Seward Line and Lower Cook Inlet Marine Bird Survey Data, 2006-2016, Gulf Watch Alaska Nearshore Component

These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA), Gulf Watch Alaska component of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (project numbers 12120114-J, 13120114-J, 14120114-J, 15120114-J, and 16120114-J). Gulf Watch Alaska is the long-term ecosystem monitoring program of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council for the marine ecosystem affected by the 1989 oil spill.

These data are a component of the Seward Line Long-term Observation Program (http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/sewardline/) which provides observations on the current state of the Northern Gulf of Alaska ecosystem. Ship-based surveys were conducted in the Gulf of Alaska during spring (May) and fall (September) from 2006 to 2016 following standard U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) strip-transect survey protocols. Seabird and marine mammal observations were conducted during daylight hours when the vessel was underway. The dataset is several comma separated files exported from the marine bird and mammal observation software dLOG (Ford 1999). The dLOG survey files (.csv format) contain the observations of species, numbers, and behavior that were recorded during surveys, in addition to observations of environmental conditions. Processed density files (.csv format), derived from the dLOG survey files, contain marine bird densities (individuals km-2) within 3-km transects.