The Kaua’i Albatross Network is dedicated to helping preserve the vitality of the globally Near Threatened Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis and promoting safe habitat on which this magnificent bird depends.  It serves as a resource to promote safe nesting habitat for Laysan Albatrosses and other native birds by respectful cooperation with private landowners, government agencies, scientists, businesses, schools, and conservation organizations on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i.  Founded in 2010, the network maintains active links with key individuals in organizations such as the American Bird Conservancy, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Hawai`i Wildlife Center, The Nature Conservancy, The Safina Center, Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, Save our Shearwaters, State of Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources, United States Fish and Wildlife Service and more.  Among its priorities are to promote safe nesting habitat on Kaua’i; collect banding data and overall nesting success on private rural lands on Kaua’i; participate in predator control efforts; and publish photos and stories about Laysan Albatrosses – by way of books, videos and an active Facebook page.

Hob Osterlund on Kaua'i

The network was founded by renowned author and photographer, Hob Osterlund, a sixth-generation Hawai`i resident living on Kaua’i,  Hob has written to ACAP Latest News in support of this year’s inauguration of a World Albatross Day on 19 June: “The Kaua’i Albatross Network is excited about supporting World Albatross Day.  We had already booked events to help celebrate.  As for all of us, the formats made need adjustment, but our enthusiasm is constant.”

Holy Mōli: Albatross and Other Ancestors

Read ACAP Latest News’ review of Hob’s 2016 book Holy Mōli: Albatross and Other Ancestors.  She has also produced an award-winning eight-minute video, Kalama’s Journey, that tracks the hatching and growing up of a Laysan Albatross chick on Kauai that had been filmed by a live-streaming ‘bird cam’.

ALN looks forward to reporting on what Hob and the network get up to come 19 June. Whatever it might be in these difficult times of COVID-19, expect some good photography!

With thanks to Hob Osterlund.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 18 May 2020

Pink-footed Shearwater, photograph by Peter Hodum

Pablo García-Díaz (Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand) and colleagues have published in the journal Environmental Conservation on effects of introduced European Rabbits on globally Vulnerable (and ACAP-listed) Pink-footed Shearwaters Ardenna creatopus.

The abstract follows:

“Alien species are a driver of biodiversity loss, with impacts of different aliens on native species varying considerably. Identifying the contributions of alien species to native species declines could help target management efforts.  Globally, seabirds breeding on islands have proven to be highly susceptible to alien species.  The breeding colonies of the  pink-footed shearwater (Ardenna creatopus) are threatened by the negative impacts of alien mammals. We combined breeding monitoring data with a hierarchical model to separate the effects of different alien mammal assemblages on the burrow occupancy and hatching success of the pink-footed shearwater in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile.  We show that alien mammals affected the rates of burrow occupancy, but had little effect on hatching success.  Rabbits produced the highest negative impacts on burrow occupancy, whereas the effects of other alien mammals were more uncertain.  In addition, we found differences in burrow occupancy between islands regardless of their alien mammal assemblages.  Managing rabbits will improve the reproductive performance of this shearwater, but research is needed to clarify the mechanisms by which alien mammals affect the shearwaters and to explain why burrow occupancy varies between islands.”

Reference:

García-Díaz, P., Hodum, P., Colodro, V., Hester, M. & Carle, R.D. 2020.  Alien mammal assemblage effects on burrow occupancy and hatching success of the vulnerable pink-footed shearwater in Chile.  Environmental Conservation  doi.org/10.1017/S0376892920000132.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 17 May 2020

The Pelagic Ecology Lab (Pelagicos) at the Hawai’i Pacific University on the Hawaiian island of Oahu focuses on the ecology and conservation of large marine vertebrates (seabirds, mammals, turtles and predatory fishes).  Our applied research seeks to incorporate an understanding of natural history and oceanography into the design of management strategies for highly mobile species and their dynamic habitats.  To this end, undergraduate and graduate students have studied the distribution, movements, diet and plastic ingestion of North Pacific albatrosses.  Our work includes performing necropsies of naturally deceased birds and sorting their boluses.  We also use the results of our research to stimulate awareness and stewardship for seabirds and their oceanic habitats.

Albatross huggers Pelagicos graduate Ilana Nimz, David Golden & David Hyrenbach pose proudly with an image of Wisdom, Midway Atoll's 69-something Laysan Albatross Laysan Albatross – marine debris collage.  Courtesy of Pelagicos graduate student Jenn Urmston

ACAP Latest News reached out to Lab Leader David Hyrenbach to gain his laboratory’s support for the inaugural World Albatross Day on 19 June.  He writes in return: “Albatrosses are resourceful and superbly adapted to live in the vast oceanic environment, ranging over 1000s of kilometres in search for widely dispersed prey.  Unfortunately, the same traits that make albatrosses consummate ocean voyagers, also make them susceptible to anthropogenic impacts from longline fisheries and marine pollution.  World Albatross Day is an ideal way to raise public awareness and stewardship for albatrosses.  Let's give these big birds some love!”

Pelagicos joins several other academic institutions working with seabirds in supporting World Albatross Day (click here).

David Hyrenbach, Pelagicos Lab, Hawai’i Pacific University, Oahu with John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 16 May 2020

Bird-scaring line in action, photograph from Dimas Gianuca

Stephanie Good (Centre for Ecology & Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK) and colleagues have reviewed 16 existing National Plans of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (NPOA-Seabirds) in the journal Biological Conservation.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Fisheries bycatch is one of the biggest threats to seabird populations.  Managers need to identify where and when bycatch occurs and ensure effective action. In 1999, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations released the International Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries (IPOA-s) encouraging states to voluntarily assess potential seabird bycatch problems and implement a National Plan of Action (NPOA) if needed. However, the IPOA-s is ambiguous about the steps and objectives, diminishing its value as a conservation tool.

We reviewed NPOAs to identify approaches taken to determine whether seabird bycatch is problematic, how bycatch minimisation and population objectives are set, and if thresholds are specified for managing impacts.  Our aim was to recommend measures for improving consistency and effectiveness in future NPOAs and other management frameworks for seabirds, with relevance for other threatened marine vertebrates including sharks, turtles, pinnipeds and cetaceans.  Globally, 16 NPOAs have been published, but few effectively linked seabird bycatch risk, objectives and management.  However, we identified the following best-practice elements that could improve NPOA design: (1) defining explicit risk criteria and methods to assess bycatch problems; (2) setting specific and measurable objectives for minimising bycatch and achieving desired population status; and (3) defining fishery-specific thresholds to trigger management action linked to the population objective. Consistent adoption of NPOA best practice, particularly in states that have not already developed an NPOA, would help to mitigate bycatch threats and ensure fisheries do not reduce the viability of seabird populations.”

Reference:

Good, S.D., Baker, G.B., Gummery, M., Votier, S.C. & Phillips, R.A. 2020.  National Plans of Action (NPOAs) for reducing seabird bycatch: Developing best practice for assessing and managing fisheries impacts.  Biological Conservation  Vol. 247.  doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108592.

John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 15 May 2020