Graphical abstract from the publication

Jumpei Okado (Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Japan) with many coauthors have analysed blood mercury concentrations in more than 11 215 seabirds across 108 species, six of them albatrosses and 32 of other species within the Procellariiformes, publishing open access in the journal Science of The Total Environment.

“It provides the first biologically based estimate of mercury distribution in the ocean.  The study shows that mercury levels in seabirds vary with prey trophic level, body weight, and foraging depth.”

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Mercury (Hg) is a global contaminant that biomagnifies in marine food webs. Seabirds can serve as valuable bioindicators of marine Hg pollution due to their high trophic positions and broad distributions. However, the biological and spatial drivers of variation in seabird Hg levels remain unclear, and few studies have validated whether seabird-derived estimates of the spatial distribution of Hg are consistent with predictions from biogeochemical-ocean models. We conducted a global meta-analysis of total Hg (THg) concentrations in adult seabird blood. Based on our own fieldwork and a literature review, we compiled 478 mean THg values from 108 species representing >11,000 individuals. Blood THg increased in species feeding at higher trophic levels, with larger body mass, and those more likely to consume mesopelagic prey in oceanic waters. Additionally, blood THg might further increase in regions with low chlorophyll-a level, likely due to greater methylmercury uptake in areas with low-productivity. We subsequently developed models to predict global spatial variation in seabird blood THg, either from all species or only epipelagic prey feeders. Only our epipelagic prey feeder-based model showed a weak significant positive correlation with THg in particulate organic matter from biogeochemical-ocean models. However, the low correlation coefficient (r = 0.23) indicates potential discrepancies between the two models. We suggest that future studies adopt our integrative approach, combining biological data and large-scale modeling, to improve our understanding of global marine Hg pollution. Together, these findings clarify the biological and environmental drivers of Hg exposure in seabirds and highlight the value of seabirds for global monitoring of marine Hg pollution.”

With thanks to the World Seabird Union.

Reference:

Okado, J. et al. 2026.  Global drivers of variation in blood mercury of seabirds revealed by a meta-analysis.  Science of the Total Environment 1014. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181317.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 23 April 2026

Sonya Pastron (Environment and Climate Change Canada, Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada) and colleagues have published in the open access online journal Marine Ornithology on the ACAP-listed and Vulnerable Pink-footed Shearwater Ardenna creatopus in Canadian waters, showing the species’ at-sea distribution correlates with latitude and the continental shelf break.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Anthropogenic activities are threatening global marine ecosystems, with seabirds representing a vulnerable group that has experienced pronounced population declines in recent decades.  The ability to identify important marine areas for vulnerable seabirds is fundamental to conservation initiatives.  The Pink-footed Shearwater Ardenna creatopus (listed as Endangered in Canada) breeds only in Chile, but during the non-breeding season, it ranges northward to waters off Canada's Pacific coast and the northern Gulf of Alaska.  Using at-sea survey data spanning from 1992 to 2019, we examined the relationship between the species' distribution and environmental variables using a two-step generalized additive model approach.  Cross-validation with out-of-sample testing showed high predictive accuracy for shearwater occurrence (area under receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.94) and moderate performance for relative abundance predictions (Spearman's rank correlation = 0.32, root mean square error = 3.92, mean absolute error = 0.45) at a 4-km² resolution. The results give us confidence in the model's ability to identify areas suitable for Pink-footed Shearwaters.  Distribution was strongly associated with several oceanographic and geographic factors, particularly latitude and distance to the continental shelfbreak.  The findings of this study may help inform marine conservation efforts within Canada's Pacific exclusive economic zone and beyond.”

Reference:

Pastran, S.A., O’Hara, P.D., Morgan, K.H., Fox, C.H., & Gross, W.E. 2026.  Predicting suitable marine habitat for Pink-footed Shearwaters Ardenna creatopus in the waters along the Pacific coast of Canada.  Marine Ornithology 54: 109-123.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 22 April 2026

The valley peatland study site on Bird Island in the South Atlantic

Chuxian Li (Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden) and many colleagues have published in the open access journal PNAS on a study which indicates that contemporary intensified westerly winds may cause steep declines in Southern Ocean seabird populations.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“The Southern Ocean is home to vast seabird populations and threatened species.  To understand the wider impact of the catastrophic decline in many seabird populations over recent decades, we need knowledge of their long-term population dynamics under natural climate variability.  We do this by studying mercury flux and stable isotope fingerprints in seabird excrement (guano) that has accumulated in peatland archives around the nest sites.  We find that oscillations in peat mercury accumulation reflect guano inputs and therefore seabird abundance.  The peat records suggest that seabirds thrived when the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds were less intense.  From a past to future perspective, our study indicates that contemporary intensified westerly winds may cause further steep declines in Southern Ocean seabird populations.”

