Committees and Delegates
Committees do much of PSG’s business and conservation work for which PSG is respected. The Executive Council Committees work on tasks like communications (e.g., website, listserv, social media), conservation letters, small grants program, elections, and managing PSG Endowment. Working Committees focus on species or species groups and are created with a particular purpose. The Executive Council approves all Committees, and Committee Coordinators are appointed or approved by the PSG Chair. The guidelines for creating a committee can be found in PSG’s Handbook. All committees welcome and need ongoing participation. Contact the committee chairs or coordinators listed on the Committee pages for information or to volunteer. A description of PSG committees can also be found in the PSG Bylaws and Handbook. For more information or to join a committee, please contact the respective committee chair or coordinator.
Committees Associated with Executive Council
Overview: This committee is composed of the Chair-Elect, Chair, Past-Chair, and Student Representative. The Past-Chair coordinates the committee and the presentation of the awards at the Annual Meeting. The committee is responsible for soliciting, reviewing and then submitting nominations for the Lifetime and Special Achievement Awards to the Executive Council. An article commemorating each recipient of a Lifetime or Special Achievement Award is published in Pacific Seabirds and on the PSG website. The Awards Committee should ensure that the person who presents the award has committed to write and submit this article, along with a few suitable photographs before the deadline for the upcoming issue of Pacific Seabirds. In addition, the Past-Chair coordinates the Student Paper Award judging and presentation. He/she will select a panel to judge the papers and posters presented by students at the Annual Meeting. The Past-Chair also coordinates Travel Awards.
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—Awards Committee 2023 Annual Report
Date Formed: 2009
Overview: The Communications Committee is comprised of PSG members that volunteer to keep communications and publications running for the PSG or that PSG supports (i.e., Marine Ornithology). The Communications Committee includes the PSG website, PSG Email List, Marine Ornithology, Pacific Seabirds, Symposia, Technical Publications, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Communications Committee maintains the news posts and job opportunities on the PSG website and social media accounts.
Goals:
- Maintain Pacific Seabirds as a twice-yearly, online publication
- Support Marine Ornithology on proposals to the PSG Executive Council
- Track subscribers/followers on the PSG email list and social media; increase these numbers annually
- Keep PSG website posts and pages current
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—Communications Committee 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email Wieteke Holthuijzen and Anna Vallery.
List of Committee Members:
Committee Co-Coordinators – Wieteke Holthuijzen, Anna Vallery
Facebook – Katelynn Gulley, Cassidy Ruge
Instagram – Ariel-Micaiah Heswall
TikTok – Nicholas Minnich
X (formerly Twitter) – Kamya Patel
Publications – Wieteke Holthuijzen, Anna Vallery
PSG Email List – Wieteke Holthuijzen
Marine Ornithology – Natasha Gillies
Pacific Seabirds – Amelia DuVall
Website, General – Wieteke Holthuijzen, Anne Francis
Website, Annual Meeting – Wieteke Holthuijzen, Anna Vallery, Justine Miller
Date Formed: 1982
Overview: This Committee takes an active role in promoting conservation of seabirds. Key emerging and priority issues include ongoing proposed changes to conservation legislation in the United States, wind energy, management of invasive species issues, fisheries bycatch of seabirds in multiple fisheries, climate change impacts, protection of breeding habitat, oil spills and other contaminants, management plans for threatened/endangered seabird species, and funding to support conservation actions included in species recovery plans. In addition, the Committee works to keep the PSG membership apprised of developments in seabird conservation. The Conservation Committee often provides support for seabird conservation measures and critiques of activities that will likely harm seabirds and/or the marine environment.
Goals:
- Initiate and coordinate conservation-related activities of the Pacific Seabird Group
- Identify issues pertaining to the conservation of seabirds
- Prepare and submit expert opinions, letters, and written comments on high priority seabird conservation and restoration issues on behalf of PSG
- Report the activities of the Committee to the Executive Council at the Annual Meeting and in Pacific Seabirds
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—Vice-Chair for Conservation 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email Lindsay Adrean, Vice Chair for Conservation.
Committee Members: Not applicable. Efforts are led by the Vice Chair for Conservation, who passes letters and position papers by the PSG Executive Officers for review and approval.
