Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
We evaluated the energy cost of vessel disturbance for individual Kittlitz’s Murrelets Brachyramphus brevirostris in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska, USA. We used Monte Carlo simulations to model the daily energy expense associated with flight from vessels by both breeding and non-breeding birds and evaluated risk based on both the magnitude of costs incurred and the degree to which the costs may be chronic. We used two scenarios of vessel disturbance for average- and peak-vessel traffic. Because they are more likely to fly away from vessels, non-breeding birds had a greater increase in energy expenditure when disturbed (up to 30% increase under the average scenario and >50% increase under the peak scenario) than breeders (up to 10% and 30% increases under the average and peak scenarios, respectively). Likewise, non-breeding birds were more likely to experience chronic increases in energy expense (i.e. a greater percentage of days with an increase in energy expenditure) than breeding birds. Our modeling results indicated that breeding and non-breeding birds were both susceptible to fitness consequences (e.g. reduced reproductive success and survival) resulting from the energy cost.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Energy cost of vessel disturbance to Kittlitz's Murrelets Brachyramphus brevirostris |
| Series title | Marine Ornithology: Journal of Seabird Research and Conservation |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Year Published | 2013 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Marine Ornithology |
| Contributing office(s) | Coop Res Unit Seattle |
| Description | 9 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Marine Ornithology |
| First page | 13 |
| Last page | 21 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Other Geospatial | Glacier Bay National Park |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |