Abstracts

Presented by Hannah M Plumpton - Email: hplumpt@clemson.edu

While the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada is a major wintering area for sea ducks, habitat use and movement patterns of sea ducks, such as the black scoter (Melanitta americana), are relatively unknown and understudied. The lack of information in conjunction with a rise in human activity in and near the Atlantic Ocean has led to an increased effort for the conservation and management of sea ducks, while minimizing human conflicts. The objective of our study was to identify variables that had the most influence on black scoter distribution in the Atlantic Ocean, particularly along the southeastern coast of the United States. To identify the variables that were the most influential on black scoter distribution along the southeastern coast of the United States, we used aerial survey data from 2009 to 2012 provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We used Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), a variable selection method, to examine habitat use with broad- and fine-scale oceanographic and weather variables. The oceanographic variables bathymetry and ocean floor substrate, the weather variable of average time between waves, and the interactive effect of North Atlantic Oscillation and distance to shore had the greatest association with the distribution of wintering black scoters. Additionally, our results indicate that oceanographic variables have a stronger relationship with black scoter distribution than weather variables. The identification of key habitat variables provides valuable insight into identifying the areas of high quality wintering habitat and resources and enabling the protection of those areas through preservation and minimizing human conflicts.