Dominik Marchowski

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Verified

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• Ph.D.
• Professor (Associate) at Polish Academy of Sciences

This study presents a novel approach using machine learning, specifically Random Forest modelling, to create a sensitivity map that addresses the conflict between offshore wind farms (OWFs) and wintering waterbirds in the southern Baltic Sea. This region is crucial or of great importance for wintering species such as the Long-tailed Duck Clangula h...

Estuarine waters are key hotspots for the introduction and spread of invasive species. The construction of two artificial islands in the Oder Estuary (Central Europe) in 2021 created new habitats that have attracted a diverse range of species, including aquatic invertebrates and migratory birds. This study investigates the role of these islands in...

The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) A(H5N1) has caused the most extensive and severe epizootic event affecting both poultry and wild birds globally. This study investigated the impact of HPAIV on the breeding population of the Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus, the most abundant gull species in Poland. During the 2023 out...

Recent efforts to create artificial islands in the Szczecin Lagoon in the Oder estuary, Poland, demonstrate that appropriate environmental management can promote the expansion and stabilization of bird populations. These islands, created during a project to deepen the waterway to the port of Szczecin, have seen a dramatic increase in breeding birds...

During spring and summer 2023, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus caused mass mortality among colony-breeding gulls and terns in Poland. Surveys were primarily focused within breeding colonies of Black-headed Gulls Chroicocephalus ridibundus, an ‘umbrella species’ whose breeding colonies serve as nesting sites for other scarce...

In 2022-2023, Europe experienced significant outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) affecting both poultry and wild birds. These outbreaks had notable impacts on various bird species, especially those nesting in colonies. In the Odra estuary and its lower section, a particularly important area for gregarious waterbirds, 23 breeding c...

A Long-billed Dowitcher was found at Bandar Abbas in Hormozgan province on 10 February 2019 - it was accepted as the first record for Iran.

Monitoring of Birds of Poland has been carried out since 2006 by the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and financed by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. The programme implements the provisions of the Birds Directive, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the European Biodiversity Strategy. Duri...

First breeding record of the Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia in Poland. The first confirmed breeding of the Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia in Poland was recorded on Śmięcka Island in the Szczecin Lagoon on 7th June 2024. During a routine survey of a mixed colony of Common Terns Sterna hirundo and Black-headed Gulls Chroicocephalus ridibundus, an a...

This study examines the Mediterranean Gull ( Ichthyaetus melanocephalus ), utilizing GPS/GSM transmitters year-round for the first time on this species. The research covers habitat use, migration patterns, and breeding behaviors, tracking 19 birds captured at breeding colonies in Poland. To capture the birds and fit transmitters, we selected repres...

The incidental capture (bycatch) of seabirds is a global conservation issue and a top threat to European species that demands urgent conservation and management action. Here, we present the first European review of seabird bycatch data, considering all fishing gears and data collection methods available in the region. We calculate seabird bycatch n...

This study introduces an innovative approach using machine learning, specifically Random Forest modelling, to create a sensitivity map addressing the conflict between offshore wind farms and wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea. This region is crucial for wintering species such as the Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis (LTD), Velvet Scoter Melani...

This study introduces a comprehensive method for quantifying mass mortality events in freshwater wildlife, exemplified by the ecological disaster in the Odra River in 2022. Our approach integrates field observations, statistical analysis, and ecological assessment to measure the impact of such events on various aquatic species. Key steps include sy...

In response to the significant ecological disaster in the Odra River during the summer of 2022, a comprehensive data collection process was initiated to quantify the extent of mortality among aquatic species. The dataset focuses on the downstream section of the river, identified as the area with the highest accumulation of deceased organisms. The d...

In the summer of 2022, the River Odra in Europe witnessed a significant ecological disaster, leading to an unprecedented mass mortality among fish, bivalves, and water snails. The disaster was attributed to toxins released by the haptophyte golden algae, Prymnesium parvum. This study primarily focused on the river's lower section, where the disaste...

This paper presents a methodology for indirectly estimating the scale of seabird bycatch using existing data. The study focuses on five key species of ducks that winter in the Polish waters of the Baltic Sea and are highly susceptible to bycatch: Long-tailed Duck, Velvet Scoter, Common Scoter, Greater Scaup, and Tufted Duck. The evaluation units us...

In December 2022, an article on marine protected areas in Poland was published. Below is a brief overview of it. ( https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121081). Approximately 4.5 million seabirds winter in the Baltic Sea annually. The southern regions of the Baltic Sea serve as crucial wintering areas for seaducks that nest in the Arctic. Within the confines...

