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Conserving Indian Ocean seabirds necessitates thinking big
A new study into the migration of tropical seabirds in the Indian Ocean has highlighted the need to expand existing marine protections to the high seas.
Led by researchers at Heriot-Watt and Exeter Universities, the 7-year study tracked the migrations of multiple species from across the region revealing they travel huge distances and are generally on the move throughout their sojourn. This contrast with similar studies from the Atlantic, Arctic, Southern, and Pacific Oceans where seabirds tended to gather in biodiversity hotspots. These productive areas are associated with upwelling and other oceanographic features which can be conserved via Marine Protected Area (MPAs).
“The results of our study highlights the importance of adopting a large-scale approach to safeguarding that goes beyond area-specific protections.”
Professor Stephen Votier, joint lead of the study, is an expert in Seabird Conservation at Heriot-Watt University’s Global Research Institute for Earth and Marine Sciences, The Lyell Centre. He said: “Tropical seabird communities are important in their own right, but absolutely critical for coral reefs too. Seabird guano fertilise reefs which are healthier and more resilient to the devastating impacts of climate change. Protecting seabirds during their non-breeding period is important to ensure their recovery.
“The results of our study highlights the importance of adopting a large-scale approach to safeguarding that goes beyond area-specific protections.”
Read the paper ‘Tracking seabird migration in the tropical Indian Ocean reveals basin-scale conservation need’ in full at: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(23)01461-6.pdf