Distribution patterns of wintering sea ducks in relation to the North Atlantic Oscillation and local environmental characteristics.

摘要: Twelve species of North American sea ducks (Tribe Mergini) winter off the eastern coast United States and Canada. Yet, despite their seasonal proximity to urbanized areas in this region, there is limited information on patterns wintering duck habitat use. It difficult gather because relative inaccessibility offshore locations, high degree mobility, aggregated distributions. To characterize environmental conditions that affect distributions, as well geographic ranges, we analyzed count data five (black scoters Melanitta nigra americana, surf M. perspicillata, white-winged fusca, common eiders Somateria mollissima, long-tailed Clangula hyemalis) were collected during Atlantic Flyway Sea Duck Survey for ten years starting early 1990s. We modeled each within ten-nautical-mile linear survey segments using a zero-inflated negative binomial model included four local-scale covariates (sea surface temperature, mean bottom depth, maximum slope, variable indicate if segment was bay or not), one broad-scale covariate (the Oscillation), temporal correlation component. Our results distributions have strong latitudinal gradients consistency local The Oscillation only had significant (but variable) effect expected all species, suggesting climatic may be directly indirectly important ducks. provide critical species-habitat associations, elucidate complicated relationship between Oscillation, abundances, should useful assessing impacts climate change seabirds.