Large European river Oder, flowing through the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany (length: 854 km, river basin: 118,861 km²), suffered a severe pollution crisis at the end of July 2022, leading to massive destruction of fish and mollusc populations (Save the Oder Coalition, 2022). The catastrophe originated in the Polish section of the river on Ju...

This paper presents a methodology for indirectly estimating the scale of seabird bycatch using existing data, eliminating the need for regular monitoring. The study focuses on five species of ducks that winter in the Polish waters of the Baltic Sea and are highly susceptible to bycatch: Long-tailed Duck, Velvet Scoter, Common Scoter, Greater Scaup,...

This research was carried out in north-eastern Poland, where Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus is a sparse breeder. Whooper Swan is timid and exhibits a tendency to hide in emergent vegetation. A drone was used to improve the effectiveness of research into its breeding success and offspring productivity. The breeding density of Whooper Swan in the study a...

First breeding colony of Pied Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta in Poland on artificial islands of the Szczecin Lagoon. Abstract: During the years 2021–2023, bird observations were conducted on two artificial islands (Brysna and Śmiecka) in the Szczecin Lagoon, Poland, during the breeding and migration periods. The largest breeding colony of Pied Avoc...

The 854 km River Oder (Odra in Polish), with a catchment area of 118,861 km2, flows through Czechia, Poland and Germany. In late July 2022, it became severely polluted and its fish and aquatic molluscs suffered unprecedented mass mortality (Save the Oder Coalition, 2022, saveoder.org). The disaster began in the Polish part of the river on 27 July....

Documentation of ecological disaster on River Odra. The Odra (German: Oder) is a large river flowing through three countries: the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany (length: 854 km, catchment: 118,861 km²). In late July 2022, the Odra became severely polluted, and its populations of fish and aquatic mollusks suffered hitherto unprecedented mass mo...

The impact of fish-eating birds on fishery has long been debated. It is therefore important that the arguments in this debate be scientifically based. The Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo is a flagship example of a conflict species that has been well studied. In some areas, however, such as the southern Baltic estuarine lagoons, the Goosander Me...

Based on the example of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea, we show an approach that is useful in defining priority species for management. The Value Factor (VF) is the quantitative method for evaluating the importance of an area for a species. Every year, 4,400,000 waterbirds winter in the Baltic. Among these, the highest priority species are...

Abstract: In the year 2021, in water bodies at Górowo Heights (402.4 km2) in north-eastern Poland 91 breeding pairs of two species of swans were recorded, including 35 pairs of the Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus (density 8.7 pairs/100 km2) and 56 pairs of the Mute Swan C. olor (13.9 pairs/100 km2). In the study area, 31% of 2 x 2 km sample plots were i...

W styczniu 2020 roku przeprowadzono liczenie zimujących w Polsce ptaków wodnych obejmując kontrolami 2 390 różnego rodzaju zbiorników wodnych. Łącznie zaobserwowano 1 289 455 osobników, w tym 1 180 513 ptaków oznaczonych do gatunku, które przebywały na kontrolowanych obiektach, 39 634 os. w locie oraz 69 308 ptaków o nieustalonej przynależności gat...

Based on the example of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea, we show a method that is useful in setting priorities for species management. The Value Factor (VF) shows which species in the region are the most valuable and on which ones conservation measures need to focus. Every year 4,400,000 waterbirds winter in the Baltic. Among which the highe...

Advances in artificial intelligence for computer vision hold great promise for increasing the scales at which ecological systems can be studied. The distribution and behavior of individuals is central to ecology, and computer vision using deep neural networks can learn to detect individual objects in imagery. However, developing supervised models f...

Northern hemisphere species generally respond to global warming by withdrawing from the southern margins of their distributions and shifting their breeding sites northwards. However, the situation regarding the breeding populations of Goosanders Mergus merganser merganser in Europe appears to be paradoxical: in many places, an increase in the breed...

Bycatch, the unintended capture of animals other than target fish, is one of the most important anthropogenic threats to seabirds worldwide. This problem has been relatively little studied, however. The southern Baltic Sea is one of the three areas worldwide with the highest gillnet bycatch. Forty-eight publications from the years 1982–2021 address...

1. The use of a drone to count the flock sizes of 33 species of waterbirds during the breeding and non-breeding periods was investigated. 2. In 96% of 343 cases, drone counting was successful. 18.8% of non-breeding birds and 3.6% of breeding birds exhibited adverse reactions: the former birds were flushed, whereas the latter attempted to attack the...