Overview: The Corresponding Members Committee’s goal is to maintain a geographically diverse PSG membership spanning the entire Pacific. Moreover, this committee seeks to foster involvement of seabird researchers and conservationists in developing countries or those working in regions with little or no institutional support for seabird conservation. We do this by offering free 3-year memberships to the Pacific Seabird Group, in exchange for a report written by Corresponding Members about their seabird research activities or conservation efforts (published in Pacific Seabirds). In addition, Corresponding Members are eligible for Travel Awards to attend PSG’s Annual Meeting as well as Conservation Grants. The Committee helps Corresponding Members to network with the broader PSG membership and create connections to support critical seabird research and conservation abroad. As a note, the Corresponding Members Committee will transition to inclusion under PSG’s EID Committee.
Goals:
- Increase Corresponding Members Committee to span a larger geographic area and increase work/support for CMs; currently, the Corresponding Members Committee consists of Wieteke and Carlos—additional committee members are very much needed to provide better support for CMs.
- More strongly support and encourage CMs to provide updates and reports to the Pacific Seabirds Editor; provide other opportunities as well, such as publishing manuscripts through Marine Ornithology or posting Technical Publications on the PSG website.
- Work in tandem with the PSG HELPS program to identify students and early-career scientists who would benefit from sponsored PSG memberships.
- Follow-up to seek report submissions from CMs; develop strong connections and relationships with CMs.
- Encourage CMs to apply for PSG Conservation Grants; foster connections with the broader PSG membership to find more collaboration opportunities for CMs.
- Continue to seek new members from target regions (possibly by asking for recommendations from BirdLife for partner organizations), including:
- Asia (Russia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia)
- Central America (all countries)
- South Pacific (Papua New Guinea, American Samoa, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Palau, Guam, French Polynesia + some even smaller island groups in the South Pacific)
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form here—Corresponding Members Committee 2023 Annual Report
Contact: If you are a researcher (or know someone) who works in regions with little or no institutional support for seabird conservation, please email Carlos Zavalaga for more info on how to join PSG as a Corresponding Member.
List of Committee Members: Carlos Zavalaga (Committee Coordinator)
There has been concern by members of Executive Council (EXCO) of the Pacific Seabird Group and PSG’s Conservation Committee that some worthy seabird-conservation projects could be accomplished at minimal cost in some locations of the Pacific but are not being pursued because there is no vehicle for funding such projects. The need for support for seabird-conservation efforts is most acute in developing nations. To address this concern, the EXCO established the Craig S. Harrison Conservation Fund in 2007 (hereafter, Conservation Fund). Instructions on how to apply for a Conservation Fund Grant are available here.
The objective of the Conservation Fund is to advance the conservation of seabirds by providing funds or supplies to individuals from developing countries as well as those from elsewhere working in those developing countries primarily in or bordering the Pacific Ocean, (1) for conservation and restoration activities that benefit seabirds in the Pacific Ocean; and (2) to help develop within-country seabird expertise in developing countries within or bordering the Pacific Ocean.
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—Conservation Fund Committee 2022 Annual Report
Click here for a downloadable flyer about the program.
Date Formed: 1995
Overview: The Elections Committee Coordinator, in collaboration with the Elections Committee (4-6 PSG members, including the Secretary – if not seeking election), solicits volunteers to run for positions on the PSG Executive Council (PSG EXCO). The committee strives to identify at least two candidates for each open EXCO seat. Nomination requests are sent out each summer, and the Elections Committee convenes each fall to review all nominees for the upcoming positions. If there are not enough nominees to put forward 2 candidates for each position, a concerted effort is made to conduct individual outreach based on prior nominations. Once appropriate candidates have been found, a secure online voting system is set up for all current PSG members to vote anonymously. PSG members have 30 days to register their vote and the voting ends 15 days before the end of the Annual Meeting. The Coordinator reports the results to EXCO at the Annual Meeting, for publication in the spring issue of Pacific Seabirds.
