Assessment of Marbled Murrelet Habitat using advanced remote sensing approaches.

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The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus), a sea bird, is a federally designated Species at Risk, which uses large, mossy, tree branches for nest platforms. Current methods to map Marbled Murrelet habitat are based on low flying aerial surveys or interpretation of aerial imagery which both have significant limitations. Given that the habitat requirements for the Murrelet are centered around the height, structure and location of large trees, assessment of habitat could benefit from the application of Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) remote sensing data. This Alliance project has, therefore, been developed to support a HQP working closely with the Marbled Murrelet experts from the BC Provincial government and other Marbled Murrelet researchers, to investigate, in significant detail, how three-dimensional remote sensing approaches, such as LiDAR, new model transferability methodologies, and innovative deep learning can be used to predict Marbled Murrelet habitat. This research has implications for coast-wide Marbled Murrelet habitat mapping and its management in BC to improve spatial accuracy and estimates of potential suitable nesting habitat. The project aligns with key BC ministry actions to improve wildlife management and habitat conservation and to recover Species at Risk and ultimately to inform proposed Marbled Murrelet Land Use Objectives.