“Student research grants are awarded to aid student-led research and support up-and-coming scholar members of the Pacific Seabird Group.  Due to the generosity of the Former Chairs, the PSG Student Research Grant program will fund 3-5 grants for up to [US]$3000 each.

The application deadline is February 6th, 2026 and funds will be awarded at the [PSG’s] 2026 Virtual Annual Meeting.

To be eligible, applicants must be members and currently enrolled students (Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctoral), and the proposed research must involve seabirds of any taxa or geography. To become a PSG member, click here. Requested funds should support costs directly associated with research including field or lab supplies and equipment, travel to research or lab sites, licensing and permitting fees, and dissemination of results.

Applications will be evaluated based on significance and scientific merit of the proposed research, relevance to PSG's mission, and potential impact of the requested funding. For details on eligibility and the application form, please visit the PSG Student Research Grants website.”

John Cooper, Emeritus ACAP Information Officer, 08 January 2026

“We are pleased to announce that the 4th International Conservation Translocation Conference (ICTC) will be held in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the Monday 7th to Wednesday 9th September 2026.

The conference is being organised by NatureScot, the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.  It is being hosted by the University of Edinburgh.  The venue will be the John McIntyre Conference Centre, University of Edinburgh, which can hold up to 300 delegates.  Accommodation will be available on site, close to the conference centre.

This event follows the successful 3rd International Conservation Translocation Conference held in Perth, Australia, in 2023.  This 4th Conference provides another opportunity for us to share the latest developments in conservation translocation management, research and innovation.

We are currently expecting to invite abstracts by early February 2026.  We also expect there to be some pre-conference workshops.”

The conference translocation theme fits well with that of “Habitat Restoration” chosen by ACAP for Work Albatross Day 2026, to be celebrated on 19 June.  Attempts to create new breeding colonies by translocating albatross eggs and chicks have been made for four species: Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes, Chatham Thalassoica eremita, Laysan P. immutabilis and Short-tailed P. albatrus with varying success (click here).  Translocation techniques have also been applied to a number of burrowing procellariiform species.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 07 January 2026

Black Petrel chick by Maureen Bennetts of ABUN for ACAP, after a photograph by Biz Bell

The Live Ocean Foundation has worked to help conserve the ACAP-listed and Vulnerable Black Petrel Procellaria parkinsoni, endemic to just two islands off New Zealand’s North Island  With only around 5000 breeding pairs remaining, the Black Petrel is considered to be one of New Zealand’s most at-risk seabirds, facing threats from fishing bycatch, predation, light pollution and habitat loss.  The project wished to raise funds for 20 GPS trackers to follow fledgling Black Petrels on their first migration and uncover why so few return.  

“This project aims to reverse the decline of the tākoketai black petrel population through tracking their migration, international collaboration, and advocacy.  By supporting long-term research, developing mitigation strategies, and building partnerships across the Pacific Flyway, Live Ocean and its partners aim to rebuild the population to enable future translocation into historic habitats.”

Biz Bell of Wildlife Management International writes “The ultimate goal is to chart a course for recovery and protection of this on the brink species, so that we might see their return to some former nesting sites right around the North Island.”

By the end of December, thanks to 100+ donors and matched funding from the BNZ Foundation, funding for over 49 GPS trackers for Black Petrels had been secured.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 06 January 2026 (updated)

The latest ACAP Infographic, for the Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus (Least Concern), the 21st to be produced in the series, is now available in the ACAP official languages of French and Spanish, as well as in English.  It has been sponsored by the Australian Antarctic Division.  It is the fourth to be produced for an ACAP-listed petrel, following those for the Least Concern Northern Giant Petrel M. halli, the Near Threatened Grey Petrel Procellaria cinerea and the Vulnerable White-chinned Petrel P. aequinoctialis.  The other 17 infographics are all for albatrosses.  It is also being produced in Portuguese, reflecting it is a regular visitor to Brazilian waters.

The ACAP Species Infographic series is designed to help inform the general public, including school learners, of the threats faced by albatrosses and what is being and can be done to combat them.  They serve to complement the more detailed and referenced ACAP Species Assessments, the concise and illustrated ACAP Species Summaries and the ACAP Photo Essay series.

The infographics produced to date may be freely downloaded at a high resolution to allow for printing professionally in two poster sizes (approximately A2 and A3).  English and Portuguese language versions of infographics are available to download here, whilst French and Spanish versions can be found in their respective language menus for the website under Infographies sur les espèces and Infographía sobres las especies.

Please note they are only being made available for personal use or when engaging in activities that will aid in drawing attention to the conservation crisis faced by the world’s albatrosses and petrels – when ACAP will be pleased to receive a mention.

The infographics are created by Thai illustrator Namasri ‘Namo’ Niumim from Bangkok.

With grateful thanks to ‘Pep’ Arcos and Maëlle Connan for the careful writing and editing texts in their home languages.

John Cooper, Emeritus ACAP Information Officer, 05 January 2026