With thanks to Richard Phillips.

Reference:

Li, C. et al. 2026.  Southern Ocean seabird population shifts over the Holocene revealed by peat sequestration of mercury from guano.  PNAS 123 (16) e253368112.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 21 April 2026

A Wandering Albatross guards its chick on Marion Island, artwork by Lea Finke of Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day 2020, after a photograph by Michelle Risi

Etienne Rouby (Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA) and colleagues have published in the Journal of Animal Ecology on how demographic factors and environment influence age at first reproduction of Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans

The paper’s abstract follows:

“1.  Age at first reproduction is an important life-history trait that marks the beginning of reproductive allocation in long-lived organisms and drives patterns of life-history strategies. Demographic factors and environmental conditions likely affect age at first reproduction through multiple pathways: food resources availability and energy storage from birth to recruitment, competition for breeding sites and mate availability.

2.  Using a unique 35-year dataset of individual-based mark–recapture data from a wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) population at Crozet (southern Indian Ocean), we investigated how demographic factors and environment influence age at first reproduction. The population experienced major fluctuations, declining by 50% in the 1970s before partially recovering in the 1980s. It was also exposed to important environmental changes, including variations in large-scale climate phenomena and changes in subtropical anticyclone systems like the Mascarene high pressure system.

3.  We used multi-event hidden Markov models to estimate age-specific survival and breeding probabilities for each sex separately. From these models, we estimated the age at first reproduction through absorbing Markov chains while accounting for imperfect detection. We investigated how demographic factors (population density at birth and mate availability at recruitment) and environmental conditions (at birth and recruitment) influenced age at first reproduction through their effects on survival and breeding probabilities.

4.  Age at first reproduction declined across cohorts for both sexes from 1970 to the mid-1980s, then stabilized. Females recruited at 9.0 years in early cohorts versus 7.5 years in later ones; males declined from 10.2 to 9.2 years. Environmental conditions at birth, particularly the El Niño Southern Oscillation and the Mascarene high, influenced recruitment timing through delayed effects of natal condition on breeding probability rather than survival. Mate availability strongly facilitated earlier recruitment in both sexes, while natal population density delayed male recruitment specifically.

5.  Recruitment timing in wandering albatrosses is shaped primarily by developmental programming during the natal period rather than by immediate environmental triggers at sexual maturity, with mate availability and population density modulating these early-life effects in sex-specific ways. Given that recruitment is an important life-history event linked to population-level reproductive rates, accurate demographic projections require models accounting for cohort-specific effects under changing environments.”

With thanks to Karine Delord

Reference:

Rouby, E., Van de Walle, J., Plard, F., Delord, K., Aubry, L.M., Barbraud, C., Bonnet, T., Henri Weimerskirch, H. & Jenouvrier, S. 2026.  Drivers of age at first reproduction in the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans): demographic factors, environmental conditions and sex-specific responses.  Journal of Animal Ecology doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.70249.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 20 April 2026

Graphical abstract from the publication

Joana Fragão (Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Portugal) and colleagues have published open access in the Journal of Hazardous Materials on microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in seven species of sub-Antarctic seabirds that breed on Bird Island in the South Atlantic, including the ACAP-listed Wandering Diomedea exulans, Black-browed Thalassarche melanophris and Grey-headed Albatross T. chrysostoma Albatrosses and the White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Despite the remoteness of their breeding sites, subantarctic seabirds are susceptible to anthropogenic pollutants (e.g. microplastics) and other chemical stressors (e.g. plastic additives) that are released from ships and research stations, arrive in ocean currents, are transported in the atmosphere, or are ingested when the birds feed north of the Antarctic Polar Front.  In this study, we investigated the presence and levels of microplastics and several groups of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in adults or chicks of seven seabird species breeding at the subantarctic islands of South Georgia.  A total of 1275 anthropogenic particles were recovered in the gastrointestinal tracts of 76 seabirds, with a frequency of occurrence of 97.4%, a mean value of 16.78 ± 18.79 particles per individual and of 0.03 ± 0.03 particles/g body weight.  Ten percent (n = 130 particles) of the particles were identified chemically using microFTIR spectroscopy, of which 59% were synthetic, 18% were natural, 19% were anthropogenic unknown and 4% were anthropogenic cellulosic.  Of the EDCs, only polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) congeners occurred at levels above the limit of quantification.  Liver samples consistently exhibited the highest concentrations of both contaminant groups.  The highest concentrations of PBDEs were in adult brown skuas (133.96 ng/g) and of MeO-PBDEs were in wandering albatross chicks (6.50 ng/g).  This research provides evidence of plastics and plastic additives in subantarctic seabirds, underscoring the need to strengthen measures aimed at reducing marine pollution.”

