AFSC/REFM: Seabird food habits dataset of the North Pacific

The seabird food habits dataset contains information on the stomach contents from seabird specimens that were collected under salvage and scientific collection permits primarily by NMFS-certified fisheries observers deployed by the Pacific Islands Regional Office Observer Program to shallow and deep set pelagic longline fisheries operating in North Pacific waters and fisheries observers deployed by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center Observer Program to groundfish demersal longline, pot, and trawl fisheries in waters off Alaska. The database includes Magnuson-Act protected data on the precise date and location where the specimen was collected and publicly available information on the stomach contents. Necropsy data were completed as a parallel program.

The purpose of this program is to gain as much scientific knowledge as is possible from bycaught birds in commercial fisheries and to make that data available to a broad suite of scientists, managers, and the public. Specifically, we wish to describe the food habits of procellarid seabirds using bycaught birds. Previous food habit work has been colony-based. Results of program efforts apply directly to a variety of efforts, most notably to advancing our understanding of procellarid use of the pelagic environment, ecosystem modeling efforts at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and to the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Conservation Action Plan for Black-footed (Phoebastria nigrepes) and Laysan (P. immutabilis) Albatross (available at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/protectedresources/seabirds/albatross_action_plan1007.pdf

Loaded by FGDC Metadata Uploader, batch 8607, 04-19-2016 13:12

The following FGDC sections are not currently supported in InPort, but were preserved and will be included in the FGDC export:

- Taxonomy (FGDC:taxonomy)

Table attribute descriptions

Contact point of contact.

For scientific, management, and regulation compliance purposes, particular business or proprietary information held by NMFS is considered confidential under several authorities,

including the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; as amended, Public Law 109-479; 16 U.S.C. Sec.1853,

and the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552. herefore, unprocessed (raw) business or

proprietary information can be shared only with authorized persons; however aggregated forms of the data are generally available.

The user must adhere to restrictions placed on publication of data by the Magnuson-Stevens Act as amended in 2006.

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Date and location of collected specimens are related to fisheries observer monitoring of commercial fishing operations in the North Pacific Ocean (Alaska and Hawaii). Those data are QCd by the source observer program. Specimen collection date and location from research cruises are QCd by unit managing research operations. Data produced by the program is QCd by individuals reviewing the data and working on production reports or scientific publications.

Completeness caveats like survey design vs. ships of opportunity. This is a ships of opportunity program, taking advantage of specimens as they are available from fisheries bycatch and research operations. Collections are not made under a scientific design.

Not applicable.

Date and location of collected specimens are related to fisheries observer monitoring of commercial fishing operations in the North Pacific Ocean (Alaska and Hawaii). Those data are QCd by the source observer program. Specimen collection date and location from research cruises are QCd by unit managing research operations. Data produced by the program is QCd by individuals reviewing the data and working on production reports or scientific publications.

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Data set is still active.

Archival site needed for confidential data.

IT Security and Contingency Plan for the system establishes procedures and applies to the functions,

operations, and resources necessary to recover and restore data as hosted in the Western Regional

Support Center in Seattle, Washington, following a disruption.