ABSTRACT
Abstract. Several species of North American sea ducks have experienced population declines in the last century and, in most cases, the causes remain unknown. Of primary concern for conservation is the fact that research on the tribe Mergini has lagged far behind other waterfowl groups, leading to a poor understanding of the key factors that may limit sea duck populations. We lack basic information on the demography and ecology of most species, including patterns of distribution and abundance, habitat associations, demographic rates, and population structure. Moreover, sea ducks face a wide range of potential threats, from large-scale environmental
drivers such as climate change that may have long-lasting effects on many species to specic resource development projects that may affect some species at local geographic areas over short time periods. Further efforts are required to assess the individual and cumulative impacts of these threats to sea ducks before we can formulate effective conservation strategies.
