Assessing threats to seabirds in the West Indian Ocean to inform conservation priorities

Seabirds are the most threatened group of birds globally. The West Indian Ocean is an important area for seabirds – including 20 globally threatened species. The region is also undergoing rapid change, with increasing... [ view full abstract ]

Seabirds are the most threatened group of birds globally. The West Indian Ocean is an important area for seabirds – including 20 globally threatened species. The region is also undergoing rapid change, with increasing cumulative impacts (Halpern et al. 2015). However, specific threats to seabirds and the spatial distribution of such threats in the West Indian Ocean are poorly understood. Understanding threats to seabirds are important in order to inform appropriate conservation responses and decision-making processes.

We use an innovative approach to evaluate seabird species-specific threats and their spatial distribution by combining a range of data, including spatial threat layers, seabird tracking data, and species threat assessment data from the 2017 IUCN Red List. We use the latter to assess: a) population status and trends; b) the nature and severity of threats, and; c) appropriate conservation actions for species. We found six main threats to seabirds within the West Indian Ocean, with invasive alien species and pollution being the top two. We also assessed the spatial distribution of threats within marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas in the region to identify priority species and sites for conservation action.