5. How can technology enhance seabird monitoring programmes?
Morten Frederiksen (Aarhus University, Denmark), Kate Layton-Matthews (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Oslo, Norway) and Elizabeth Humphreys (British Trust for Ornithology, UK)
Contact: mfr@ecos.au.dk
Traditional monitoring of seabird populations and their demography follows procedures established during the 1980s and is largely based on direct visual observations (abundance, breeding success) and ringing studies (survival, dispersal). These procedures often require labour-intensive fieldwork, but relatively little post-processing. Importantly, potential biases and the precision of these methods are often unknown, with some species being very challenging to monitor in terms of access (e.g. remote locations) and/or type of nesting habitat (e.g. burrow /crevice nesters). Recently, technological advances have led to the development of increasingly automated, and also autonomous, monitoring systems, some of which have been tested in seabird colonies. Examples include time-lapse photography for cliff-nesting seabirds, acoustic monitoring of burrow-nesting species, surveys using Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for ground-nesting species etc. While such methods allow repeated and more standardised data collection, they also often involve expensive equipment and can lead to the collection of very large datasets, which require development of algorithms for advanced and time-consuming post-processing. In this workshop, we will critically assess the potential for automated monitoring systems and other technological developments to improve seabird monitoring, considering the parameters that can be monitored, the quality of information obtained and coverage, and how data may feed into national monitoring schemes and resultant trends and indicators. The workshop aims to bring together those involved in the use and development of new approaches to seabird monitoring, as well as practitioners involved in current monitoring programmes.
Potential product: Food for thought’ article in ICES Journal of Marine Science
Duration: 13:30 – 17 h | Maximum number of participants: 50