Scopoli's Shearwater, photograph by Pep Arcos

Nikolaos Simantiris (Department of Environment, Ionian University, Zakynthos, Greece) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Marine Environmental Research on determining bycatch hotspots for turtles and seabirds in the Mediterranean’s South Ionian Sea, including for Scopoli's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Bycatch, the incidental catch of non-target species, threatens marine megafauna such as sea turtles and sea birds in the Mediterranean region. Identifying bycatch hotspots is essential to guide mitigation measures and target audiences. In the Mediterranean Sea, South Ionian Sea in Greece is a major marine habitat, including critical nesting areas, for sea turtles, and an important breeding and foraging habitat for sea birds. This work combined methodologies to identify bycatch hotspots through a vulnerability assessment and questionnaire surveys utilising both scientific data and local ecological knowledge (LEK). The study determined the major bycatch hotspots for sea turtles and sea birds, evaluated the potential impact on both species, and discussed mitigation measures to reduce the impact of bycatch and effectively protect this economically and ecologically important ecosystem. Our approach and outcomes may well contribute to a science-based and LEK included, adaptive management framework regarding the establishment or revision of Marine Protected Areas in the study area and elsewhere across critical marine habitats for sea turtles and sea birds.”

With thanks to George Karris.

Reference:

Simantiris, N., Dimitriadis, C., Xirouchakis, S., Voulgaris, M.-D., Beka, E., Vardaki, M.Z. & Karris, G. 2025.  Combining methods for detection of bycatch hotspot areas of marine megafauna species in and around critical rookeries and foraging areas.  Marine Environmental Research 210, 107299.

Isla Alcatraz, Sonora, Mexico, photograph by Alexandra Edwards

The 2026 Annual Meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group will be held fully online over 23-27 February 2026.  It will have the theme “Seabirds: Connecting Oceans, Islands, and People”.

“We are excited to hold a fully online conference for the first time since 2021, and we hope that this meeting will increase access opportunities to all of [sic] our membership while reducing the environmental costs of our annual meeting.  A call for symposia and workshops, and for award nominations, is soon forthcoming.”

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 02 July 2025

“Illuminate Our Destiny”, this Black-footed Albatross breeding close to a Hawaiian shore is at risk to storm surges and sea level rise, by Apple Resonance of Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day 2023, after a photograph by Eric VanderWerf

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The U.S. Pacific Islands (USPIs) comprise a globally significant region for seabirds, with some of the largest and most diverse assemblages of tropical seabird species in the world. To help direct seabird conservation in USPIs, we conducted a survey of 75 regional seabird experts and compared results with our own technical risk assessments based on 14 scoring criteria for all 27 nonfederally listed seabird species with confirmed breeding populations in USPIs. Survey respondents identified 28 factors for ranking priority species for restoration. The 3 most cited were climate change vulnerability (36.0%), restricted distribution (10.5%), and presence of introduced predators (9.4%). They were also largely in agreement with the priority species identified in our technical risk assessment. Combining both assessments, the 5 species identified as being most in need of colony restoration projects were (in descending order) black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes), Polynesian storm-petrel (Nesofregetta fuliginosa), Tristram's storm-petrel (Hydrobates tristrami), Bonin petrel (Pterodroma hypoleuca), and Tahiti petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata). Respondents also identified 21 source colonies for translocation and 107 receptor sites for colony restoration. Our collaborative approach presented a unique opportunity to gain a collective insight into the perceived threats for seabirds throughout the region and identified priority species and potential sites for restoration projects. Furthermore, our study highlighted the fact that seabird experts across the region consider climate change and the resultant loss of low-lying seabird islands a primary conservation concern that increases the urgency of colony restoration projects on high islands across the USPIs.”

Reference:

Raine, A.F., Gregg, J., McFarlin, M., Driskill, S., Swift, R. & Raine, H. 2025.  Seabird restoration priorities for the U.S. Pacific Islands.  Conservation Biology doi.org/10.1111/cobi.70084.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 01 July 2025

The 12th Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Open Science Conference will be held in Oslo, Norway, from 10-14 August 2026, hosted by the Norwegian Polar Institute. The conference will feature an interdisciplinary programme that includes plenary lectures, parallel sessions, mini-symposia, workshops, panel discussions, posters, and social activities.

SCAR and the Norwegian Polar Institute invite you to express your interest  in proposing a

• New parallel session or convening a session from the draft list,
• mini-symposium,
• workshop,
• other event.

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute your expertise and insights and engage with the broader Antarctic research community.

The deadline for submitting your interest is 31 August 2025. Submission is open to proposals from all fields within Antarctic science, and we encourage innovative, cross-disciplinary sessions. If you wish to suggest a new event, please provide the title, a brief description, and the names of potential convenors or speakers.

Note that spaces for events are limited, and selections will be made based on the relevance and potential impact of the proposals.  Please submit your proposals here.

Satellite Events & Weekend Workshops (8–9 & 15–16 August 2026)

The weekends before and after the conference (8–9 August and 15–16 August) are available for hosting satellite events and additional workshops.  We encourage the entire Antarctic science community to use this opportunity to bring together their organisations, collaborations and teams.

Note that space is limited and will be reviewed first and then allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline to submit your expression of interest is 31 January 2026.

Please submit your proposals here.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 30 June 2025