Advances in artificial intelligence for image processing hold great promise for increasing the scales at which ecological systems can be studied. The distribution and behavior of individuals is central to ecology, and computer vision using deep neural networks can learn to detect individual objects in imagery. However, developing computer vision fo...

1. The use of a drone to count the flock sizes of 33 species of waterbirds during the breeding and non-breeding periods was investigated. 2. In 96% of 343 cases, drone counting was successful. 18.8% of non-breeding birds and 3.6% of breeding birds exhibited adverse reactions: in the former, the birds were flushed, whereas the latter attempted to at...

Analysis of coordinated Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) count data from the last 30 years showed a 38.1% decrease in wintering numbers in North-West Europe, from 309,000 during 1988–1991 to c.192,300 individuals during 2015–2018. Annual trends in wintering numbers differed throughout the range. Numbers decreased in the UK, Ireland, and in the Netherl...

West Pomeranian Nature Society (ZTP) is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of wild animals and plants and their habitats. Our goal is to preserve the natural heritage as a common good for future generations. ZTP is an organization closely cooperating with scientific institutions, thanks to which our activit...

For Greater Scaup Aythya marila , classified as ‘Vulnerable’ on the European Red List of Birds, the south-western Baltic Sea is one of the most important wintering sites in Europe. In this area, a large concentration of gillnet fishery temporally overlaps periods of the most abundant occurrence of foraging diving birds. The aim of the article is to...

Niniejszy numer Biuletynu Monitoringu Przyrody jest w całości poświęcony wynikom raportowania wymaganego przez artykuł 12 Dyrektywy Ptasiej. Państwa członkowskie Unii Europejskiej co 6 lat raportują stan populacji gatunków ptaków objętych szczególną ochroną w ramach dyrektywy. W publikacji podsumowano dane za okres 2013–2018, omawiając najważniejsz...

Grzybieńczyk wodny Nymphoides peltata jest narażony na wyginięcie zarówno w Polsce, jak i w wielu krajach europejskich. W Dolinie Dolnej Odry po prawie całkowitym zaniku populacji ok. 50 lat temu, gatunek uznawany był za bardzo rzadki i występujący tylko na pojedynczych stanowiskach. W roku 2018 odnaleziono liczną populację grzybieńczyka wodnego w...

Avifauna of the SPA Natura 2000 Kamień Lagoon and Dziwna River – current status and changes in 1979–2018. Abstract: The inventories compiled in 2012 and 2015 showed that the SPA Natura 2000 the Kamień Lagoon and the Dziwna River is a significant breeding site in Poland (> 1% of the national population) for 7 species of birds: the Mute Swan Cygnus o...

In 2017, a new site of the Water Caltrop Trapa natans was discovered in the Lower Odra River Valley near Szczecin (NW Poland), afer nearly 90 years of its extincion in northern Poland. In 2018, during the monitoring of this population, it was shown that the species had extended the range and colonized new sites in the valley, including Lake Dąbie....

We describe interspecific and intraspecific kleptoparasitic behaviour in Mallards Anas platyrhynchos, attempting to steal Zebra Mussels Dreissena polymorpha from other Mallards and Eurasian Coots Fulica atra. Both Coots and Mallards were most often attacked by Mallards perpetrating kleptoparasitic attacks when they handled large or intermediate-siz...

Human activities in marine coastal areas may coincide with protected areas for birds. Some of these anthropogenic activities may pose threats, such as gillnet fisheries, which can significantly affect populations of diving birds, especially gregarious species that gather in huge flocks in small areas such as Greater Scaup (Aythya marila). The Odra...

Waterbirds were regularly monitored in north-western Poland from 2002 to 2018. Counts took place in the most important areas where wintering waterbirds concentrate in this region, the most important wintering ground for this group of birds in Poland and one of the most important in Europe. In addition to the wintering function, this area also has a...

The aerial and ground methods of counting birds in a coastal area during different ice conditions were compared. Ice coverage of water was an important factor affecting the results of the two methods. When the water was ice-free, more birds were counted from the ground, whereas during ice conditions, higher numbers were obtained from the air. The f...

Group of waterbird species used to test the accuracy of air and ground counts (1); mean ± standard errors of ground counts (2); 95% confidence intervals of ground counts (3); mean ± standard errors of air counts (4); 95% confidence intervals of air counts (5); method error—difference between mean numbers of birds recorded during ground and air coun...

