This project will expand abundance & distribution models for seabirds, currently underway in Aleutian Is region (USFWS-funded project under Survey, Monitoring & Assessment program) to the greater ABSI-LCC region, and integrate 2013 seabird surveys into the analysis. In particular, this expanded effort would first focus on the North Bering Sea/Bering Strait/southern Chukchi region, which has greatest potential for increased vessel traffic and development. Using at-sea survey data, colony data, and environmental parameters, Tern Again Consulting (Dr. M. Renner) is developing seasonal species-specific models of seabird distribution in the Aleutian Islands region for use in a shipping risk assessment. The resulting models greatly expand the value of at-sea survey data and improve potential applications to a variety of risk analyses and predictive models. As with the AI Risk Assessment, all products would be accessible to managers, responders, and stakeholders on the AOOS web site.
