Identification_Information:
  Citation:
    Citation_Information:
      Originator: Glacier Bay Field Station, National Biological Service
      Publication_Date:
      Title: KITTIWAKE NEST COUNTS AT GLACIER BAY
      Edition:
      Publication_Information:
        Publication_Place:
        Publisher:
      Other_Citation_Details:
      Online_Linkage: <URL: http://agdcwww.wr.usgs.gov/usgs/brd/pws/>
  Description:
    Abstract: ABSTRACT: This database contains the colony nest counts and egg counts for Glacier Bay National Park's Black-legged Kittiwakes, from 1992 through the present. Only nests with an adult in attendance and with freshly-added nesting material are counted. Colonies at Margerie Glacier, Kashoto Glacier, Lone Island, and South Marble Island are included. Mirroring the adult kittiwake counts (see adults.dbf), there was a decrease in active nests from 1991 (1991 data are not yet included in this database, however) to 1993 at Margerie Glacier, the Park's largest colony, followed by the highest number of nests yet recorded in 1994. There are multiple entire-colony nest counts for each year at Margerie Glacier, at least five per year until 1994, when photographic monitoring of adult numbers first started to replace the visual counts of adults after research showed the photographs to be equally accurate, with less effort expended. Subsequent to that, beginning in 1994, only 3 nest counts per year were conducted at Margerie Glacier. PURPOSE: Black-legged Kittiwakes in the Gulf of Alaska have recently experienced widespread population declines and frequent reproductive failures, as evidenced by monitoring occurring at many colonies throughout the region. This project aims to monitor Glacier Bay's kittiwakes using methodologies consistent with these other studies so that comparisons can be made, and to develop a photographic monitoring technique that requires less effort than previous techniques had. This new monitoring technique will then be available for use by other National Parks in Alaska interested in monitoring kittiwakes. The photographic monitoring, however, is expected only to replace the visual counts of adults, not of the nests, as nests are very difficult to discern from projected slides. The Park is interested, in light of the nearby recent population and reproductive declines, in knowing and monitoring the status and trends of the kittiwake colonies within the Park. The number of active nests, in addition to the number of adults, is an important parameter of breeding kittiwake colonies.
    Purpose:
    Supplemental_Information:
  Time_Period_of_Content:
    Time_Period_Information:
      Single_Date/Time:
        Calendar_Date:
        Time_of_Day:
    Currentness_Reference: unknown
  Status:
    Progress: Planned
    Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency:
  Spatial_Domain:
    Bounding_Coordinates:
      West_Bounding_Coordinate: -137.099999999999994
      East_Bounding_Coordinate: -135.460000000000007
      North_Bounding_Coordinate: 59.3999999999999985
      South_Bounding_Coordinate: 58.2000000000000028
  Keywords:
    Theme:
      Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Theme_Keyword: BIRDS,WILDLIFE POPULATIONS,WILDLIFE HABITAT
    Place:
      Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Place_Keyword: AK
      Place_Keyword: Alaska
      Place_Keyword: Glacier Bay Ecosystem, Glacier Bay Region
      Place_Keyword: JUNEAU,MT. FAIRWEATHER
      Place_Keyword: Glacier Bay - This database includes kittiwake nest counts,from most of the colonies known to exist in Glacier Bay,National Park. At the present, no data are entered for any,of the outer (Gulf of Alaska) coast colonies, so this,database includes colonies from Lone Island and South Marble,Island in the middle of Glacier Bay proper, up through Tarr,Inlet and Johns Hopkins Inlet. No colonies are currently,known from Glacier Bay's East Arm, although there is a,report of a new Black-legged Kittiwake colony at the Riggs,Glacier in the East Arm, in the summer of 1995 (as of,present this new colony has not yet been counted).
  Access_Constraints: Some Glacier Bay Ecosystem Project data sets may contain data with access constraints. Such areas include sensitive information on the locations of endangered species or cultural artifacts and data which contain private or confidential information. Data sets which are not complete may have access constraints until completion. Please contact the Infromation Management Systems Administrator at the Glacier Bay Field Station for details on any access constraints.
