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Determining Fine-Scale Use and Movement Patterns of Diving Bird Species in Federal Waters of the Mid-Atlantic United States Using Satellite Telemetry

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OCS Study BOEM 2017-069 Determining Fine-scale Use and Movement Patterns of Diving Bird Species in Federal Waters of the Mid-Atlantic United States Using Satellite Telemetry US Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Office of Renewable Energy Programs OCS Study BOEM 2017-069 Determining Fine-scale Use and Movement Patterns of Diving Bird Species in Federal Waters of the Mid-Atlantic United States Using Satellite Telemetry Authors Caleb S. Spiegel, USFWS Division of Migratory Birds (Project Manager, Editor) Alicia M. Berlin, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Andrew T. Gilbert, Biodiversity Research Institute Carrie O. Gray, Biodiversity Research Institute William A. Montevecchi, Memorial University of Newfoundland Iain J. Stenhouse, Biodiversity Research Institute Scott L. Ford, Avian Specialty Veterinary Services Glenn H. Olsen, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Jonathan L. Fiely, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Lucas Savoy, Biodiversity Research Institute M. Wing Goodale, Biodiversity Research Institute Chantelle M. Burke, Memorial University of Newfoundland Prepared under BOEM Intra-agency Agreement #M12PG00005 by U.S. Department of Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Migratory Birds 300 Westgate Center Dr. Hadley, MA 01035 Published by U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Office of Renewable Energy Programs 2017-069 DISCLAIMER This study was funded by the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Environmental Studies Program, Washington, DC, through Intra-agency Agreement Number M12PG00005 with the US Department of Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds, Hadley, MA. This report has been technically reviewed by BOEM and it has been approved for publication. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the US Government, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. REPORT AVAILABILITY To download a PDF file of this report, go to the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management website at www.boem.gov/Environmental-Studies-EnvData/, click on the link for the Environmental Studies Program Information System (ESPIS), and search on 2017-069. CITATION Spiegel, C.S., A.M. Berlin, A.T. Gilbert, C.O. Gray, W.A. Montevecchi, I.J. Stenhouse, S.L. Ford, G.H. Olsen, J.L. Fiely, L. Savoy, M.W. Goodale, and C.M. Burke. 2017. Determining Fine- scale Use and Movement Patterns of Diving Bird Species in Federal Waters of the Mid- Atlantic United States Using Satellite Telemetry. Sterling (VA): U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management . OCS Study BOEM 2017-069. ABOUT THE COVER Cover photos (clockwise from top left, Northern Gannet, Red-throated Loon, and Surf Scoter tagged with Platform Terminal Transmitters) courtesy of Jonathan Fiely (USGS). Used with permission. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank the following for providing data, field, and lab support, insight into project design, and other resources: Jim Woehr (BOEM, retired), Scott Gilliland and Christine Lepage (Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, CWS), Tim Bowman (USFWS), Matthew C. Perry (USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center), Doug Howell (North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, NCWRC), Scott McWilliams (University Rhode Island, URI), Jay Osenkowski (Rhode Island Department of Environmental Conservation, RI DEC), Sylvie Vandenabeele (Swansea University), Charlotte Kilchenstein (USGS PWRC), and Scott Johnston (USFWS). We also thank the CWS, Environment Canada Science and Technology Branch, NCWRC, Massachusetts Audubon, Ducks Unlimited, Bird Studies Canada, Long Point Waterfowl, Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), USGS, URI, University of Montreal, New Brunswick Dept. of Natural Resources, RI DEC, Virginia Dept. of Game and Fish, Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources, Université du Québec à Montréal, McGill University, Telonics, Cellular Tracking Technologies, Microwave Telemetry Inc., and Avery Outdoors. Lastly, we are indebted to the numerous scientists and veterinarians who conducted work in often grueling field conditions to collect data, and the staff of USFWS Migratory Birds Division for reviewing earlier drafts of this report. This project was funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) through Intra-agency Agreement M12PG00005 with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Additional funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Sea Duck Joint Venture, the Bailey Foundation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In-kind support was provided by BRI, Memorial University of Newfoundland, USGS, and USFWS. iii Summary Offshore wind energy development in the United States is projected to expand in the upcoming decades to meet growing energy demands and reduce fossil fuel emissions. There is particular interest in commercial offshore wind development within Federal waters (i.e., > 3 nautical miles from shore) of the mid-Atlantic. In order to understand the potential for adverse effects on marine birds in this area, information on distribution and behavior (e.g., flight pathways, timing, etc.) is required for a broad suite of species. In areas where offshore wind development is likely to occur, such information can be used to identify high use areas during critical life stages, which can inform the siting of offshore facilities. It can also be used to provide baseline data for understanding broad changes in distributions that occur after offshore wind developments are constructed in a specific area. The primary objective of this study was to determine fine scale use and movement patterns of three species of diving marine birds, Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata), Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), and Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus), in Federal waters of the mid-Atlantic U.S. during migration and winter. These species are each found in relatively large numbers and represent a cross-section of marine birds within mid-Atlantic U.S. waters during this time period. They are all considered species of conservation concern, and also exhibit traits that may make them vulnerable to the adverse effects of offshore wind development. Additional objectives included: 1) linking areas used by each species across seasons (e.g., delineating source breeding populations); 2) designing and testing externally mounted transmitter attachment techniques, and assessing improved tracking technology on focal species, with goals of increased tag longevity, reduced bird mortality, and a more continuous record of movement pathways; and 3) developing winter capture techniques for Northern Gannets, which had not previously been targeted for at-sea capture during winter. This study also examined practices during tag attachment that could cause capture stress, and post-tagging mortality, in an effort to reduce such impacts. In order to determine use and movement patterns of our three study species, we tagged 239 adult birds, primarily in bays and near-shore waters from New Jersey to North Carolina, between 2012 and 2015, and tracked them with Platform Terminal (satellite) Transmitters (PTTs). An additional 109 Surf Scoters, and 38 Northern Gannets tagged with PTTs as part of prior field efforts from other studies were also added to our analyses. Tracking data were analyzed using dynamic Brownian bridge movement models to develop spatial utilization distributions for each species. In winter, and in general, all three species exhibited a largely near-shore, coastal, or in-shore distribution within our study area (southern Long Island to the southern border of North Carolina). Habitat use was concentrated in or around large bays (e.g., Delaware, Chesapeake, Pamlico Sound), with the most extensive use at bay mouths. Northern Gannets ranged much farther offshore than the other two species, and covered a much larger area (including instances of individuals using both the Gulf of Mexico and the mid-Atlantic within a single season). Differences among species distributions were likely due to differences in motility and distribution of their preferred prey. For example, Surf Scoters, which left bays the least during winter, target largely sessile prey in shallower waters. Winter distributions of all three species were primarily inshore of current federal Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) and Lease Areas. However, WEAs and/or Lease Areas overlapped with portions of Northern Gannet distributions throughout the study area, whereas the winter home range distributions of iv Surf Scoters and Red-throated Loons showed a much more limited overlap (primarily off of Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Delaware). Resource selection analysis indicated that core use areas for all three species were associated with shallower, colder, and more productive waters, compared to other locations within each of their winter home ranges, further supporting the idea that distributions were linked to forage resources. There was variation, however, in the range of values associated with the habitat characteristics we measured within the winter core use and home range areas, which differed for each species. All three study species used Federal offshore waters substantially more during migratory periods than in winter. Offshore use during migration was particularly extensive for Northern Gannets, with WEAs and Lease Areas overlapping their fall and spring
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