Results of general linear mixed models showing (GLMM) the influence of different count methods (Ground vs Aircraft) performed in different ice cover presence (1—ice cover present, 0—no ice cover) in relation to different groups of species (Group 1: Cygnus olor, C. Cygnus, Aythya marila, A. fuligula, Mergellus albellus, Mergus merganser, Bucephala c...

Script to R for simple bootstrap to estimate means, se and confidence intervals and permutation test based on resampling without replacement

Excel spreadsheet of raw data

The paper compares the aerial and ground methods of counting birds in a coastal area during different ice conditions. Ice coverage of waters was the most important factor affecting the results of the two methods. When the water was ice-free, more birds were counted from the ground, whereas during ice conditions, higher numbers were obtained from th...

The paper compares the aerial and ground methods of counting birds in a coastal area during different ice conditions. Ice coverage of waters was the most important factor affecting the results of the two methods. When the water was ice-free, more birds were counted from the ground, whereas during ice conditions, higher numbers were obtained from th...

Some species of birds react to climate change by reducing the distance they travel during migration. The Odra River Estuary in the Baltic Sea is important for wintering waterfowl and is where we investigated how waterbirds respond to freezing surface waters. The most abundant birds here comprise two ecological groups: bottom-feeders and piscivores....

Raw data A, date of count; B, season of count; C, species; D, month of count; E, number of days with 100% ice cover 15 days prior to count; F, mean daily temp. 15 days prior to count; G, mean max. temp. 15 days prior to count; H, mean min.temp.15 days prior to count; I, feeding group: B-bottom-feeders, P-piscivorous; J, count method: A - aerial, L...

Results of general linear mixed models showing the influence of ice cover, maximum ice extent [km2] in the Baltic Sea (max ice) and season on the percentages of the population of the target species in the Odra River Estuary The parameters show the interaction between season and species, ice cover and species, max ice and species. The interaction pa...

Trend of flyway population (2) and impact of covariates (3-5) on the dependent variable –the ratio of the percentage of the numbers of a given species in the study area to the estimated total flyway population in a given year (1) Target species, (2) trend of flyway population after Nagy, Flink & Langendoen, 2014; (3) direction of population index c...

Ranking of general linear mixed models showing the influence of ice cover, maximum ice extent [kmtsup2] in the Baltic Sea (max ice) and season on the percentages of the population of the target species in the Odra River Estuary The models were ranked using the Akaike information criterion (AIC). Δ AIC represents the difference between each model an...

Many species of birds react to climate change, for example, by wintering in areas closer to their breeding areas. We investigated the responses of two different functional groups of waterbirds to factors associated with climate change. The Odra River Estuary (SW Baltic Sea) is of key importance to wintering waterfowl. The most numerous birds here b...

Many species of birds react to climate change, for example, by wintering in areas closer to their breeding areas. We investigated the responses of two different functional groups of waterbirds to factors associated with climate change. The Odra River Estuary (SW Baltic Sea) is of key importance to wintering waterfowl. The most numerous birds here b...

Many species of birds react to climate change, for example, by wintering in areas closer to their breeding areas. We investigated the responses of two different functional groups of waterbirds to factors associated with climate change. The Odra River Estuary (SW Baltic Sea) is of key importance to wintering waterfowl. The most numerous birds here b...

The Polish breeding population (3,200–3,250 males) of the globally threatened Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola represents almost 25% of the global population. Except for the relatively stable large population in the Biebrza valley in northeast Poland less is known about population trends of peripheral populations in western, central and sout...

In the 19th century the range of the Water Caltrop Trapa natans in the area of present northern Poland was in rapid decline. Te species became extinct there about 90 years ago; the last documented site was near Szczecin in 1929. In 2017, an abundant and spreading population of the species was rediscovered in the branches of the River Odra near Szcz...

Climate change can shift the winter range of many species and birds can act as indicators of this process. Estuaries of large rivers are places where different waterbirds winter with each species reflecting their own behavior and sensitivity to weather changes. Knowing these behaviors and tracking long-term changes in the number of birds, we can co...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145496.].

The European population of Greater Scaup Aythya marila has experienced an alarming, ~60% decline in numbers over the last two decades. The brackish lagoons of the Odra River Estuary (ORE) in the south-western Baltic Sea, represent an important area for the species during the non-breeding season in Europe. The lagoons regularly support over 20 000 S...

