A Laysan Albatross chick among dense Verbesina on Midway Atoll, photograph by US Fish & Wildlife Service, 2023

In May 2000 I spent a week with other attendees on the USA’s Midway Atoll after the Second Albatross and Petrel Conference, held in Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.  An abiding memory is of the huge numbers of Laysan Albatrosses Phoebastria immutabilis, seemingly everywhere over the atoll, including a courting pair (presumably pre-breeders) right below my ground-floor bedroom window (left open for the heat), that shouted at each other all night long.  Another memory was of the late-season thickets of the invasive Golden Crownbeard Verbesina encelioides, among which the Black-footed P. nigripes and Laysan Albatrosses bred on both the atoll’s Eastern and Sand Islands.  Native to the American mainland it is an alien on the Northwestern Hawaiian islands where it occurs, including Midway (where thought introduced in the 1930s) and Kure Atolls (click here).  Adult albatrosses can get their wings caught in its branches and the dense vegetation blocks cooling sea breezes, creating oven-like conditions for their chicks, putting them at risk of death from dehydration.  Eradication efforts began in the late 1990s (click here), but in 2000 when I visited there were still extensive stands of the plant on Sand Island.

Since my visit, use of hand-sprayed herbicides in the mid-2010s and the removal of plants has greatly changed the appearance of the albatross breeding flats, as these two photographs taken on Midway’s Eastern Island 12 years apart testify.

Dense stands of Verbesina stretch to the horizon on Midway’s Eastern Island in 2011, photograph by Pete Leary/USFWS

Photograph taken from the same spot with no Verbesina in sight in 2023, by Jon Brack

However, despite earlier claims of eradication being imminent, the abiding seedbank on both Midway islands has required the ongoing removal of emerging seedlings and hidden plants, as reported last September by the Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Reserve (FOMA).

“For over 20 years, with several million dollars invested by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), with FOMA's additional support, the effort to eradicate invasive Verbesina encelioides and other incipient weeds from Midway Atoll has steadily advanced—and today, we’re closer than ever.  This highly invasive, non-native plant once threatened vital seabird nesting habitat. But thanks to dedicated staff and volunteers, the number of plants found each year continues to decline.  A key breakthrough?  Targeting the persistent seedbank hidden in Midway’s sandy soils—an approach that’s proving eradication is possible.”

Watch a short video of FOMA volunteers pulling out small Verbesina plants among Laysan Albatrosses on Midway’s Sand Island, and another video hunting for and removing seedlings from among natural vegetation.

Eradicating alien plants on islands that support breeding populations of ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels fits well within this year’s theme of “Habitat Restoration” for World Albatross Day on 19 June.  ACAP Latest News will be pleased to hear of other attempts to eradicate invasive plants at localities where ACAP-listed albatrosses and petrels breed.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 11 June 2026

The following information comes from Lindsay Young, Chair, World Seabird Union.

“We are excited to see so many of you joining us in Hobart, Tasmania, or online from 7–11 September 2026.  On behalf of the World Seabird Union, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Pacific Seabird Group (PSG) for its partnership and support in co-hosting the hybrid component of the 4th World Seabird Conference (WSC4).  PSG's commitment to accessibility and global participation has helped ensure that colleagues from around the world can engage with the conference regardless of their ability to travel- we already have more than 30 countries represented in our preliminary registration numbers!  But we'd love to see more of you coming to join us.  Here is some additional information in case you're on the fence:

Key Information

• Early-bird registration closes 12 June 2026
  • Attend in person in Hobart, Tasmania, or participate virtually
  • More than 630 abstracts were submitted- we've got an awesome scientific programme
  • Register here
  • To view the draft programme and preliminary speaker list here.

The conference will feature plenary presentations from an outstanding group of speakers, including Dave Anderson, Karen Baird, John Croxall, Petra Quillfeldt and Graeme Taylor

For those unable to travel to Tasmania, WSC4 offers a comprehensive virtual attendance option, allowing participants to engage with conference content and discussions from anywhere in the world.

If photography is your passion, don't forget that the WSU Seabird Photo Contest is currently accepting entries until 1 August 2026.

We look forward to connecting with you all in Hobart and online this September!”