Goals:
- Solicit membership for nominations for all open Executive Council (EXCO) positions; conduct additional recruiting based on prior year/late-arriving nominations
- Obtain candidate(s) to run for each open EXCO position; collect ballot statements
- Set up 9, secure, regional ballots; launch elections
- Track elections; summarize final results for EXCO prior to Annual Meeting
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—Elections Committee 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email Jane Dolliver and Katie O’Reilly, Co-Coordinators.
List of Committee Members: Marc Romano, Sadie Wright
There are three Trustees of the Endowment Fund: two persons appointed as Trustees by the EXCO and the Treasurer. Trustees are responsible for managing the Endowment Fund and protecting the principal. Article VI, Section 3 of the PSG Bylaws (see Appendix 1) describes the purpose of the Endowment Fund and how the Trustees must manage it. The Treasurer reports on the Endowment Fund status at the EXCO meeting during the Annual Meeting. The Trustees shall determine the availability of funds for expenditure in consultation with other knowledgeable individuals and mindful of the requirements of PSG’s bylaws. The intent is to be conservative “to protect the principal of the Endowment Fund over time,” mindful of the fact that stock funds have fluctuated widely during recent years and will likely do so in the future.
Date Formed: 2021
Overview:
- Created the EID Action Plan for the Pacific Seabird Group
- Organize monthly EID meetings to generate short and long-term EID action items and solicit feedback on EID proposals
- Design and distribute the demographic survey of PSG membership
- Organize multiple EID events at PSG’s Annual Meetings (EID workshops, Seabirds & Indigenous Knowledge special session, cultural events)
- Work with EXCO and LOCO to secure funding for invited speakers from underrepresented backgrounds and marginalized identities
- Present an overview of EID plans and actions at the Annual Meeting Conservation Committee Lunch
- Collaborate with Corresponding Members Committee and Communications Committee to highlight the work of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, female/non-binary membership within PSG on social media platforms
- Promote use of Indigenous names of birds and places in Pacific Seabirds, PSG newsletters, and social media platforms
- Promote and highlight outside EID events from allied groups
Goals: The EID Committee is committed to making diversity a core and abiding strength among the PSG’s membership and all of our activities including programs, events, publishing, and professional development. Achieving diversity requires an enduring commitment to inclusion that must find full expression in the culture, values, norms and behaviors of the PSG. We support diversity in all of its forms, encompassing but not limited to age, disability status, economic circumstance, ethnicity, gender, race, religion and sexual orientation. The EID Committee is guided by the following goals:
- Improve Pacific Seabird Group’s understanding of existing barriers to participation and success within seabird research and conservation
- Encourage critical reflection, foster dialogue between members, and pledge actions to break down these barriers
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—EID Committee 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email Sarah Guitart and Katie Stoner.
List of Committee Members: Committee Co-Coordinators – Sarah Guitart and Katie Stoner. The committee is comprised of 10-15 volunteer participants.
Overview: The Membership Committee is headed by the Membership Coordinators. Specific duties of the Coordinators include: maintaining the membership database, assisting PSG members with updating their information, sending renewal reminders to PSG members, sending updated mailing lists as requested to members for the purpose of PSG business and other duties.
Goals:
- Increase member visibility
- Increase membership from Latin America and Asia; expand PSG Helping Elevate Long-term Participate in Science Program
- Increase student membership
- Re-engage with lapsed members
Most Recent Report:
- Download in PDF form—Membership Committee 2023 Annual Report
- Download in PDF form—HELPS Committee 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email the Membership Committee Co-Coordinators.
Working Committees
Date Formed: 2017
Overview: The Aleutian Tern Working Group was initially convened in Juneau, AK, in 2007, to review the species’ status, natural history, and threats, and develop a list of action items and prioritized projects. Informal networking among the participants continued, and in 2017 the PSG Aleutian Tern Technical Committee (ATTC) was formed.
Goals:
- Reassemble and expand the partnership to include resource management agencies, other agencies with marine and coastal jurisdiction, university researchers, federal research agencies, and international partners
- Expand international networking with resource professionals, academic researchers, and local ornithological groups in at least 6 other countries in Asia (Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, China), Australia, and Russia to gather information and facilitate field reconnaissance activities in known wintering grounds and flyways
- Produce a peer-reviewed publication or white paper summarizing what is known for this species
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form here—ATTC 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email Jill Tengeres and Susan Oehlers, Committee Co-Coordinators.