Niche construction can lead to coevolutionary episodes and greater specialization, and can have implications for the evolution of biological diversity, so understanding how individuals adjust their behavior to conspecifics and heterospecifics over changing social and environmental gradients presents an interesting research problem. The objective of...

The study area lies in the south-western Baltic Sea and includes the Polish part of the Odra River Estuary (hereafter ORE). The ORE is protected in the form of four Natura 2000 SPAs. The waters of ORE are brackish – the salinity in the central part of the lagoon varies from 0.3 psu to 4.5 psu. The benthic communities are typical of freshwater bodie...

Meissner W., Rowiński P., Polakowski M., Wilniewczyc P., Marchowski D. (2015, in press): Impact of temperature on the number of mallards, Anas platyrhynchos, wintering in cities. North-Western Journal of Zoology 11: art.141604 The Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, is a widespread waterfowl species that commonly winters in urban areas. The abundance of...

Abstract. The mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, is a widespread waterfowl species that commonly winters in urban areas. The abundance of mallards wintering in four Polish cities: Warsaw, Białystok, Kielce and Szczecin was analyzed for a 10-year period, between 2003 and 2012. The highest mean number of mallards was recorded in Warsaw (> 18,000) and the l...

Abstract. The mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, is a widespread waterfowl species that commonly winters in urban areas. The abundance of mallards wintering in four Polish cities: Warsaw, Białystok, Kielce and Szczecin was analyzed for a 10-year period, between 2003 and 2012. The highest mean number of mallards was recorded in Warsaw (> 18,000) and the l...

Letter to editors.

In 1993, the Lower Odra Valley Landscape Park was established along the Polish-German border. It is one of the most important areas for birds associated with wetlands in Poland and forms part of the Natura 2000 network. In this article we summarise the changes in abundance of selected breeding bird species in the 20 years since the area has been pr...

High numbers of the Spotted Crake Porzana porzana at the Rozwarowo Marshes IBA in 2011 – a comment to survey methodology. In April-July 2011, seven night surveys dedicated for the detection of the Spotted Crake were performed at the Rozwarowo Marshes IBA (NW Poland). Along with two surveys in May as suggested by the common methodology in Poland, fi...

Three censuses of waterfowl in Western Pomerania were carried out in the season 2010/2011 (in November, January and March). The Lower Odra River valley (between Szczecin and Kostrzyn), Lake Dąbie, the Szczecin Lagoon together with the Świna estuary, the Kamień Lagoon and the River Świna, Lake Miedwie, the Dzwonowo ponds, Szczecin and Police were mo...

Breeding birds of the Rozwarowo Marshes In 2011, 20 species of breeding birds included in Annex I of the Birds Directive were found in the Rozwarowo Marshes (Bagna Rozwarowskie) Natura 2000 Special Bird Protection Area. The Rozwarowo Marshes play a key part in the population of Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola – the largest in western Poland...

Three censuses of waterfowl in Western Pomerania were carried out in the season 2010/2011(in November, January and March). The Lower Odra River valley (between Szczecin and Kostrzyn), Lake Dąbie, the Szczecin Lagoon together with the Świna estuary, the Kamień Lagoon and the River Świna, Lake Miedwie, the Dzwonowo ponds, Szczecin and Police were mon...

In the season 2009/2010 3 censuses (in November, January and March-April) of waterfowl in Western Pomerania were carried out. The Lower Odra River valley (between Szczecin and Kostrzyn), Dąbie Lake, Szczecin Lagoon together with Świna River estuary, Kamieński Lagoon, Miedwie Lake, Szczecin and Police, were controlled. There were three land and addi...

A large site including approx. 120 km long fragment of Lower Odra River Valley and Lake Dąbie in the delta. It is characterized by numerous old river beds, vast areas of meadows and valuable forests in the south part of the site. The key site for waterbirds during migrations and winter, with congregations of over 150,000 individuals during spring m...

In 1994-2006, within the Międzyodrze (area between two arms of the Odra River) occurrence of 210 bird species was recorded, including 124 breeding ones. On the national scale, populations of the following species highly abounded with breeding pairs: the Greylag Goose Anser anser - 30-40, Gadwall Anas strepera - 60-75, Garganey A. querquedula - 40-5...

The wetlands and wet meadows in river valleys cover more than 13% of the surface of Poland. Many of them compose very rich habitats for flora and fauna species. From the nature protection point of view these areas have national and international importance. Since 1990, in the framework of Polish-Dutch cooperation, a project was started by the Insti...