Species: Large Petrels & Shearwaters
Resource tracking and use of Antarctic sea-ice habitats by albatrosses and large petrels breeding in the subantarctic
The majority of the world’s albatrosses and large petrels breed on islands in the Southern Ocean. It is well known that they can travel hundreds or thousands of kilometres on foraging trips. Potentially,
A conservation challenge in Mexico: how to define an important area for seabirds
Targets and goals to mitigate the potentially negative consequences of anthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems are proposed by international policy frameworks, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the United Nations
Light pollution from refuelling ships may affect breeding shearwaters
Light pollution from ships disrupts the activity of breeding Yelkouan shearwaters and may affect their breeding success. Regulating light emission and shipping activity during the breeding season may be required to mitigate the
Progressing delineations of key biodiversity areas for seabirds, and their application to management of coastal seas
Decision-making products that support effective marine spatial planning are essential for guiding efforts that enable conservation of biodiversity facing increasing pressures. Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are a product recently agreed upon by an international network of organizations for identifying globally important areas. Utilizing the KBA framework, and by developing a conservative protocol to identify sites, we identify globally importants places for breeding seabirds throughout the coastal seas of a national territory. We inform marine spatial planning by evaluating potential activities that may impact species and how a proposed network of Marine Management Areas (MMAs) overlap with important sites.
Using globally threatened pelagic birds to identify priority sites for marine conservation in the South Atlantic Ocean
Using globally threatened pelagic birds to identify priority sites for marine conservation in the South Atlantic Ocean
A novel combination of methods identifies priority conservation areas for an endemic California Current seabird
A novel combination of methods identifies priority conservation areas for an endemic California Current seabird
Large Petrels & Shearwaters
Seabird Species These species perform some of the longest trans-equatorial migrations across the oceans. There are 30 shearwater species, 7 petrel species and 2 fulmar species in this group. The sizes vary greatly between species, from the tiny 25 cm long Little Shearwater to the
Multispecies tracking reveals a major seabird hotspot in the North Atlantic
The conservation of migratory marine species, including pelagic seabirds, is challenging because their movements span vast distances frequently beyond national jurisdictions. Here, we aim to identify important aggregations of seabirds in the North Atlantic to inform ongoing regional conservation efforts. Using tracking, phenology, and population data, we mapped the abundance and diversity of 21 seabird species. This revealed a major hotspot associated with a discrete area of the subpolar frontal zone, used annually by 2.9–5 million seabirds from ≥56 colonies in the Atlantic: the first time this magnitude of seabird concentrations has been documented in the high seas. The hotspot is temporally stable and amenable to site-based conservation and is under consideration as a marine protected area by the OSPAR Commission. Protection could help mitigate current and future threats facing species in the area. Overall, our approach provides an exemplar data-driven pathway for future conservation efforts on the high seas.
Global political responsibility for the conservation of albatrosses and petrels
Migratory marine species cross political borders and enter the high seas, where the lack of an effective global management framework for biodiversity leaves them vulnerable to threats. Here, we combine 10,108 tracks from 5775 individual birds at 87 sites with data on breeding population sizes to estimate the relative year-round importance of national jurisdictions and high seas areas for 39 species of albatrosses and large petrels. Populations from every country made extensive use of the high seas, indicating the stake each country has in the management of biodiversity in international waters. We quantified the links among national populations of these threatened seabirds and the regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) which regulate fishing in the high seas. This work makes explicit the relative responsibilities that each country and RFMO has for the management of shared biodiversity, providing invaluable information for the conservation and management of migratory species in the marine realm.
High Seas – Out of sight, but on track
The high seas occupy approximately half of the planet. Yet, we know much less about this vast part of the ocean than any other area of the globe. The high seas are also poorly protected because there is no global regulatory framework for conservation or even sustainable use of natural resources in his area.
IBAs & EBSAs – Describing important at-sea areas
BirdLife has been a key stakeholder in the Convention on Biological Diversity-led process to describe Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs). We have compiled seabird tracking data and provided information on relevant marine IBAs, to guide the description of EBSAs at the Regional Workshops.
Seabird migration – Tracking ocean wanderers
All migratory seabirds have one thing in common: on their incredible journeys, they connect different areas of the ocean that may be thousands of kilometers apart.
A framework for mapping the distribution of seabirds by integrating tracking demography and phenology
Here we develop a methodological framework for estimating population level density distributions of seabirds, integrating tracking data across the main life-history stages (adult breeders and non-breeders, juveniles and immatures). We incorporate demographic information (adult and juvenile/immature survival, breeding frequency and success, age at first breeding) and phenological data (average timing of breeding and migration) to weight distribution maps according to the proportion of the population represented by each life-history stage.
Multi-Species Tracking Reveals a Major Seabird Hotspot in the North Atlantic (NACES MPA)
A major hotspot for foraging seabirds in the North Atlantic estimated to be used by more than 5 million seabirds from 21 species throughout the year, with birds coming from at least 56 colonies in 16 different countries is being considered by the OSPAR Convention for designation as a marine protected area called the North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Seamount (NACES) MPA.