  Use_Constraints: Some Glacier Bay Ecosystem Project data sets may contain data with use constraints. Such areas include sensitive information on the locations of endangered species or cultural artifacts and data which contain private or confidential information. In addition some data sets are collabrative efforts with outside researchers and represent unpublished work for which we request respect for intellectual rights. Some data sets are not complete and if access is given the use may be restricted until completion. Please contact the Infromation Management Systems Administrator at the Glacier Bay Field Station for details on any access constraints.
  Point_of_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Organization_Primary:
        Contact_Organization: NBS
        Contact_Person: GLACIER BAY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing address
        Address: NBS Glacier Bay Field,Station,P.O. Box 140,Gustavus, AK 99826
        City:
        State_or_Province:
        Postal_Code:
        Country:
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: (907) 697-2230
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: GLBA_INFORMATION_MANAGEMENT@NPS.GOV
  Browse_Graphic:
    Browse_Graphic_File_Name:
    Browse_Graphic_File_Description:
    Browse_Graphic_File_Type:
  Native_Data_Set_Environment:
Data_Quality_Information:
  Attribute_Accuracy:
    Attribute_Accuracy_Report: The counts of kittiwake nests at a colony are subject to,observer error. Observers unfamiliar with binoculars, birds,,seabird colonies, nests, and these kittiwake colonies in,particular, require more time and are less accurate in their,counting. Difficulty in defining a nest vs. an inadequate,nesting attempt increases inter-observer error. In addition,to observer error, other factors affecting the accuracy and,quality of counts include inclement weather and predators.,Precipitation causes binoculars to fog up, making counting,difficult. Predators such as Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles,,Peregrine Falcons, and Ravens cause disturbance and flushing,of the kittiwakes from the colony. Such disturbances, if,prolonged, cause many kittiwakes not to return to their,cliff nests, which can alter colony counts significantly,(since we only count a nest as active if an adult kittiwake,is observed in attendance at it). We attempted not to count,in very rainy weather, and not to count when predator,disturbance of a plot was evident. The 5% agreement of a,count (described in the Methodology - Process Steps section),was designed as an attempt to eliminate some observer error.
    Quantitative_Attribute_Accuracy_Assessment:
      Attribute_Accuracy_Value:
      Attribute_Accuracy_Explanation:
  Logical_Consistency_Report:
  Completeness_Report: This database contains all the recorded data from the,Resource Management/Research/NBS collaborative kittiwake,project's colony nest counts from the summer of 1992 through,present (including summer 1994). Data from 1991 still needs,to be entered. However, this database will continue to be,updated annually with new visual kittiwake nest counts.
  Positional_Accuracy:
    Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
      Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
  Lineage:
    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: NATIONAL BIOLOGICAL SERVICE
          Publication_Date:
          Publication_Time:
          Title:
          Edition:
          Online_Linkage:
      Source_Scale_Denominator: N/A
      Type_of_Source_Media:
      Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
        Time_Period_Information:
          Single_Date/Time:
            Calendar_Date:
      Source_Contribution: NATIONAL BIOLOGICAL SERVICE
    Process_Step:
      Process_Description: Black-legged Kittiwake nests were counted visually, mostly,with binoculars, but with the unaided eye if the observers,were close enough. Only nests with an adult in attendance,and with freshly-added nesting material are counted. Each,colony was divided into plots based on naturally-occurring,features on the cliff faces (see kwbndary.doc), and then the,nests on each plot were counted separately for ease of,counting; all the plots were later summed for a total colony,count. Two observers each counted a plot separately but,simultaneously; if the two observers' initial counts of a,plot did not agree to within 5% of each other, they counted,again (separately and simultaneously again) until they did,agree to 5%, or until they had counted for a total of 5,times, whichever came first. In later analyses, the nest,count for each plot was calculated as the average of the two,observers' 5%-agreed counts, unless no 5% agreement was,reached after 5 full plot counts. In the latter case, all of,the counts were averaged together for a plot count. However,,these averages are NOT represented within this database --,this was purely a post-data-entry (analysis) step. The,entire colony at Margerie Glacier, the Park's largest colony,(i.e. each and every plot in the colony) was usually counted,five times until 1994 when photographic monitoring started,to replace the visual adult kittiwake counts. In 1994, and,in subsequent years we expect, only 3 nest counts were made.,Each record in this database consists of one count, by two,observers, of the number of active Black-legged Kittiwake,nests in the specified plot at the specified colony, at the,specified time on the specified date.
