Active Seabird Projects in the Caribbean
Please find a list and summary of active and past seabird projects in the region, with links to project-specific websites and resources. We are actively adding to this list so please get in touch with our working group committee or through our survey if you have information to add. We are also interested in putting together focal articles on individual projects for our blog, so please send Rhiannon an email if you would like to participate!
Greater Antilles and Surrounding Areas
Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI)
The Turks and Caicos Islands are home to a number of important seabird populations including Brown Noddies, Laughing Gulls, Caribbean Flamingos, 8 spp. of terns, White-tailed Tropicbirds, Brown Pelicans and frigatebirds. The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources are responsible for managing seabirds in the TCI, and are involved in a number of related monitoring programmes. Activities include or have included seabird colony censuses, and involvement in regional-scale tracking projects under the UK’s Darwin Plus grant scheme. All species are protected under local legislation, and a number of IBAs / habitats have been afforded protection.
Bahamas
Information to be updated.
Cuba
Information to be updated.
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands are home to 6 species of breeding seabirds, and have one of the largest populations of Red-footed Boobies in the Caribbean. The Cayman Islands’ Department of Environment has been working in collaboration with the University of Liverpool since 2016, under various Darwin Plus funded projects, with the aim of gaining urgently needed information on the distributions, population status and ecology of resident seabird species, and are actively developing conservation plans for this group. Check out the following websites (Cayman Seabirds and regional-scale frigatebird tracking) for information on continued work towards these goals. Check out our CaymanSeabirds website for more information. Read more about recent research and conservation work by Dr. Rhiannon Austin and her team here.
Jamaica
The Pedro Cays and Bank is an Important Bird Area is about 97 km south-west of the south coast of Jamaica (See IBA description). It is home to Masked Boobies, Brown Boobies, Sooty Terns. All three species are under regional threat, and their colonies in the Cays are critical to sustaining regional populations. Existing data are currently weak, but it appears breeding has ceased in some species with previously large populations. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) initiated the Pedro Bank Management Project in 2005. Efforts are underway to develop a site management plan, because in the Pedro Cays there are many issues to address, including official protection for this unofficial sanctuary. A seabird breeding success study has been developed to further develop long-term conservation strategies for seabird protection. There have also been efforts to search for breeding Black-capped Petrels and even the Jamaican Petrel, thought to be extinct – see this article.
Hispaniola
The Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata), which is known to breed only in remote, high altitude areas of Hispaniola, is in danger of extinction. Its conservation is challenged by intense pressure on nesting habitat, and large gaps in knowledge about its nesting distribution, breeding behaviour, population size and ecology. To help address this, a dedicated Black-capped Petrel Working Group has formed for this threatened species. Information on their activities can be found here . Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) is one organisation overseeing and collaborating in Black-capped Petrel conservation. The team uses marine radar to track the nocturnal movements of petrels, allowing them to locate new nesting areas and track population trends.
Research also involves monitoring nesting productivity in the world’s largest known Black-capped Petrel colony in La Visite National Park, Haiti. To reduce human impacts on petrels, the team engages with human communities that overlap with petrel habitat, promoting sustainable land use practices and poverty alleviation. Educators in Haiti create and implement environmental science curriculums that foster earth stewardship. An annual pride campaign also celebrates the petrel with a festival in Haiti, and an annual film series called “Save the Devil” that highlights ongoing conservation efforts (see EPIC’s YouTube and reports pages for further information). Some of the conservation work on the Black-capped Petrel is supported by BirdsCaribbean’s Betty Petersen Conservation Fund. See articles on exciting research and conservation activities on the Black-capped Petrel: Flying with the Devil – Part I: On the Ridge and Flying with the Devil – Part II: Finger Bites and Football Matches.
Puerto Rico
Information to be added
Venezuela
Los Monjes Archipelago – These islands host one of the largest colonies of Masked Boobies in the region. Diana Esclasans is part of a group of trained biologists active on these islands. The team is working on projects for seabirds in Venezuela with the goals of providing a solid foundation for informed decision-making, and opportunities for conservation-related training and education.
United States
Florida – The Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI), In collaboration with the USFWS, previously ran a tracking project on Magnificent Frigatebirds from National Parks and Wildlife Refuges in south Florida, with the aim of determining breeding sites of wintering birds, seasonal movements, roost fidelity, and foraging ranges of the Florida breeding population. ARCI continues to collaborate in regional-scale projects focused on this species (www.arcinst.org, contact: meyer@arcinst.org, ginakent@arcinst.org).
Gulf of Mexico – In collaboration with the USFWS, the South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (SCCRU) is leading a multi-year survey of seabirds distribution and abundance in the northern Gulf of Mexico: the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS). The SCCRU also addresses information gaps and provides baseline ecological information on the ecology and biology of the Eastern Brown pelican in the Gulf of Mexico and southeast US. (More information here).
Mexico
Yucatan Peninsula – This region in Mexico hosts a number of important populations of breeding seabirds, most of which are data deficient. Local Government departments and NGOs (Amigos de Isla Contoy and the Mexican Association for the Conservation of Birds and their Habitats – AMCAH A.C.) are working to develop ringing and survey programmes for important populations, and are collaborating with researchers at the University of Liverpool, UK to start tracking projects that will help identify Important Bird Areas for seabirds in this region.
Bermuda
Information to be added.
Lesser Antilles
British Virgin Islands
The BVI is home to 15 species of breeding seabirds, including two globally important populations (Magnificent Frigatebirds and Roseate Terns), which have been the focus of considerable monitoring and research activities in recent years. The Jost Van Dykes BVI Preservation Society, The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands and the BVI Department of Conservation and Fisheries, along with support from international organisations (the RSPB, University of Liverpool, Clemson University and the University of Roehampton) are involved in activities to increase knowledge, management and protection of seabirds in the Virgin Islands. Projects have included the development of a territory-wide monitoring programme, and the restoration of breeding sites via the control and eradication of invasive species such as rats and feral goats.
US Virgin Islands
Information to be updated.
Anguilla
Information to be updated.
Antigua, Barbuda, and Redonda
The Government of Antigua, Barbuda’s Department of Environment and Flora and Fauna International have been involved in running the Redonda Restoration Programme, which has allowed this island, including its seabird populations, to recover from previously unregulated pressure from invasive species. Read about the amazing success of this project here.
Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Made up of nearly 100 islands, islets, and cays, the transboundary Grenadines are part of the nations of Grenada and St. Vincent & the Grenadines. The area’s concentration of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) for nesting seabirds makes it a vital conservation zone, crucial to rebuilding declining Caribbean seabird populations. Furthermore, the Grenadines support the most extensive coral reef complex in the southeastern Caribbean and seabirds play an essential role in their health. In addition, fisherfolk rely on seabirds to find fish, navigate, and understand weather, making them a crucial part of maritime livelihoods. To conserve populations, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) is working with partners on a multi-faceted program integrating citizen-science, development and implementation of a conservation plan, community outreach, advocacy, and research on habitat requirements and threats. Juliana Coffey is one of the main seabird biologists based in the Grenadines, and conducts independent research, volunteer work and environmental services for NGOs, academia, consulting firms, and government of relevance to seabirds. Her interdisciplinary approach stems from a diverse background in participatory co-management of marine resources, satellite telemetry, marine (plastic) pollution, ethnobiology, and many years of at-sea experience (email: jul.coffey@gmail.com).
Montserrat
Information to be updated.
Guadeloupe
Information to be updated.
Dominica
Thanks to the work of EPIC and the Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division of Dominica, Black-capped Petrels were rediscovered on Dominica in 2015; the last confirmed nesting of the species was in 1862! The team is now searching for nests of this species in Dominica’s rugged and mountainous forests – read a recent update here.
Martinique
Information to be updated.
St. Lucia
Information to be updated.
Barbados
Information to be updated.
Trinidad and Tobago
Information to be updated.
Aruba & Curaçao
Information to be updated.