A practical decision tool for marine bird mortality assessments

Johanna Harvey; Andrew M. Ramey; Stephanie Avery-Gomm; Gregory J. Robertson; Marc D. Romano; Jennifer M Mullinax; Megan L Boldenow; Philip W. Atkinson; Diann J. Prosser

doi:10.1093/ornithapp/duag044

USGS · 70275730

A practical decision tool for marine bird mortality assessments

Johanna Harvey·Andrew M. Ramey·Stephanie Avery-Gomm·Gregory J. Robertson·Marc D. Romano·Jennifer M Mullinax·Megan L Boldenow·Philip W. Atkinson·Diann J. Prosser

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Abstract

Given the rise in anthropogenic, environmental, and disease events contributing to marine bird mortality, there is a critical need to improve the rigor of mortality assessments. Deficits in data collection and mortality estimation can hinder a manager’s ability to document the scale of events and assess population level impacts. Therefore, to inform decisions required during activities, such as conservation status assessments or harvest management, organizations may choose to incorporate mortality assessments into response plans. Resources, capacity, and assets to assess mortality vary across jurisdictions (federal, state, Indigenous, local, etc.), and clear guidance to support mortality assessments is often unavailable or not clearly addressed. Here, we present a decision support tool to help managers identify and evaluate survey options to assess bird mortality in a diverse array of scenarios. The objective of the decision tool is to improve data collection and availability, which will increase the ability to estimate mortality robustly, given situation-specific attributes and constraints. This decision tool is designed to guide the response when a mortality event is initially encountered and offers suggestions for assessment and reporting procedures in the absence of other guidance or to complement existing protocols. The decision tool is also meant to inform decision making for response determination and resource allocation. The tool facilitates examination of options for further assessment and monitoring, which users determine by examining questions pertaining to species prioritization, determination of mortality minimum spatial extent, and the potential magnitude of impacts on affected species. Finally, identification of appropriate survey methods that address imperfect detection when a complete census is not possible are determined by exploring location, spatial and temporal extent, and the type of species affected. Ultimately, this decision tool aims to facilitate and improve the standardization of mortality assessments, equipping managers with a practical resource to navigate the decision-making process for marine bird mortality estimation.

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Johanna Harvey, Andrew M. Ramey, Stephanie Avery-Gomm, Gregory J. Robertson, Marc D. Romano, Jennifer M Mullinax, Megan L Boldenow, Philip W. Atkinson, Diann J. Prosser. 2026-04-17. A practical decision tool for marine bird mortality assessments. https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithapp%2Fduag044

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