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 10 June 2026

Two Shy Albatrosses sit on their artificial nests on Albatross Island; the birds behind are natural mud nests they have made, photograph by Matthew Newton, WWF Australia

Here follows a report of efforts to improve the breeding success of Near Threatened Shy Albatrosses Thalassarche cauta that falls directly within the theme of “Habitat Restoration” for World Albatross Day on 19 June 2026.

“The Shy albatross (Thalassarche cauta) is listed as Vulnerable under the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995.  It is unique to Tasmania, breeding exclusively on three offshore islands: Albatross Island in western Bass Strait and Pedra Branca and the Mewstone south of Tasmania. The total population is estimated to be around 15 000 annual breeding pairs.

Shy albatross populations have been studied since the 1980s by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (Marine Conservation Program) and in partnership with the CSIRO has been working to understanding how shy albatross will be impacted by climate change in the short and long-term. We aim to use this knowledge to identify practical on-ground adaptation options that will help buffer the species against negative effects.

Potential adaptation options include building wind breaks, tr uanslocations, building artificial nests, reducing disease and reducing bycatch from fisheries. Each option will vary in its magnitude of benefit and act upon different components of the population demographics (through one or more of chick, juvenile or adult survival, and breeding success).

Albatross make nests using mud surrounding the nest area, in which they lay one egg. Higher nests have higher chick survival than low nests.  One of the options we tested to help shy albatross was to supply them with artificial nests made of air-blown concrete. These nests keep the egg and chick out of the mud. In our trial of using more than 100 artificial nests, chick survival was almost three times higher compared to natural nests.

Testing these adaptation options is helping both birds and conservation managers to prepare and cope with a warmer world and provides options to keep larger populations of these magnificent birds.”

Read more about the artificial albatross nests on Albatross Island here and here.

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

Attendees at the 15th Meeting of the ACAP Advisory Committee, Swakop Plaza Hotel, Swakopmund, Namibia, photograph by Wiesława Misiak

Wings reach over swells,
thirteen nations keep the watch,
the albatross glides

The AI-generated “HAIku” comes from the closing remarks of the AC15 Chair, Dr Michael Double

Following Thursday’s outing to Walvis Bay last week, the fifth day of the 15th Meeting of the ACAP Advisory Committee (AC15) in Swakopmund, Namibia was allocated to adopting the final report.  The Secretariat had spent Thursday completing a draft for comment by the attending delegates and observers and by Friday morning a clean version was available for adoption.  In the event, the whole day was not required, and with the report adopted section by section under the Chair of Dr Michael Double, AC15 was wrapped up by the afternoon tea break.  Once Parties have signed off the final report, it will be posted to this website.

Antonella Carminati Woll (Argentina), Elisa Goya Sueyoshi (Peru), Helena Moreno Colera (Spain) and Patricia Pereira Serafini (Brazil) at an AC15 evening reception hosted by Namibia, photograph by John Cooper

During the week, Chief Officers who chair the Advisory Committee and convene the working groups were all re-elected.  Dr, Johannes Fischer (Department of Conservation, New Zealand) joined the existing officers as a Vice-Convenor of the Population and Conservation Status Working Group (PaCSWG), following being nominated by the United Kingdom and seconded by Brazil.

Where the next meeting of the Advisory Committee should be held is always an important matter to decide before the end of the meeting.  Chile offered to host AC16 in August or September 2027, in Punta Arenas in Southern Patagonia.  The Advisory Committee thanked Chile and warmly welcomed the offer.  Advisor to Chile’s Delegation, Mr Luis Adasme (Instituto de fomento pesquero, IFOP), then showed a one-minute video entitled “Punta Arenas & Nature” to whet the attendees’ appetites.  A draft agenda for AC16 was reviewed by the Advisory Committee and will be forwarded to AC members for their consideration in advance of the meeting.

The Africa contingent at AC15.  Namibia’s Head of Delegation and meeting host, Ms Graça Bauleth D’Almeida, Director: Resources Management, Directorate: Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Research, Namibia Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, is in the centre in a white jacket, photograph by Makhudu Masotla

Following the formal adoption of the AC15 report, Michael Double closed the meeting with a vote of thanks to the Namibian hosts, also offering his thanks to his Vice Chair, Tatiana Neves (Brazil), all the Chief Officers, and the Secretariat.

Another AI effort by the Advisory Committee Chair, Dr Michael Double to accompany his closing remarks

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 08 June 2026