Flight, Fingers, and Fins

A diverse group of collaborators are working to establish fishermen as knowledge partners for offshore bird and bat science.

Project Background

It is likely that the diversity and abundance of bats and migratory landbirds utilizing the offshore environment are higher than is generally recognized. Overwater migration activity in these taxa varies with weather conditions and other factors. However, it is difficult to gather offshore data on many bats and birds in the offshore environment, because they are small-bodied and migrate at night.

BRI lead: Kate Williams

Proposed Project

This project utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to developing information about wildlife habitat use in the offshore environment that will facilitate collaboration and information exchange between commercial fishermen and wildlife research communities in order to inform scientists, resource managers, and the public. It includes the implementation of a new citizen science data collection initiative using an eBird-type data collection app.

This citizen science initiative involves commercial fishermen and other marine professionals as an important source of data on bats and landbirds in the offshore environment. Commercial fishermen can be a unique asset for obtaining information on wildlife events and habitat use patterns that would otherwise not be recorded, and many fishermen are eager to share their offshore observations of terrestrial animals. However, this data resource is currently underutilized, and few anecdotal observations are incorporated into the scientific literature.

Project Partners

Project partners working to implement this new citizen science data collection initiative include:

For more information

For more information on this proposed initiative, contact Kate Williams.