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Tracking Data for Common Murres (Uria aalge) Active

By Alaska Science Center August 18, 2020

Available here are tracking data for the common murre, a seabird species that is found in regions of the North Pacific and Atlantic oceans, often in dense breeding colonies on cliffs and in large flocks on the water. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of this species in the North Pacific Ocean and Chukchi Sea.

Return to Ecosystems >> Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

USGS Alaska Science Center scientists collect data from wildlife tracking devices to: determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on various behaviors, and identify geographic areas repeatedly used by wildlife that may indicate sites of importance to species and populations. Tracking data from other wildlife species can be found at:  https://doi.org/10.5066/P9VYSWEH

Tracking Maps

Argos Wildlife Tracking Common Murres animation
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
Argos Wildlife Tracking of Common murres
(Credit: David Douglas, USGS)

Common Murre Tracking Maps

These webpages contain five different types of browse maps and other visualizations of the tracking data.

  • Maps (Animated, Static, Interactive, and Google Earth)
  • Summary graphs of the data: where, when, duration
  • Seabirds Tagged Animal Movement Explorer interactive visualization tool
  • Note: These maps serve only as a depiction of the geographic content of the specific data provided and may be inappropriate for inferences and interpretation outside the intent of the original study. For example, maps may portray only certain ages, sexes, limited numbers of animals or variable tracking duration and start times that may limit inference for other questions. Users are advised to read the publication(s) and data set metadata associated with these maps to understand appropriate use and data limitations.

Data Packages

Argos Satellite Telemetry Data

These data packages contain the data collected from satellite transmitters attached to free-ranging animals. The packages include both raw and processed location and sensor data. The raw data includes data as originally retrieved from the Argos System. The processed data have been filtered for location plausibility, and sensor data have been decoded into standard measurement units. For most users, the processed data will be preferred.

NOTE: Processed data contains both plausible (DAF_Filter=0) and implausible (DAF_Filter=1) locations as indicated by the column “Location_DAF_filter”. Before using these data, we recommend excluding locations flagged as implausible or apply an alternative filtering method of your choice.

Suggested Citation

Hatch, S.A., Meyers, P.M., Mulcahy, D.M., Douglas, D.C., 2020, Tracking data for Common murres (Uria aalge) (ver 1.0, August 2020): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9SOW6V2

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link
A shorebird walking through the grasses in southwestern Alaska

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has used information from telemetry devices on wildlife species to determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has used information from telemetry devices on wildlife species to determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on...
Learn More
link
A Tufted Puffin swimming in the sea in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska

Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology

Alaska's coastal and offshore waters provide foraging habitat for an estimated 100 million birds comprising more than 90 different species; from loons and seaducks that nest inland, to petrels and puffins that breed on islands off shore. All these birds depend on the sea to provide a wide variety of food types— from clams, crabs and urchins nearshore— to krill, forage fish, and squid offshore. The...
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology

Alaska's coastal and offshore waters provide foraging habitat for an estimated 100 million birds comprising more than 90 different species; from loons and seaducks that nest inland, to petrels and puffins that breed on islands off shore. All these birds depend on the sea to provide a wide variety of food types— from clams, crabs and urchins nearshore— to krill, forage fish, and squid offshore. The...
Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

Data from Common Murre Die-off Surveys and Necropsies Following the North Pacific Marine Heatwave, 2015-2016

These data are in two tables relating to a die-off of Common Murres in the north Pacific, 2015-2016. The tables provide: 1) beach survey locations, date, time, distance surveyed (kilometers), and number of Common Murre carcasses observed during surveys conducted along the coastline of Alaska to document the 2015-2016 die-off of Common Murres coincident with the North Pacific marine heatwave, and 2
By
Alaska Science Center

Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

A Common Murre holds a Pacific sand lance near Gull Island, Alaska
link
A Common Murre carcass decomposes
link
A dead bird on the beach
link
A Common Murre swimming in the waters of Prince William Sound in 2015
link

Below are publications associated with this project.

