Assessment of Marbled Murrelet Habitat using advanced remote sensing approaches.

石纹小海雀（Brachyramphus marmoratus）是一种海鸟，是联邦政府指定的濒危物种，它们利用长满苔藓的大树枝筑巢。目前测绘大理石纹小海鼠栖息地的方法是基于低空飞行的空中测量或航空图像的解释，这两种方法都有很大的局限性。鉴于小海雀对栖息地的要求以大树的高度、结构和位置为中心，利用激光雷达（LIDAR）遥感数据对栖息地进行评估是有益的。因此，该联盟项目旨在支持HQP与BC省政府的大理石纹小鱼专家和其他大理石纹小鱼研究人员密切合作，详细研究如何使用三维遥感方法，如激光雷达，新的模型可转移方法和创新的深度学习来预测大理石纹小鱼的栖息地。本研究对不列颠哥伦比亚省沿海大理石纹小鹿栖息地的测绘和管理具有重要意义，有助于提高空间精度和对潜在适宜筑巢栖息地的估计。该项目与不列颠哥伦比亚省的主要行动相一致，旨在改善野生动物管理和栖息地保护，恢复濒危物种，并最终为拟议的大理石纹小鹿土地利用目标提供信息。

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.