Committee Members: Susan Oehlers, Mike Goldstein, Dan Roby, Dave Irons, Don Lyons, Jeff Williams, Marc Romano, Martin Renner, Nora Rojek, Pat Baird, Robb Kaler, Sanjay Pyare, Scott Hall, Simba Chan, Tania Lewis, Erin Cooper, Heather Renner, Yasuko Suzuki, Robin Corcoran, Doug Causey, Veronica Padula, Makenna Hanson, Iain Stenhouse, Elizabeth Labunski, Bonnie Bennetsen, Jaime Welfelt, Kristine Sowl, Dawn Magness, Tory Rhoads, Mary Hake, Kara Hilwig, Janelle Lopez, Jill Tengeres, Matthew McKown, Patrick Fitzmorris, Patricia Szczysp, Jenell Larsen Tempel, Elizabeth Benolkin, Yat-Tung Yu, Megan Boldenow, Nick Docken, Trent McDonald, Brandt Meixell, Tracey Goddhardt
Publications:
RENNER, H., RENNER, M., LYONS, D., ZYKOV, V., REVYKANIA, Z., & OEHLERS, S. 2021. Aleutian Tern Onychoprion aleuticus abundance estimates at four globally significant colonies. Bird Conservation International 33:e4.
GOLDSTEIN, M.I., DUFFY, D.C., OEHLERS, S., CATTERSON, N., FREDERICK, J. & PYARE, S. 2019. Interseasonal movements and non-breeding locations of Aleutian Terns Onychoprion aleuticus. Marine Ornithology 47: 67–76.
MAGNESS, D.R., ESKELIN, T., LAKER, M. & RENNER, H.M. 2019. Evaluation of small unmanned aerial systems as a census tool for Aleutian Tern Onychoprion aleuticus colonies. Marine Ornithology 47: 11–16.
RENNER, H.M., ROMANO, M.D., RENNER, M., PYARE, S., GOLDSTEIN, M.I. & ARTHUKIN, Y. 2015. Assessing the breeding distribution and population trends of the Aleutian Tern Onychoprion aleuticus. Marine Ornithology 43: 179–187.
Other Documents:
ATTC Meeting Notes February 20, 2024
ATTC Meeting Notes February 14, 2023
ATTC 2022 Annual Report
ATTC Meeting Notes February 22, 2022
2021 ATTC Annual Report
ATTC Meeting Notes February 23, 2021
2020 ATTC Annual Report
ATTC Meeting Notes February 21, 2020
2019 ATTC Annual Report
ATTC Meeting Notes February 27, 2019
2018 ATTC Annual Report
2017 ATTC Annual Report
ATTC Meeting Notes February 24, 2017
ATTC Meeting Notes February 22, 2017
2016 ATTC Annual Report
ATTC Meeting Notes February 12, 2016
ATTC Information Conservation Synthesis December 3, 2015
Date Formed: 2020
Overview: The Pacific Seabird Group developed a Code of Conduct for all members that was approved in 2019. The Code of Conduct is intended to promote the highest level of professional conduct and public confidence in the PSG, and to foster a positive environment for the entire membership. The Code of Conduct states that PSG members should maintain healthy interactions in an atmosphere of mutual respect and accountability. The Code of Conduct is implemented by the Code of Conduct Committee.
Goals:
- Receive and review all reported possible violations of PSG’s Code of Conduct
- Administer the Code of Conduct guided by the the Terms of Reference
- Rule on whether a credible violation of the Code of Conduct occurred and was within the jurisdiction of the Terms of Reference
- If a violation is identified, provide a recommendation for action to the PSG Executive Council
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—Code of Conduct Committee 2023 Annual Report
Contact: To submit a complaint under the approved Code of Conduct, please contact the PSG Secretary via email: secretary@pacificseabirdgroup.org. For questions or additional information, please contact the Code of Conduct Committee: codeofconduct@pacificseabirdgroup.org.
Committee Members: Alex Dutcher, Tom Good, Derek Harvey, Emma Kelsey, Julia Parrish, Scott Pearson, Marc Romano, and Laney White. A full Committee will include up to 8 members.
