The data presented in the MAP Service are based on the Seabird Colony Database which is an ongoing, joint Norwegian - Russian initiative that contains data on all known seabird colonies in the Barents Seas and White Sea region. The database is updated regularly by the Norwegian Polar Institute and seven Russian institutions. The database consists of five different tables: colony description; total counts; counts in study plots; photo documentation and; references. A total of 25 colonially breeding seabirds are registered in the database. The database allows for easy storage and overviews of information about the location of seabird colonies, breeding species and the number of breeding pairs in various years. In its present version a total of ca 1,600 colonies are registered. In addition, more than 3,000 colony counts and more than 9,000 single counts of species are included. The project is financially assisted by the Norwegian Ministry of Environment. There are currently now data available from the Norwegian mainland, however initiative is taken to include Norwegian records in the Seabird Colony Database.
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