“We are pleased to announce the 2026 SCAR [Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research]  Ant-ICON | SC-ATS science-policy fellowship programme for early-mid career researchers (EMCRs).  The aim of the fellowship programme is to provide the opportunity for EMCRs to gain experience in the science-policy interface from participating in Antarctic policy forums through the preparation and potential submission of a science/policy paper based on their research, in collaboration with SC-ATS. The fellowships are open to early-mid career researchers from all SCAR member countries. Preference will be given to researchers who have not previously participated in these meetings and are actively seeking to contribute.

The fellowship programme will fund two fellows in 2026 one to participate in the CEP/ATCM meetings in Hiroshima, Japan from 11-21 May 2026 (expected start date in January 2026), and one to participate in the SC-CAMLR/CCAMLR meetings in Hobart, TAS, Australia in October 2026 (expected start date in April/May 2026).  There may also be opportunities to participate in additional online meetings or activities related to these forums.”

The application deadline is 23 November 2025.

Find more information here.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 06 November 2025

 “Here’s looking at you”.  Masked Boobies, photograph from Island Conservation

Holly Jones (Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, USA) and colleagues have published a review article in the journal Nature Reviews Biodiversity on the “Circular Seabird Economy” – stated as a natural process where seabirds transfer nutrients from ocean to land and back again, shaping biodiversity and ecosystem health across vast scales.

The review article’s abstract follows:

“Nearly a third of seabird species are at risk of extinction, rendering them among the most threatened bird taxa globally.  The decline in seabird populations has major ramifications for their associated ecosystems.  An expansive literature covers seabird impacts on their breeding islands, and growing research expands understanding of the circular seabird economy — cross-ecosystem connections of seabirds from oceans to islands, and back to nearshore marine ecosystems, mainly driven by nutrient transfer.  Amid the twin biodiversity and climate crises, maintaining and restoring the circular seabird economy is one way to achieve large-scale, cross-ecosystem impacts with simple and time-tested conservation methods.  This Review summarizes researchers’ understanding of the circular seabird economy and outlines goals for future research.  Historically, research has focused on terrestrial impacts, with emerging research explicitly studying the cross-ecosystem impacts of seabirds.  We identify substantial knowledge gaps, with research needed to understand how the circular seabird economy changes with space, time, across biomes and with island size.  Emerging analytic and monitoring tools will help to propel this research forward.  Many coastal communities, especially Indigenous people, rely on seabirds for their livelihoods and cultural connections, and so taking a people-centred approach incorporating Indigenous knowledge and perspectives is critical moving forward.”

Reference:

Jones, H.P., Appoo, J., Benkwitt, C.E. et al. 2025.  The circular seabird economy is critical for oceans, islands and people.  Nature Reviews Biodiversity doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00099-w.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 05 November 2025

BirdLife Malta’s EU-funded LIFE PanPuffinus! Project, now in its last year, has aimed to protect two endemic and threatened Mediterranean seabirds, the Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan and the ACAP-listed and Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater P. mauretanicus, through a transboundary collaboration for joint large-scale conservation efforts.  The project has recently released a video:

“Seabird bycatch: How policy and collaboration drive change”

“Seabirds are vital to our marine ecosystems - but bycatch remains a serious threat.  In this video, José Manuel Marques (Director of Marine Environment and Sustainability Services at DGRM, Portugal), Cristina Rosa (Director of Natural Resources Services at the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services, DGRM, Portugal) and Adrien Lambrechts (Coordinator of the National Action Plan for the Balearic Shearwater at the French Biodiversity Agency, OFB) share how regulations, action plans, and technology are helping to tackle the challenge of bycatch.  This video was created as part of the LIFE PanPuffinus! project, which is working with fishers across the Mediterranean to trial mitigation measures and collect vital data on bycatch, while also engaging policymakers to reflect on solutions and influence change at a high level.  Through cross-border collaboration between policy makers, scientists, NGOs and fishers, the project is paving the way for lasting solutions to protect seabirds and our marine ecosystems.  LIFE PanPuffinus! is co-funded by the European Union.”

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 04 November 2025

Illustration from the  Friends of Midway Atoll

The introduction of StarLink has allowed a 24-hour live-streaming camera (“Midway Cam”) to be placed on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge by the Friends of Midway Atoll in early October to follow the breeding fortunes of the island’s Laysan Albatrosses Phoebastria immutabilis and other seabirds.  The first returning Laysan Albatrosses and Black-footed Albatrosses P. nigripes have already been spotted on the live cam.  Many Bonin Petrels Pterodroma hypoleuca can be seen after dark, as can the introduced – and unwelcome - House Mouse that still persist after a failed eradication attempt in 2023.

“Kuaihelani is the ancient Hawaiian name for Midway Atoll.  You will now be able to enjoy the full breeding cycle of the world’s largest breeding colony of Laysan (Mōlī) and black-footed (ka‘upu) albatross.  Starting in late October or early November, adult albatross will begin returning to Kuaihelani to reunite with their life-long mates.  During this time, courtship will abound with mates reuniting after their absence from the island for several months and soon thereafter copulating and building a nest for their single egg.  Mated pairs will soon settle into the exhausting effort of egg laying, incubation and then feeding their growing chicks until their eventual dispersal (fledging) to sea from late June to early August.  Soon after the mated pairs arrive and begin nesting, single, mostly younger birds arrive and spend months dancing and courting others in hopes of finding their forever mate.  Most of these birds return to the same vicinity where they were raised and will spend their lives breeding in the same neighbourhood as their parents.  You will see Laysan albatross across the viewshed and in the distance you will see scattered black-footed albatross, but you may also see at any time the endangered Laysan duck (koloa pōhaka), white terns (manu-o-Kū), Pacific golden-plovers (kolea), ruddy turnstones (ʻakekeke) and possibly overhead red-tailed tropicbirds (koaʻe ʻula) doing their magnificent aerial mating dance. After the albatross leave the island, we will reset the camera so that you may enjoy the nesting of white terns and other birds until the eventual return of the albatross. And don’t miss the evening spectacle as the Bonin petrels (nunulu) arrive by the thousands to attend to their nest sites in excavated underground burrows for most of the year.”

“To view at the highest quality: play the video, click the settings cog icon on the bottom-right of the video, then select quality 1080p”.

Kaewa reaches the Humboldt Current, illustration from the Royal Cam Community Discussion group

Over in New Zealand the “Royal Cam” at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head follows a breeding pair of globally Endangered Northern Royal Albatrosses Diomedea sanfordi each season.  The camera’s 2024/25 chick "Kaewa" has fledged and has been tracked on  a 41-day flight across the Pacific to the Chilean coast of South America via GPS with updates of its position posted to Facebook and to here.   A competition is held each year to name the Royal Cam chick.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 03 November 2025