IMIS | Lifewatch regional portal

You are here

IMIS

[ report an error in this record ]basket (0): add | show Print this page

Sea- and coastal bird data as tools in the policy and management of Belgian marine waters = Het gebruik van zee- en kustvogelgegevens ter ondersteuning van het beleid en beheer van de Belgische kustwateren
Seys, J. (2001). Sea- and coastal bird data as tools in the policy and management of Belgian marine waters = Het gebruik van zee- en kustvogelgegevens ter ondersteuning van het beleid en beheer van de Belgische kustwateren. PhD Thesis. Universiteit Gent: Gent. 133 + LXIX appendices pp.

Thesis info:

Available in  Author | Dataset 
Document type: Dissertation

Keywords
    Aquatic organisms > Marine organisms > Aquatic birds > Marine birds
    Coastal zone
    Data > Pollution data
    Policies
    Stranding
    ANE, Belgium, Belgian Coast [Marine Regions]; ANE, Belgium, Belgian Continental Shelf (BCS) [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal

Project Top | Author | Dataset 
  • Ecology of seabirds: partim beached birds survey, more

Author  Top | Dataset 

Content
  • Seys, J. (2001). Introduction and outline, in: Seys, J. Het gebruik van zee- en kustvogelgegevens ter ondersteuning van het beleid en beheer van de Belgische kustwateren. pp. 1-21, more
  • Seys, J.; Offringa, H.; Van Waeyenberge, J.; Meire, P.; Vincx, M.; Kuijken, E. (2001). Distribution patterns of seabirds in Belgian marine waters, in: Seys, J. Het gebruik van zee- en kustvogelgegevens ter ondersteuning van het beleid en beheer van de Belgische kustwateren. pp. 22-39, more
  • Seys, J.; Van Waeyenberge, J.; Meire, P.; Vincx, M.; Kuijken, E. (2001). Focal species and the designation and management of marine protected areas: sea- and coastal birds in Belgian marine waters, in: Seys, J. Het gebruik van zee- en kustvogelgegevens ter ondersteuning van het beleid en beheer van de Belgische kustwateren. pp. 40-67, more
  • Seys, J.; Vantieghem, S.; Offringa, H.; Meire, P.; Kuijken, E. (2001). Monitoring seabirds on fixed ferry-routes: an evaluation, in: Seys, J. Het gebruik van zee- en kustvogelgegevens ter ondersteuning van het beleid en beheer van de Belgische kustwateren. pp. 68-77, more
  • Seys, J.; Offringa, H.; Van Waeyenberge, J.; Meire, P.; Kuijken, E. (2001). Numbers of beached bird corpses and mortality of seabirds, how do they relate: a North Sea study in a wider context, in: Seys, J. Het gebruik van zee- en kustvogelgegevens ter ondersteuning van het beleid en beheer van de Belgische kustwateren. pp. 78-96, more
  • Seys, J.; Offringa, H.; Meire, P.; Van Waeyenberge, J.; Kuijken, E. (2002). Long-term changes in oil pollution off the Belgian coast: evidence from beached bird monitoring, in: Seys, J. (2001). Het gebruik van zee- en kustvogelgegevens ter ondersteuning van het beleid en beheer van de Belgische kustwateren. pp. 97-107, more
  • Seys, J.; Offringa, H.; Van Waeyenberge, J.; Meire, P.; Kuijken, E. (2002). An evaluation of beached bird monitoring approaches, in: Seys, J. (2001). Het gebruik van zee- en kustvogelgegevens ter ondersteuning van het beleid en beheer van de Belgische kustwateren. pp. 109-122, more

Abstract
    Seabirds are one of the most conspicuous faunal groups of the coastal and marine environment. For millennia humans have followed birds at sea to locate fish and mammals (Montevecchi 1993). In ancient times they formed both a source of food and a rich mythological tradition. Still, the ubiquitous calls of gulls constitute an integral and natural sound of coastal areas and mass strandings of oiled seabirds keep on attracting great public attention. Worldwide, seabird research has undergone a major evolution in terms of data collection, interpretation of the information and application in the field of management and policy (Camphuysen 1996, Tasker & Reid 1997). In this work, we will describe, analyze and interpret the substantial amount of information, collected on sea- and coastal birds in the Belgian coastal area. By processing these data we hope to contribute to a better understanding of the ecology of this faunal group and to provide tools to policy-makers, managers and researchers to use seabirds for purposes of sustainable development of the marine environment. The data can be approached in various ways. A researcher will be primarily interested in analysing and understanding the patterns of distribution, whereas policy-makers and managers are much more focused on how these data can be interpreted for the sake of conservation. Both groups should keep in mind that the methodology not only determines the efforts in the field, but also affects the final results. In general terms seabirds disperse or migrate in a coastal or marine environment (to be quantified during seawatching activities), and reside in favourable areas for longer periods (to be counted during ‘seabird at sea surveys’). In these areas they are distributed according to food availabilty, disturbance, abiotic environment or inter- and intraspecific interactions. Dedicated surveys focussing on the impact of tides or the interrelationships between various biotic and abiotic parameters (‘integral campaigns’) are useful for the understanding of the reasons behind the observed distribution patterns. When seabirds die, they may drift to the coast and eventually strand. Beached bird surveys might hence provide information on the causes and scale of mortality. By carrying out additional experiments on the drifting and sinking behaviour of bird corpses and on the disappearance and detection rates once they have beached, it is possible to better relate what is found on the beach with what has died at sea. This study mainly concentrates on seabird distribution at sea and on the mortality as observed during beached bird surveys. Breeding biological aspects as well as results of seawatching will only be dealt with briefly.

Dataset
  • Beached Bird Survey, more

All data in the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) is subject to the VLIZ privacy policy Top | Author | Dataset