A new open access study published today highlights the remarkable achievements of the BirdLife Seabird Tracking Database (STDB) in marine conservation. Since its launch in 2004, the STDB has become one of the largest marine conservation collaborations in the world and the largest collection of seabird tracking data in existence, transforming how researchers and policymakers address the growing threats to seabirds and the marine environment in general.
Ana Carneiro, lead author of the study, said: “The Seabird Tracking Database is a testament to the unique global collaborative efforts of seabird scientists that have made this unprecedented resource for marine conservation possible.”
Seabirds are one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates in the world. They face multiple threats, including incidental mortality in fishing operations, with hundreds of thousands of birds killed each year as ‘bycatch’, and predation by invasive alien species such as rats and cats. The STDB has been instrumental in addressing these threats by providing information on seabird distribution and connectivity, facilitating both local and global conservation actions.
“The STDB has not only deepened our scientific understanding of seabird ecology but has also driven tangible conservation outcomes, helping to protect threatened seabird populations worldwide,” said Tammy Davies, Marine Science Coordinator and co-author of the study.
Key Findings
The study provides an overview of the current status and significant conservation successes achieved through the STDB. The integration and standardization of data into a unified database, coupled with the development of robust methodological frameworks, enabled the analysis of multi-species and multi-colony datasets from hundreds of researchers worldwide.
- Vast body of knowledge: the largest centralised collection of movement data on seabirds. By 2024, the STDB held approximately 39 million location records, representing over 54,000 tracks from 168 seabird species across 450 breeding sites in 55 countries or jurisdictions. The number of GPS tracks has grown rapidly, with the numbers of GLS and PTT tracks rising more slowly.
- Key Gaps: The family with the most missing species is Laridae (gulls, terns and Skimmers), and there are other important gaps for cormorants, auks, small petrels and ducks. Non-breeding adults and juveniles are less represented than breeding adults. Geographically, there are more gaps in the Pacific archipelagos, south of the Indian Ocean, and along species-rich coastlines.
Figure from Carneiro et al. 2024: Total number of seabird species per family, and the number for which tracking data were available in the STDB in March 2024.
- Identifying Important Areas: Tracking data from the STDB have informed the designation of marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and of the first high-seas MPA identified solely using tracking data. The STDB also provided compelling evidence for migratory connectivity in the ocean, and has been crucial in informing the description of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs).
- Fisheries and Bycatch Mitigation: The STDB has played a pivotal role in demonstrating the overlap between seabird habitats and high-risk fishing areas. These insights have led to the implementation of bycatch mitigation measures, especially in international waters under the management of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).
- Marine Spatial Planning initiatives: The data have also supported marine spatial planning processes, including in Malta, and French and UK Overseas Territories.
- Scientific Collaboration: Data-sharing initiatives that were promoted via the data request tool or otherwise facilitated by the STDB have resulted in at least 92 scientific papers in the peer-reviewed literature.
Figure from Carneiro et al. 2024: Spatial variation in tracking intensity in the Seabird Tracking Database. Gaps may occur because of genuine gaps in tracking effort or because existing tracking data have not been uploaded.
Bethany Clark, manager of the Seabird Tracking Database and co-author of the study, said: “With almost half of all seabird species now represented in the database, we are calling for data from more species and life history stages, and to increase data coverage in less represented regions. This will further enhance opportunities for achieving conservation success.”
Looking Ahead
Despite these achievements, the study emphasizes the importance of expanding the database to include underrepresented regions and species. With 56% of the species with a known trend experiencing population declines, and a growing number of new or emerging human pressures impacting seabirds in the marine environment, including offshore wind farms and the exploitation of new resources (i.e. deep-sea mining, mesopelagic fishing), the STDB will continue to be an essential tool for safeguarding seabirds where they need it most.
The STDB remains at the forefront of marine conservation, with plans to strengthen its collaboration with other databases and initiatives, ensuring that seabird data continue to inform international environmental agreements, including the newly adopted UN Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement. We will continue to work to improve the user experience and maintain a secure and stable online portal. We are extremely grateful to everyone who has engaged with the STDB – thank you!
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