Oregon Coast Seabird Colony Raw Counts from Aerial Surveys, 2009

Aerial photographic surveys of surface-nesting seabirds along the Oregon coast began in 2009. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collected these images to monitor population status and trends on offshore islands. The raw point counts from a subsample of 45 colonies are stored in geospatial file formats but are not georeferenced.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term seabird population trends based on census years mentioned (1988, 1994, 2006, 2014)
• Validate statistical sampling designs for wildlife monitoring based on the described subsample of 45 colonies
• Study common murre population dynamics based on the stratified random sampling approach focused on this species
• Compare raw photographic counts with authoritative census data from the referenced Seabird Colony Count Catalog

Strengths

• Survey methodology is detailed, including a subsample of 45 colonies counted over multiple years
• Aerial imagery serves as a primary monitoring tool with a long-term baseline from census years spanning 1988 to 2014
• Data collection is part of a formal Imagery Program managed by the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Limitations

• Raw point counts are not georeferenced, limiting direct spatial analysis
• The subsample was selected based on common murre populations, so inferences about Brandt's cormorants require additional sampling
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download

Provenance

Source

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Collection Method

Aerial photographic surveys using hand-held digital cameras

Time Range

Survey initiated in 2009; analysis includes census years 1988, 1994, 2006, 2014 and subsample years 1997, 2000, 2003, 2009, 2012

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-04 08:05:25.483905

Geography

Oregon Coast offshore islands