Date Formed: 2016
Overview: Seabirds in Northeast Asia share many of the conservation challenges that are found elsewhere in the Pacific, and globally. To facilitate the communication of these issues across the Pacific, the Northeast Asian Seabird Conservation Committee (NEASCC), formerly the Japan Seabird Conservation Committee (JSCC), was established within the Pacific Seabird Group. The name was officially adopted in 2016 in recognition of the need to expand geographic representation of seabirds in the northwestern Pacific.
Goals:
- Monitor the status of listing petitions, research findings, and conservation issues for seabirds nesting and migrating in Northeast Asian region (including Russia, Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea)
- Provide information to interested parties
- Serve as a repository of technical advice
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—EASCC 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email Simba Chan, Committee Co-Coordinator.
Working Group Members: Available upon request.
Date Formed: 2008
Date Disbanded: 2023
Overview: The Kittlitz’s Murrelet was listed as a candidate under the Endangered Species Act in 2004. Subsequently, the Kittlitz’s Murrelet Technical Committee (KMTC) was formed in 2008 to address concerns about the status and conservation of this rare seabird. The KMTC currently comprises 30-40 members who wish to remain apprised of activities and meet annually in conjunction with the PSG annual meeting. We have an active email listserv to help facilitate communication among members.
Goals:
- Act as a technical authority on the status, distribution, and life history of the Kittlitz’s Murrelet
- Identify, encourage, and facilitate research
- Address conservation issues
- Act as a liaison between research and management
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form here—KMTC 2022 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email Sarah Schoen, Committee Coordinator.
Committee Members: Mayumi Arimitsu, Megan Boldenow, Michael Bower, Douglass Cooper, Robin Corcoran, Jenna Cragg, Gary Drew, Jonathan Felis, Scott Gende, Scott Hall, Steve Hoekman, David Janka, Robert Kaler, Leah Kenny, Matthew Kirchhoff, Michelle Kissling, Timothy Knudson, Kathy Kuletz, Deyna Kuntzsch, Elizabeth Labunski, Tim Marcella, Caitlin Marsteller, Aly McKnight, Kim Nelson, Susan Oehlers, John Piatt, Heather Renner, Daniel Roby, Nora Rojek, Marc Romano, Anne Schaefer, Sarah Schoen, Stan Senner, Katie Stoner, Thomas Van Pelt, Gus van Vliet, Shaye Wolf, Jamie Womble
Date Formed: 1986
Overview: The mandate of the Marbled Murrelet Technical Committee is to monitor the status of federal and recovery actions, research findings, and conservation issues for the species, and provide information to interested parties regarding the species. The Co-Coordinators of the committee provide EXCO with yearly reports of activities and the committee continues to serve as a repository of technical advice. The MMTC has several working groups including Inland Survey Protocol, Marine, and Sound, and can form other focus groups as needed. Each working group is headed by a volunteer (MMTC member) who is appointed by the Co-Coordinators of the MMTC. The Co-Coordinators are appointed by the EXCO Officers from a list of PSG members in good standing who have expressed interest in the position. The Co-Coordinators work and communicate with all MMTC members and the EXCO. Before the EXCO meeting at PSG’s Annual Meeting, the MMTC Coordinators provide a summary of the committee’s yearly activities.
Goals:
- Act as a technical authority on the status, distribution, and life history of the Marbled Murrelet
- Identify, encourage, and facilitate research
- Address conservation and management problems related to the Marbled Murrelet
- Act as a liaison between research and management
- Develop and update a science-based inland dawn survey protocol for management and research that provides for the conservation of the Marbled Murrelet over the long-term
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form here—MMTC 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email Lindsay Adrean and Bill McIver, Committee Co-Coordinators.
Committee Members: Available upon request.
