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| Atlantic Seabird Alliance | |
|---|---|
| Name | Atlantic Seabird Alliance |
| Formation | 1999 |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| Region served | Atlantic Ocean |
Atlantic Seabird Alliance is a coalition of conservationists, researchers, and policymakers focused on the protection of seabirds across the Atlantic Ocean basin. The alliance convenes experts from institutions such as Dalhousie University, University of Prince Edward Island, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, BirdLife International and government agencies including Fisheries and Oceans Canada, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Natural Resources Canada to coordinate seabird conservation. Working alongside nonprofit organizations like The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Audubon Society and Canadian Wildlife Federation, it addresses threats from fisheries interactions, offshore energy development and climate-driven habitat change.
Formed in 1999, the alliance emerged from meetings linking stakeholders from North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states, European Union conservation programs, United Nations Environment Programme initiatives and regional commissions such as the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization and the Convention on Migratory Species. Early convenings included representatives from Bird Studies Canada, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Canadian Coast Guard and academic centers at Memorial University of Newfoundland and University of Iceland. Over time the alliance expanded its network to include participants from Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Scottish Natural Heritage, Icelandic Institute of Natural History and research vessels affiliated with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Marine Institute (Ireland) and Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. Major milestones include collaborative statements at forums such as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, the North Atlantic Seabird Conference and the Agreement on the Conservation of Seabirds of the North Atlantic negotiations.
The alliance aims to reduce seabird mortality, safeguard breeding colonies and influence policy through science-based recommendations to bodies like European Commission, Canadian House of Commons, United States Congress, Assembly of First Nations and regional fisheries management organizations. Core objectives include promoting bycatch mitigation measures adopted by International Maritime Organization, protecting Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas recognized by Ramsar Convention, supporting marine protected areas advocated by International Union for Conservation of Nature, and integrating seabird considerations into offshore development reviews by regulators such as Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.
Governance is structured around a steering committee comprising representatives from universities and agencies including Universidade de Lisboa, University of Glasgow, St. Mary's University (Halifax), NOAA Fisheries and provincial bodies like Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Working groups address topics coordinated with bodies such as BirdLife International Partnership, North American Bird Conservation Initiative, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and Canadian Wildlife Service. Volunteer task forces draw expertise from organizations including Seabird Group (UK), European Seabirds at Sea, BirdWatch Ireland and independent researchers affiliated with Smithsonian Institution and Royal Ontario Museum.
Initiatives include bycatch reduction programs piloted with the International Sustainable Seafood Foundation, gear modification trials in collaboration with Marine Stewardship Council and monitoring protocols aligned with standards from Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative and ICES. The alliance runs colony protection efforts modeled after projects by Project Puffin, offshore survey campaigns coordinated with NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and citizen science platforms linked to eBird, iNaturalist, iBats and regional atlases produced with Bird Studies Canada. Campaigns target policy outcomes similar to those achieved by RSPB and Audubon Society in influencing European Parliament and United States Environmental Protection Agency decision-making.
Research projects encompass satellite-tracking studies using technologies developed at Argos (satellite system), stable-isotope analyses performed at facilities like Natural Resources Canada labs and diet studies referencing collections at Royal Ontario Museum and Natural History Museum, London. Conservation interventions include predator control programs informed by experiments at Skomer Island and Gannet colonies studies with collaborators from University of Cape Town, University of Aberdeen and University of St Andrews. Long-term monitoring follows protocols comparable to Breeding Bird Survey and integrates climate impact modeling using tools from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenarios and oceanographic data from NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information and European Marine Observation and Data Network.
The alliance partners with regional and international actors such as North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Arctic Council working groups, philanthropic funders including Packard Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and corporate partners engaged through Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. Collaboration extends to Indigenous organizations like Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and local stewardship groups active in Newfoundland and Labrador, Maine, Nova Scotia and Icelandic communities, and links to academic consortia including Consortium for Ocean Leadership and International Seabird Working Group.
Outreach leverages public engagement models from Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds using resources such as online portals, teacher curricula developed with Canadian Wildlife Federation and community workshops delivered with Coastal Zone Canada and Maine Audubon. Educational programming integrates multimedia content inspired by documentaries from BBC Natural History Unit, exhibits co-curated with Canadian Museum of Nature and volunteer seabird monitoring training similar to programs run by BirdLife International and Audubon Society.
Category:Seabird conservation organizations