Marine Birds Require Conservation On Land and At Sea

Marine ecosystems are under siege: overharvesting, pollution, ocean acidification and climate change all contribute to declining ocean health. In light of these threats it is important to prevent additional extinctions and... [ view full abstract ]

Marine ecosystems are under siege: overharvesting, pollution, ocean acidification and climate change all contribute to declining ocean health. In light of these threats it is important to prevent additional extinctions and restore populations of key species to maintain intact marine ecosystems. The trend of MPA creation over the past 60 years, with coverage now approaching 5% of the Earth’s oceans, is a step in the right direction. However, threats to seabirds at sea and on land continue to compromise their critical role in marine ecosystems. Seabirds account for a disproportionate 25% of all past marine extinctions. Seabirds are among the most threatened of all marine animals, with 28% of ~350 species listed as threatened by the IUCN Red List. Global populations of all seabirds have declined by 70% since 1950. While the ramifications of these changes are not well understood, seabirds are key top level marine predators and consume an amount equal to the global human fishery effort. Seabirds also play a key role in nutrient cycling, integrating large amounts of marine nutrients onto land that then disperse through terrestrial, coastal, nearshore and eventually pelagic systems. Seabirds provide further services as indicators of fish schools for human fishers, food for indigenous harvesters, guano for fertilizer, and attractions for ecotourists. To maintain seabird diversity and abundance, management plans for MPAs and ocean conservation in general must increase protections against seabird bycatch in fisheries and incorporate land based conservation action to protect seabirds on their nesting sites.