P-35 Using Sea Surface Temperature to Predict the Odds of Egg Cannibalism in a Seabird Colony

Sea surface temperature (SST) is a primary predictor of egg cannibalism in a large gull colony on Protection Island, Washington. In particular, a 0.1 degree increase in average SST during September-May prior to egg laying increases the odds that an egg is cannibalized by 10% if all other factors are kept constant. This study seeks to answer two main questions: (1) Is September-May the best time interval over which to average SST in order to predict cannibalism? (2) Do any other time intervals (for example, January-April) that are more computationally convenient for field biologists work as well as September-May