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
  Indirect_Spatial_Reference:
  Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method:
  Raster_Object_Information:
    Raster_Object_Type:
    Row_Count:
    Column_Count:
    Vertical_Count:
Spatial_Reference_Information:
  Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
    Geographic:
      Latitude_Resolution:
      Longitude_Resolution:
      Geographic_Coordinate_Units: OR
    Planar:
      Map_Projection:
        Map_Projection_Name:
        Albers_Conical_Equal_Area:
          Standard_Parallel:
          Longitude_of_Central_Meridian:
          Latitude_of_Projection_Origin:
          False_Easting:
          False_Northing: OR
      Grid_Coordinate_System:
        Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: UTM
        Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
          UTM_Zone_Number:
          Transverse_Mercator:
    OR
    Geodetic_Model:
      Horizontal_Datum_Name:
      Ellipsoid_Name:
      Semi-major_Axis:
      Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio:
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
  Overview_Description:
    Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
    Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
Distribution_Information:
  Distributor:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Organization_Primary:
        Contact_Organization: Information Management System Administrator ,National Biological Service, Box 140, Glacier Bay Field Station, Gustavus, AK 99826, (907-697-2230)
        Contact_Person:
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type:
        Address:
        City:
        State_or_Province:
        Postal_Code:
        Country:
      Contact_Voice_Telephone:
      Contact_TDD/TTY_Telephone:
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:
      Hours_of_Service:
      Contact_Instructions:
  Resource_Description:
  Distribution_Liability: Although these data have been processed,successfully on a computer system at the,National Biological Service, no warranty,expressed or implied is made regarding,the accuracy or utility of the data on,any other system or for general or,scientific purposes, nor shall the act,of distribution constitute any such,warranty. This disclaimer applies both,to individual use of the data and,aggregate use with other data. It is,strongly recommended that these data are,directly acquired from a National,Biological Service server, and not,indirectly through other sources which,may have changed the data in some way.,It is also strongly recommended that,careful attention be paid to the,contents of the metadata file associated,with these data. The National Biological,Service shall not be held liable for,improper or incorrect use of the data,described and/or contained herein.
  Standard_Order_Process:
    Non-digital_Form:
    Digital_Form:
      Digital_Transfer_Information:
        Format_Name:
        Format_Version_Number:
        File_Decompression_Technique: gzip
        Transfer_Size:
      Digital_Transfer_Option:
        Online_Option:
          Computer_Contact_Information:
            Network_Address:
              Network_Resource_Name:
          Access_Instructions: Open access via anonymous ftp
        Offline_Option:
          Offline_Media:
          Recording_Capacity:
            Recording_Density:
            Recording_Density_Units:
          Recording_Format:
          Compatibility_Information:
    Fees:
    Ordering_Instructions: (Interim Statement) The Glacier Bay Information Management Team is currently developing the methodologies for distribution of data sets. Until standardized methods are developed please contact the Information Management System Administrator to obtain the latest information on methods for obtaining data.
    Turnaround:
  Custom_Order_Process:
  Technical_Prerequisites:
Metadata_Reference_Information:
  Metadata_Date:
  Metadata_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Person_Primary:
        Contact_Person: Karen Oakley
        Contact_Organization: USGS Biological Resources Division / Alaska Science Center
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing address
        Address: 1011 East Tudor Road
        City: Anchorage
        State_or_Province: AK
        Postal_Code: 99503
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 907-786-3579
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: karen_oakley@nbs.gov
      Contact_Instructions: The USGS BRD Alaska Science Center will be making an effort to keep the information provided in these metadata records current.  Please send corrections, additions and suggestions for improvement to Karen Oakley at the above address.
  Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
  Metadata_Standard_Version: 19940608
  Metadata_Access_Constraints: None
  Metadata_Use_Constraints: None