Extreme mortality and reproductive failure of common murres resulting from the northeast Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016

About 62,000 dead or dying common murres (Uria aalge), the trophically dominant fish-eating seabird of the North Pacific, washed ashore between summer 2015 and spring 2016 on beaches from California to Alaska. Most birds were severely emaciated and, so far, no evidence for anything other than starvation was found to explain this mass mortality. Three-quarters of murres were found in the Gulf of Al
Authors
John F. Piatt, Julia K. Parrish, Heather M. Renner, Sarah K. Schoen, Timothy Jones, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Kathy J. Kuletz, Barbara Bodenstein, Marisol Garcia-Reyes, Rebecca Duerr, Robin Corcoran, Robb S.A. Kaler, Gerard J. McChesney, Richard T. Golightly, Heather A. Coletti, Robert M. Suryan, Hillary K. Burgess, Jackie Lindsey, Kirsten Lindquist, Peter Warzybok, Jaime Jahncke, Jan Roletto, William J. Sydeman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Alaska Science Center

Algal toxins in Alaskan seabirds: Evaluating the role of saxitoxin and domoic acid in a large-scale die-off of Common Murres

Elevated seawater temperatures are linked to the development of harmful algal blooms (HABs), which pose a growing threat to marine birds and other wildlife. During late 2015 and early 2016, a massive die-off of Common Murres (Uria algae; hereafter, murres) was observed in the Gulf of Alaska coincident with a strong marine heat wave. Previous studies have documented illness and death among seabirds
Authors
Caroline R. Van Hemert, Sarah K. Schoen, R. Wayne Litaker, Matthew M. Smith, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, William C. Holland, Ransom Hardison, John M. Pearce
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

User’s guide to the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database 2.0

The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) was created in 2005 to consolidate data on the oceanic distribution of marine bird species in the North Pacific. Most of these data were collected on surveys by counting species within defined areas and at known locations (that is, on strip transects). The NPPSD also contains observations of other bird species and marine mammals. The original NPPS
Authors
Gary S. Drew, John F. Piatt, Martin Renner
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Below are news stories associated with this project.

link

Story Map on Pacific Marine Heatwave and Seabird Die-off

A story map, developed by the National Park Service, is based on a published article by John Piatt, Sarah Schoen and Mayumi Arimitsu at the U.S...

Read Article
  • Overview

    Available here are tracking data for the common murre, a seabird species that is found in regions of the North Pacific and Atlantic oceans, often in dense breeding colonies on cliffs and in large flocks on the water. These data were collected to better understand the migratory patterns of this species in the North Pacific Ocean and Chukchi Sea.

    Return to Ecosystems >> Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

    USGS Alaska Science Center scientists collect data from wildlife tracking devices to: determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on various behaviors, and identify geographic areas repeatedly used by wildlife that may indicate sites of importance to species and populations. Tracking data from other wildlife species can be found at:  https://doi.org/10.5066/P9VYSWEH

    Tracking Maps

    Argos Wildlife Tracking Common Murres animation
    Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
    Argos Wildlife Tracking of Common murres
    (Credit: David Douglas, USGS)

    Common Murre Tracking Maps

    These webpages contain five different types of browse maps and other visualizations of the tracking data.

    • Maps (Animated, Static, Interactive, and Google Earth)
    • Summary graphs of the data: where, when, duration
    • Seabirds Tagged Animal Movement Explorer interactive visualization tool
    • Note: These maps serve only as a depiction of the geographic content of the specific data provided and may be inappropriate for inferences and interpretation outside the intent of the original study. For example, maps may portray only certain ages, sexes, limited numbers of animals or variable tracking duration and start times that may limit inference for other questions. Users are advised to read the publication(s) and data set metadata associated with these maps to understand appropriate use and data limitations.

    Data Packages

    Argos Satellite Telemetry Data

    These data packages contain the data collected from satellite transmitters attached to free-ranging animals. The packages include both raw and processed location and sensor data. The raw data includes data as originally retrieved from the Argos System. The processed data have been filtered for location plausibility, and sensor data have been decoded into standard measurement units. For most users, the processed data will be preferred.

    NOTE: Processed data contains both plausible (DAF_Filter=0) and implausible (DAF_Filter=1) locations as indicated by the column “Location_DAF_filter”. Before using these data, we recommend excluding locations flagged as implausible or apply an alternative filtering method of your choice.

