Management options to reduce boat disturbance on foraging black guillemots ( Cepphus grylle) in the Bay of Fundy

• Published in: Biological conservation Vol. 108; no. 3; pp. 265 - 271
• Main Authors: Ronconi, Robert A., Clair, Colleen Cassady St
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Black guillemot; Boat disturbance; Cepphus grylle; Conservation; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Foraging distribution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Management; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Seabird; Bay of Fundy; Atlantic Ocean; North Atlantic; Canada, New Brunswick; Canada; ANW, Canada, Fundy Bay; Black guillemot; Seabird; Management; Boat disturbance; Conservation; Foraging distribution; Cepphus grylle; Foraging site; Perturbation; Foraging behavior; Environmental management; Breeding site; Marine environment; Population survey; Vertebrata; Spatial distribution; Escape behavior; Colony; Aves; Animal conservation; Fishing boat; Distance; Avoidance; Anthropogenic factor
• DOI: 10.1016/S0006-3207(02)00126-X
• ISSN: 0006-3207

Boat disturbance of foraging black guillemots ( Cepphus grylle) was studied at a breeding colony in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Using observations from a cliff top, flushing behaviour was examined in relation to boat characteristics, guillemot behaviour, and environment conditions. The distance guillemots foraged from shore and the size, speed, and approach distance of boats were important factors predicting flushing probability. Guillemots foraged further from shore at low tide presumably making them more vulnerable to disturbance then. Using these results to identify the conditions that would minimize disturbance, management recommendations on boat speed and set-back distance were developed. At this site, a set-back distance of 600 m from shore with a speed limit of 25 km/h would reduce guillemot flushing probability to 10% most of the time. Although specific management options are proposed for this particular colony, the analytical approach used to identify an appropriate set back distance and some of the specific results are relevant to other locations and colonial waterbird species.