U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of the Interior National Wildlife Refuge System National Protocol Framework for Monitoring Common Murre and Brandt’s Cormorant Breeding Colonies in the California Current System Regions 1 and 8 Version 1.0 August 2018 ON THE COVER Roy Lowe photographing seabird colonies on the Oregon coast from a helicopter; Image of a common murre and Brandt’s cormorant colony at Yaquina Head after “dotting” of birds and nests in ArcMap. Photographs by: David Pitkin and Shawn W. Stephensen, USFWS ii Monitoring Common Murre and Brandt’s Cormorant Colonies Ver. 1.0 NWRS Survey Protocol Signature Page 1 Version is a decimal number with the number left of decimal place indicating the number of times this protocol has been approved (e.g., first approved version is 1.0.; prior to first approval all versions are 0.x; after first approval, all minor changes are indicated as version 1. x until the second approval and signature, which establishes version 2.0, and so on). A protocol is subject to versioning so it can be a living, dynamic document revisable with advancements and new techniques in field methods, data analyses, data processing, and data management that would improve the cost effectiveness, sustainability, and quality of its data over time. 2 Signature by National I&M Coordinator signifies approval of a protocol used at multiple stations from two or more Regions. iii Monitoring Common Murre and Brandt’s Cormorant Colonies Ver. 1.0 Survey Protocol Summary This protocol framework (PF) provides a foundation and guidance for consistent development of site-specific survey protocols (SSPs) with detailed instructions for conducting breeding colony surveys of common murre (Uria aalge) and Brandt’s cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) at locations throughout the California Current System (CCS). Cooperating Partners throughout the CCS are encouraged to utilize the survey guidance in this PF, where feasible. The individual SSPs should, at minimum, address elements identified in this PF pertinent to the survey method, staff, equipment, and environmental conditions at respective survey locations. This PF is the first such tool developed as part of the Pacific Seabird Inventory and Monitoring Program (PSP), which is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) inter-Regional program established for the purpose of coordinating, integrating, and supporting the full life cycle of seabird surveys conducted throughout the Service’s Pacific jurisdiction. It is intended to be the first in a series of PFs that will eventually establish suggested standards and minimum requirements for surveys contributing to the CCS-wide breeding population status and trend assessment of seabird species with significant portions of their global breeding populations in the CCS. Common murre (COMU) and Brandt’s cormorant (BRAC) are included in one survey protocol framework because they are surface nesters with overlapping nesting seasons, broadly occur throughout the CCS, often co-occur in dense aggregations at colony sites, and are therefore efficiently surveyed simultaneously within the CCS primarily by aerial photography. Although aerial photographic surveys will be the preferred method of field data collection for both species, boat- and land-based surveys will be used to provide supplemental contextual data, or when aerial surveys are not practical. As a result, all three survey methods are described in this protocol framework. The content and structure of the protocols described herein follows standards set forth in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s How to Develop Survey Protocols: a Handbook (Version 1.0) (USFWS 2013). Each of the following eight elements of a protocol is addressed in a narrative: introduction, sampling design, field methods, data management, analysis, reporting, personnel requirements and training, operational requirements, and references. Additionally, a series of standard operating procedures provides greater detail on recommended survey methods and technical aspects of this protocol. A 3-tiered sampling frame is described in this PF to integrate the timing and locations of COMU and BRAC colony surveys such that statistically rigorous estimates of population status, distribution, and trends may be achieved at sub-regional and CCS-wide scales. The data management element of the PF describes a centralized, interactive web-based application to be developed and deployed where all quality assured colony survey data could be easily entered by partners, and accessible for analyses and interpretation. Partners will set the degree to which their data are available to other users. iv Monitoring Common Murre and Brandt’s Cormorant Colonies Ver. 1.0 Suggested citation: Bridgeland, W.T., N. Nur, S.W. Stephensen, S. Thomas, G. McChesney, S. Holzman, R. Swift, and K. Kilbride. 2018. National Protocol Framework for Monitoring Common Murre and Brandt’s Cormorant Breeding Colonies in the California Current System. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Program Center, Fort Collins, CO. This protocol is available from ServCat: https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/Reference/Profile/109398 v The authors dedicate this Protocol Framework to Harry Carter (1956-2017) in recognition of his dedication to seabird conservation and decades of Pacific seabird survey work. (Photograph by: Tracy Miner Ames) Acknowledgments Members of three Working Groups participated in numerous discussions and made important contributions and editorial comments on drafts of this document, including: Sarah Allen, Cassie Bednar, Louise Blight, Russ Bradley, Phil Capitolo, Ryan Carle, Harry Carter, Aaron Christ, Michael Cunanan, Kaylene Keller, Rachael Orben, Julia Parish, Scott Pearson, Heather Renner, Nora Rojek, Khem So, Erin Stockenberg, Rob Suryan, William Sydeman, Laurie Wilson, and Nathan Zimpfer. The authors also greatly appreciate the participation of over 50 seabird scientists and managers in a three-day meeting in Portland, OR in November 2016 where the scope and contents of this Protocol Framework were discussed and refined. We also thank the following reviewers for their considerable time invested in improving this document: D. Ledig, D. Lyons, and L. Wilson. Any mistakes or omissions remaining are the sole responsibility of the authors. Disclaimers The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The mention of trade names or commercial products in this report does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the federal government. vi Contents NWRS Survey Protocol Signature Page ................................................................................... iii Survey Protocol Summary ......................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................... vi Abbreviations Used ................................................................................................................... xi Narratives ................................................................................................................................... 1 Element 1: Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 Element 2: Sampling Design ................................................................................................. 4 Element 3: Field Methods and Processing of Collected Materials ...................................... 20 Element 4. Data Management and Analysis ........................................................................ 29 Element 5: Reporting ........................................................................................................... 34 Element 6: Personnel Requirements and Training ............................................................... 36 Element 7: Operational Requirements ................................................................................. 40 Element 8: References ......................................................................................................... 44 Appendices ............................................................................................................................... 49 Appendix 1. Sampling Design Power Analysis ................................................................... 49 Appendix 2. Descriptions of Data Fields for Entry into the Colony Registry and Colony Survey Database ................................................................................................................... 62 Appendix 3. Science Information Needs ............................................................................. 65 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) ..................................................................................... 67 SOP 1: Standard Operating Procedure for conducting aerial surveys of common murre and Brandt’s cormorant colonies within the California Current System .................................... 67 SOP 2: Standard Operating Procedure for conducting boat-based surveys of common murre and Brandt’s cormorant colonies within the California Current System ............................. 77 SOP 3: Standard Operating Procedure for conducting land-based surveys of common murre and Brandt’s cormorant colonies within the California Current System .................. 86 Supplemental