员J. Mason与W. McIver）联合开展。积极参与航空海上调查的主要项目合作方包括矿产管理局（M. Pierson、M. McCrary）、加利福尼亚州鱼类与野生动物局（P. Kelly）以及美国海军（S. Schwartz、T. Keeney）。更多致谢信息详见Mason等（2007）。 本数据集关联以下已发表文献：Mason, J.W.、McChesney, G.J.、McIver, W.R.、Carter, H.R.、Takekawa, J.Y.、Golightly, R.T.、Ackerman, J.T.、Orthmeyer, D.L.、Perry, W.M.、Yee, J.L.与Pierson, M.O.，2007年。《南加州外海海鸟的海上分布与丰度：20年对比研究》。库珀鸟类学会，《鸟类生物学研究》第33卷。 参考文献： Briggs, K.T.、E.W. Chu、D.B. Lewis、W.B. Tyler、R.L. Pitman与G.L. Hunt Jr.，1981年。《1975-1978年南加州湾海域海洋哺乳动物与海鸟调查总结》第三卷。研究者报告第三部分。美国内政部土地管理局BLM/YN/SR-81/01-04（PB81-248197）与加利福尼亚大学圣克鲁兹分校海洋科学研究所。 Briggs, K.T.、W.B. Tyler、D.B. Lewis与D.R. Carlson，1987年。《加利福尼亚外海的海鸟群落：1975-1983》。《鸟类生物学研究》第11卷。 Schwing, F.B.、T. Murphree与P.M. Green，2002年。《北方涛动指数（Northern Oscillation Index, NOI）：东北太平洋的新型气候指数》。《海洋学进展》第53卷：115-139。 Hyrenbach, K.D.与R.R. Veit，2003年。《南加利福尼亚流系统的海洋变暖与海鸟群落（1987-1998）：多时间尺度下的响应》。《深海研究第二部分：海洋学专题研究》第50卷：2537-2565。 Mantua, N.J.、Hare, S.R.、Zhang, Y.、Wallace, J.M.与Francis, R.C.，1997年。《影响鲑鱼生产的太平洋年代际气候振荡》。《美国气象学会公报》第78卷：1069-1079。 ESRI。《ArcGIS Desktop：10版》。加利福尼亚州雷德兰兹：环境系统研究所。 Mason, J.W.、McChesney, G.J.、McIver, W.R.、Carter, H.R.、Takekawa, J.Y.、Golightly, R.T.、Ackerman, J.T.、Orthmeyer, D.L.、Perry, W.M.、Yee, J.L.与Pierson, M.O.，2007年。《南加州外海海鸟的海上分布与丰度：20年对比研究》。库珀鸟类学会，《鸟类生物学研究》第33卷。