Date Formed: 1994
Overview: In 2012, the American Ornithologists’ Union split Xantus’s Murrelet into Scripps’s Murrelet (Synthliboramphus scrippsi) and Guadalupe Murrelet (S. hypoleucus), based on genetic separation. In September 2016, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declined to list these species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. However, these species remain protected as state-threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act; they are listed as endangered in Mexico; and they are not listed in Canada. In 2016, the Committee decided to include the Craveri’s Murrelet (Synthliboramphus craveri) as its conservation status is threatened/vulnerable (IUCN 2019) and is impacted by many of the same stressors and concerns as Scripps’s and Guadalupe Murrelets. The mandate of the Scripps’s Murrelet, Guadalupe Murrelet, and Craveri’s Murrelet Technical Committee (SMGMCMTC; formerly the Xantus’s Murrelet Technical Committee) of the Pacific Seabird Group is to “monitor the federal listing petition, state status, research, and conservation issues; provide information to interested parties; and coordinate research and conservation in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.” During the non-breeding season, the Scripps’s Murrelet occurs at sea off the Pacific coasts of western Baja California, California, Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia; it breeds on at least twelve islands off southern California and northwestern Baja California. The Guadalupe Murrelet occurs at sea in the same areas as Scripps’s Murrelet during the non-breeding season; but it breeds mainly at Guadalupe Island, with smaller numbers at the San Benito Islands and perhaps a few other islands as far north as Santa Barbara Island. The Craveri’s Murrelet breeds on many islands in the Gulf of California and at least four islands off the coast of Baja California from San Martín to Asunción. Post breeding, it ranges into waters off Southern California and occasionally further north.
Goals:
- Assess the status of and threats to Scripps’s Murrelet, Guadalupe Murrelet and Craveri’s Murrelet
- Coordinate research and conservation efforts in the United States , Mexico, and Canada
- Act as a liaison between research and management in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form here—SCMU/GUMU TC 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email Yuliana Bedolla and David Mazurkiewicz, Committee Co-Coordinators.
Committee Members: Annie Little (NPS), Jen Boyce (NOAA), Mike Parker (CIES), Darrell Whitworth (CIES), Jim Howard (CIES), Catherine Carter (CIES), Amelia DuVall (UW), María Félix (GECI), Alejandra Fabila (GECI), Alicia Aztorga (GECI), Julio Hernández (GECI), Ariana Duarte (GECI), Brad Keitt (ABC), Hannah Nevins (ABC), Josh Adams (USGS)
Date Formed: 1992
Overview: Seabird monitoring is the accumulation of time series data on any aspect of seabird distribution, abundance, demography, or behavior. The committee has active participation of seabird investigators from all five Pacific states, as well as Canada, Mexico, Russia, and Japan.
Currently, its major project is the development of a comprehensive database for seabird monitoring results from throughout the North Pacific. Though not yet available for general release, the Pacific Seabird Monitoring Database includes more than 11,000 observations, each representing an annual measure of some population parameter (e.g., numbers, productivity, survival, breeding chronology, or other) for a given species, location, and year. Those observations comprise about 1,800 time series spanning 1 to 37 years since studies were initiated. Some quantity of information is available on 54 species breeding in 190 locations. A draft version of the database is now undergoing review and error-checking by cooperators; wider distribution via the Internet is anticipated within 1-2 years.
Goals:
- A better coordinated program for monitoring Pacific seabirds
- Greater standardization of field methods
- Timely availability of results
- Effective use of seabirds as indicators of local and large-scale change in the Pacific marine environment
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—Seabird Monitoring Committee 2021 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email Robb Kaler, Committee Coordinator.
Date Formed: 2016
Overview: The Tufted Puffin has declined significantly throughout the California Current System during the past century and is currently listed as “Endangered” in Washington State, “Vulnerable” in Oregon, a “Bird Species of Special Concern, priority 1” in California, and Imperiled/Vulnerable in British Columbia. The species has also been found by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to warrant a full status review under the Endangered Species Act. Given this background, and the fact that there is little published information on a) the species’ status and trends throughout its range, especially north of the California Current, b) the pattern and extent of population genetic structuring, and c) the causes of population change, especially the declines in the California Current, there is a pressing need for scientific investigation of these topics. The Tufted Puffin Technical Committee (TPTC) meets at the PSG Annual Meetings and works collaboratively throughout the year to advance a research and management agenda for the conservation of the species.