    Suggested Citation

    Hatch, S.A., Meyers, P.M., Mulcahy, D.M., Douglas, D.C., 2020, Tracking data for Common murres (Uria aalge) (ver 1.0, August 2020): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9SOW6V2

  • Science

    Below are other science projects associated with this project.

    link
    A shorebird walking through the grasses in southwestern Alaska

    USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

    Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has used information from telemetry devices on wildlife species to determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on...
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

    Understanding the short- and long-distance movements of wildlife is critical for a wide variety of ecological research questions and management decisions. Since the mid-1980s, the USGS Alaska Science Center has used information from telemetry devices on wildlife species to determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on...
    Learn More
    link
    A Tufted Puffin swimming in the sea in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska

    Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology

    Alaska's coastal and offshore waters provide foraging habitat for an estimated 100 million birds comprising more than 90 different species; from loons and seaducks that nest inland, to petrels and puffins that breed on islands off shore. All these birds depend on the sea to provide a wide variety of food types— from clams, crabs and urchins nearshore— to krill, forage fish, and squid offshore. The...
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology

    Alaska's coastal and offshore waters provide foraging habitat for an estimated 100 million birds comprising more than 90 different species; from loons and seaducks that nest inland, to petrels and puffins that breed on islands off shore. All these birds depend on the sea to provide a wide variety of food types— from clams, crabs and urchins nearshore— to krill, forage fish, and squid offshore. The...
    Learn More
  • Data

    Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

    Data from Common Murre Die-off Surveys and Necropsies Following the North Pacific Marine Heatwave, 2015-2016

    These data are in two tables relating to a die-off of Common Murres in the north Pacific, 2015-2016. The tables provide: 1) beach survey locations, date, time, distance surveyed (kilometers), and number of Common Murre carcasses observed during surveys conducted along the coastline of Alaska to document the 2015-2016 die-off of Common Murres coincident with the North Pacific marine heatwave, and 2
    By
    Alaska Science Center
  • Multimedia

    Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

    A Common Murre holds a Pacific sand lance near Gull Island, Alaska
    link
    A Common Murre carcass decomposes
    link
    A dead bird on the beach
    link
    A Common Murre swimming in the waters of Prince William Sound in 2015
    link
  • Publications

    Below are publications associated with this project.

    Extreme mortality and reproductive failure of common murres resulting from the northeast Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016

    About 62,000 dead or dying common murres (Uria aalge), the trophically dominant fish-eating seabird of the North Pacific, washed ashore between summer 2015 and spring 2016 on beaches from California to Alaska. Most birds were severely emaciated and, so far, no evidence for anything other than starvation was found to explain this mass mortality. Three-quarters of murres were found in the Gulf of Al
    Authors
    John F. Piatt, Julia K. Parrish, Heather M. Renner, Sarah K. Schoen, Timothy Jones, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Kathy J. Kuletz, Barbara Bodenstein, Marisol Garcia-Reyes, Rebecca Duerr, Robin Corcoran, Robb S.A. Kaler, Gerard J. McChesney, Richard T. Golightly, Heather A. Coletti, Robert M. Suryan, Hillary K. Burgess, Jackie Lindsey, Kirsten Lindquist, Peter Warzybok, Jaime Jahncke, Jan Roletto, William J. Sydeman
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, National Wildlife Health Center, Alaska Science Center

    Algal toxins in Alaskan seabirds: Evaluating the role of saxitoxin and domoic acid in a large-scale die-off of Common Murres

    Elevated seawater temperatures are linked to the development of harmful algal blooms (HABs), which pose a growing threat to marine birds and other wildlife. During late 2015 and early 2016, a massive die-off of Common Murres (Uria algae; hereafter, murres) was observed in the Gulf of Alaska coincident with a strong marine heat wave. Previous studies have documented illness and death among seabirds
    Authors
    Caroline R. Van Hemert, Sarah K. Schoen, R. Wayne Litaker, Matthew M. Smith, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, John F. Piatt, William C. Holland, Ransom Hardison, John M. Pearce
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    User’s guide to the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database 2.0

    The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) was created in 2005 to consolidate data on the oceanic distribution of marine bird species in the North Pacific. Most of these data were collected on surveys by counting species within defined areas and at known locations (that is, on strip transects). The NPPSD also contains observations of other bird species and marine mammals. The original NPPS
    Authors
    Gary S. Drew, John F. Piatt, Martin Renner
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center
  • News

    Below are news stories associated with this project.

    link

    Story Map on Pacific Marine Heatwave and Seabird Die-off

    A story map, developed by the National Park Service, is based on a published article by John Piatt, Sarah Schoen and Mayumi Arimitsu at the U.S...

    Read Article