Marine Bird Survey Data from 1970s Puget Sound

Field observations document marine bird populations and their coastal environment in Puget Sound from 1978 to 1979. The dataset was collected as part of the Marine EcoSystems Analysis (MESA) project by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It records species counts by age and sex alongside detailed environmental conditions for each survey segment.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical population density and distribution of marine birds using species counts and survey segment area.
• Modeling habitat preferences by correlating species presence with recorded vegetation type, beach substrate, and nearshore bathymetry.
• Investigating environmental impacts by examining records of oil presence or cause of death on individual specimens.
• Studying seasonal or tidal influences on bird sightings using recorded date, start time, and tidal conditions.
• Conducting spatial analysis of survey data using recorded position and geographical coordinates.

Strengths

• Data includes detailed environmental context, recording vegetation type, geological characteristics, beach substrate, and meteorological conditions for each survey.
• Species information is granular, with counts disaggregated by age and sex, and includes condition data for individual specimens.
• Data collection is part of a structured scientific project (MESA Puget Sound Project) conducted by a authoritative agency (NOAA).

Limitations

• Core quantitative metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date: Data.gov reports 2026-03 05 (likely a metadata error), while NASA Earthdata reports 1979-12-31.
• The dataset's temporal coverage is limited to a two-year period from 1978 to 1979.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Field observations from land surveys, using the NODC Taxonomic Code for species identification.

Time Range

1978 - 1979

Freshness

1979-12-31

Geography

Puget Sound