Goals:
- Provide technical advice on Tufted Puffin status, distribution, and life history
- Identify, facilitate, and prioritize research needs
- Identify and assess population threats and potential conservation measures
- Act as a liaison between research and management
- Bring together and create partnerships of interested parties throughout the range of the species
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form here—TPTC 2022 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this committee, please email Mark Hipfner and/or Peter Hodum, Committee Co-Chairs.
Committee Members: Josh Adams, Hannah Anderson, Angela Benton, Doug Bertram, C. J. H. Blazer, Megan Boldenow, Theresa Burg, Esther Burkett, Aaron Christ, Nik Clyde, Doug Cooper, Lauren Divine, George Divoky, Noah Dolinajec, Alice Domalik, Brie Drummond, Doug Forsell, Tom Good, Kristen Gorman, Holly Goyert, Brendan Graham, Scott Hall, Thor Hanson, Dawn Harris, Christopher Hart, Scott Hatch, Mark Hipfner, Peter Hodum, Cheryl Horton, Sarah Hudson, Kate Iaquinto, Deborah Jaques, Robb Kaler, Kevin Kilbride, Deanna Lynch, Gerry McChesney, Bill McIver, Ken Morgan, Hannah Nevins, Vivian Pattison, Scott Pearson, John Piatt, Heather Renner, Dan Roby, Nora Rojek, Shawn Stephensen, Jessica Stocking, Katie Stoner, Craig Strong, Roberta Swift, Rob Suryan, Sue Thomas, John Underwood, Karen Velas, Nacho Vilchis, Pete Warzybok, Yutaka Watanuki, Laurie Wilson
Working Groups
Date formed: 2000
Overview: The North Pacific Albatross Working Group (NPAWG) was formed in 2000 in Honolulu, Hawai’i, during a meeting sponsored by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council and National Marine Fisheries Service. The goal of NPAWG is to improve albatross conservation in the North Pacific through enhanced communication and coordination for protection, management, monitoring, outreach, and research activities both nationally and internationally. The focus of NPAWG is the conservation of the three North Pacific albatross species: Black-footed, Laysan, and Short-tailed Albatross. Everyone interested in albatross conservation is encouraged to join the listserv and attend the annual meeting in association with the Annual Meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group.
Goals:
- Develop new, longer-term platform to upload and share relevant content, especially “grey literature” and unpublished material that can facilitate access to current information and be used as a tool to strengthen collaboration
- Enhance the exchange of information and generate working discussion among participants
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—NPAWG 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this working group, please email Gregory Spencer, NPAWG Chair.
Working Group Members: Available upon request.
PSG Delegates to Other Organisations
Date Formed: 2016
Overview: The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) is an international instrument striving to achieve and maintain a favorable conservation status for albatrosses and petrels. ACAP was developed because of global concerns over the conservation status of albatrosses and petrels; and the need for international efforts to bring about positive changes. The Agreement came into force in February 2004; and currently 13 countries are ACAP Parties: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, France, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and Uruguay. Non-Party, Range States (Canada, USA and Namibia) and numerous NGO’s (such as BirdLife International, Humane Society International, Pro-Delphinus, Projeto Albatroz, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) routinely participate in meetings of ACAP’s Advisory Committee (AC) and contribute to the work of three Working Groups (WGs). When the Agreement came into force, all 19 Southern Hemisphere albatross species, five Procellaria petrel species and two species of giant petrels (Macronectes) were included in Annex 1 of the Agreement. Since then, five species have been added: the North Pacific albatrosses (Laysan, Black-footed and Short-tailed, added in 2009); Balearic Shearwater (2012); and Pink-footed Shearwater (2015). Throughout the Agreement’s history, PSG members have been active ACAP participants.
Goals:
- Regularly communicate with members of ACAP’s Advisory Committee and Working Groups
- Attend ACAP meetings
- Contribute intersessionally to the work of the Advisory Committee and Working Groups
- Provide updates and reports to the PSG Executive Council
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form here—ACAP Delegate 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this delegate, please email Beth Flint.
Overview: The North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES), an intergovernmental science organization, was established in 1992 to promote and coordinate marine research in the North Pacific and its adjacent seas. Its present members are Canada, Japan, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America. The purposes of the Organization are as follows:
- Promote and coordinate marine research in the northern North Pacific and adjacent seas especially northward of 30 degrees North
- Advance scientific knowledge about the ocean environment, global weather and climate change, living resources and their ecosystems, and the impacts of human activities
- Promote the collection and rapid exchange of scientific information on these issues
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—PICES Delegate 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of this delegate, please email Patrick O’Hara.
