Dedicated to the study and conservation of Pacific Seabirds and their environment.
In January 2024, Scott Shaffer (San Jose State University; SJSU) and Yun-Xuan Lin (National Taiwan University) traveled to Midway Atoll to conduct the third season of Laysan and Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis and P. nigripes) tracking funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This project aims to understand fine-scale behavioral interactions between albatrosses and…
Beth Flint, Anna Vallery, and Meagan Selvig (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Marine National Monuments of the Pacific Biology Team) visited Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge of Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument in August, 2024. This was the first trip to Jarvis Island by USFWS in over six years. The team conducted rapid…
2024 marked the 31st year of Beach Watch, the coastal monitoring program of Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries (GFNMS/CBNMS) and Greater Farallones Association. In 2024, Beach Watch monitored 60 survey sites over 5 counties in Northern California: Mendocino south to San Mateo counties. Volunteers and staff collect data on coastal birds, mammals,…
Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies (ACCESS) is a collaborative effort of GFNMS/CBNMS and Point Blue Conservation Science. Since 2004, the ACCESS scientists have collected at-sea data on birds, marine mammals, water column health and productivity, forage species for birds and mammals, and samples for ocean acidification, environmental DNA, and phytoplankton that can lead to harmful…
Laney White, Emma Kelsey, Gavin Haight, and Josh Adams (USGS Western Ecological Research Center; USGS WERC), with observer support from Alex Rinkert (California State Parks), continued long-term (1999–present) at-sea Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) surveys in Conservation Zone 6 in central California to estimate murrelet abundance reproductive output in 2024. This long-term monitoring project was previously…
Josh Adams and Emma Kelsey (USGS Western Ecological Research Center), in collaboration with David Pereksta (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; BOEM), have updated their index of marine bird vulnerability to collision and displacement with offshore wind energy infrastructure in the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf. The original report was published in 2017, and the new report is…
We have monitored Alcatraz seabird population size, breeding phenology, and productivity since the island was colonized by Brandt’s Cormorants in the early 1990s. Disturbance to wildlife is a concern because Alcatraz is the most heavily-visited tourist destination in Northern California. Island visitation returned to full capacity in 2022 following two years of reduced or no…
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Auckland Zoo, and Manaaki Whenua (Landcare Research, New Zealand) conducted an expedition to Henderson Island in June and July 2024 to explore options for the eradication of invasive rats (kiore, Rattus exulans), which have decimated seabird populations (Murphy’s Petrel Pterodroma ultima, Henderson Petrel P. atrata, Herald…
Yaquina Head Seabird Monitoring: 2024 marked the 18th consecutive year of seabird monitoring at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in Newport, Oregon, and the 4th consecutive year of monitoring at Pirate Cove in Depoe Bay, Oregon. Will Kennerley (Faculty Research Assistant, Oregon State University; OSU), Aya Attal (National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)…
Gavin Haight, Josh Adams, Laney White, and Emma Kelsey (USGS Western Ecological Research Center; USGS WERC), in collaboration with David Pereksta (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; BOEM), are working to expand the Motus Wildlife Tracking System in central and southern California with a focus on increasing tracking capacity for seabirds and bats off southern-central California…
Marine Ornithology is an open access journal that is published through a partnership of the African Seabird Group, Australasian Seabird Group, Dutch Seabird Group, Japanese Seabird Group, and Pacific Seabird Group.
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The objective of the Conservation Fund is to advance the conservation of seabirds in developing countries primarily in or bordering the Pacific Ocean by providing funds for conservation and restoration activities, and building within-country seabird expertise. Learn More »
