Wisdom (Z333, right) with her current mate red EX25 in November 2025, photograph by Dan Rapp

US Fish & Wildlife Service staff based on Midway Atoll have confirmed that Wisdom, the world’s oldest known Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis, now in her mid-seventies, did not lay an egg in the 2025/26 breeding season,  The septuagenarian has been visiting the atoll intermittently during the current season, including a visit in late December, and has met up with her most recent mate, colour banded red EX25 (click here).

“It’s important to note that Laysan albatrosses commonly skip breeding every 2–3 years, so this pause is a normal part of their life history—not a sign that Wisdom’s remarkable parenting story has come to an end” (information from the Facebook page of the Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge).

Read more about Wisdom in numerous articles posted to ACAP Latest News over the last decade or so.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 09 January 2026

“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)