Overview: The Ornithological Council was incorporated in 1992 in Washington, D.C., as a not-for-profit IRS 501(c)(3) organization. The Council is supported by, and serves the interests of, its member organizations. The founding societies were: American Ornithologists’ Union (now known as the American Ornithological Society), the Association of Field Ornithologists, the Cooper Ornithological Society (now known as the American Ornithological Society), the Colonial Waterbirds Society (now knows as the Waterbird Society), the Pacific Seabird Group, the Raptor Research Foundation, and the Wilson Ornithological Society. An additional five societies joined later: BirdsCaribbean (formerly the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds), Neotropical Ornithological Society, CIPAMEX, Society of Canadian Ornithologists, and the North American Crane Working Group.
The current OC member societies are:
- Association of Field Ornithologists
- Birds Caribbean
- CIPAMEX: Sociedad para el Estudio y Conservación de las Aves en México
- Neotropical Ornithological Society
- North American Crane Working Group
- Pacific Seabird Group
- Raptor Research Foundation
- Waterbird Society
- Wilson Ornithological Society
The Ornithological Council and its members:
- Link the scientific community with public and private decision-makers
- Provide timely information about birds to help ensure scientifically-based decisions, policies, and management actions
- Inform ornithologists of proposals and actions that affect birds or the study of birds
- Speak for scientific ornithology on public issues
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—OC Delegate 2023 Annual Report
Contact: For more information about the activities of these delegates, please email Doug Forsell (main contact) and Pat Baird
Date Formed: 2012
Overview: The World Seabird Union (WSU) was incorporated in January 2012 and is made up of about 20 marine ornithological organizations with members representing 52 countries. The World Seabird Union’s mission is to place seabird research, management, and conservation into a worldwide perspective. The World Seabird Union’s vision is to aid in creating global partnerships that will continue into the future by sharing research, knowledge, and ideas on a global level. The Pacific Seabird Group (PSG) is a founding member organization and an integral part of the World Seabird Union. PSG has a primary and secondary delegate, and although they do not vote on decisions before the WSU Executive Council, both representatives attend conference calls and engage in discussions. The WSU recommends that delegates serve for five years, allowing the representative to begin after a World Seabird Conference and help plan the next World Seabird Conference. The delegates participate in conference calls (quarterly; monthly the year prior to the World Seabird Conference) and provide updates, as needed, and an annual report to the Executive Council of PSG. The activities and business of the WSU can be accessed via the WSU website. The WSU continues to define and establish standing committees, which to date include those for financial planning, review of conservation proposals, conference planning, fundraising, communications, early career scientists, awards, and elections, and a Specialist Committee on Seabirds & Plastic Pollution. The WSU also sponsors World Seabird Twitter Conferences, during which hundreds of seabird scientists have presented their work to over a million people. The sixth World Seabird Twitter Conference (WSTC6) occurred in May 2020; as with the previous five conferences, it was a great success. In just three days, the conference hashtag, #WSTC6, was used over 9,000 times by over 1,800 contributors (many of whom were PSG members) and potentially reached more than 3.8 million users. This was more than double the number of tweets, contributors and reach of the previous conference, #WSTC5! Planning is underway for WSTC7 in May 2021.
Goals:
- Participate in WSU meetings and advise during discussions, particularly with respect to the goals and objectives of PSG
- Serve as a liaison between the PSG and WSU Executive Councils
- Keep the PSG Executive Council informed about WSU discussions, proposals, and actions.
Most Recent Report: Download in PDF form—WSU Delegate 2023 Annual Report
A synopsis of each WSU meeting is posted at Seabirds.net and official meeting minutes are posted after final acceptance by the Council. Due to COVID-19 and associated travel restrictions as well as economic impacts, the 3rd World Seabird Conference (WSC3), has been postponed a year until October 2021; additional updates and information can be found here.
Contact: For more information about the activities of this delegate, please email Marc Romano (main contact) and Anna Vallery.