Reference:

Fragão, J., Manno, C., Phillips, R.A., Cunha, S.C., Fernandes, J.O., Batista de Carvalho, L.A.E., Marques, M.P.M., Xavier, J.C. & Bessa, F. 2026.  Co-occurrence of microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in subantarctic seabirds.  Journal of Hazardous Materials 509 doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.14201.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 17 April 2026

“One of these chicks is not like the other”, photograph from Pacific Rim Conservation

Since 2015 the environmental NGO, Pacific Rim Conservation, has been working to create a new seabird colony safe from predicted sea level rise on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.  By translocating chicks and hand-rearing them, four species have commenced to breed within the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge.  They are the Black-footed Phoebastria nigripes and Laysan P. immutabilis Albatrosses, the Bonin Petrel Pterodroma hypoleuca and Tristram’s Storm Petrel Hydrobates tristrami (click here).

This year, ACAP’s chosen theme for World Albatross Day on 19 June 2026 is “Habitat Restoration”, which includes the establishment of new breeding colonies by attraction techniques and translocations of eggs and chicks.  At a number of translocation sites, adult decoys have been placed to attract passing adult albatrosses to land (click here), including in the James Campbell NWR.  However, new to ACAP Latest News is the use of chick decoys for the same purpose, as Pacific Rim Conservation explains on its Facebook page:

“Our mōlī (Laysan Albatross) chicks are growing up fast and exploring their surroundings. This fuzzy little one found its way over to our chick decoys.  You may already know about our usual social attraction tools (like solar-powered sound systems and adult seabird decoys), but a few years ago we added chick decoys into the mix to help make the colony even more inviting.  Along with tracking nest activity and courtship behavior, our team keeps an eye on how albatross chicks and adults interact with our decoys.

The decoy on the right [of the above photograph] was handcrafted by our Executive Director, Dr. Eric VanderWerf, using a plastic bowling pin and some shaggy carpet.  “We love a good conservation craft, and it looks like this chick does too”.”

Read past articles in ACAP Latest News about translocation efforts in the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge here.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 16 April 2026

Removing plastic fragments from a Flesh-footed Shearwater chick on Lord Howe Island, photograph by Ian Hutton

Alexander Bond (Bird Group, The Natural History Museum, Tring, United Kingdom) and Jennifer Lavers have published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology on the global significance of plastic pollution impacts on Near Threatened Flesh-footed or Sable Shearwaters Ardenna carneipes.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Plastic pollution is a pervasive global threat, yet population-level impacts on wildlife remain poorly resolved for most taxa.  Sable Shearwaters (Ardenna carneipes) offer a rare opportunity, exhibiting some of the highest documented plastic burdens of any seabird and demonstrating clear physiological and demographic harm even at low exposure levels.  Their case reveals that the widespread assumption of minimal plastic impact is largely founded on a lack of evidence rather than evidence of no effect, driven by the difficulty of detecting mortality and sublethal effects in complex marine systems.  Their shared life history and anatomical traits make their responses to plastics broadly indicative of what many species may experience as global plastic inputs continue to rise.  As international policy efforts stall, these findings highlight the urgency of anticipatory, rather than reactive, research and governance.  Extreme-exposure systems like Sable Shearwaters provide essential early warning signals that must inform rapid conservation and regulatory action.”

Reference:

Bond, A.L. & Lavers, J.J. 2026.  When absence of evidence is not evidence of absence: what an advanced case reveals about plastic impacts on seabirds.  Environmental Science & Technology doi.org/10.1021/acs.ujest.5c17272.

It is the 18th albatross infographic to be produced, leaving just four albatrosses to go.  It is also being produced in the official ACAP languages of French and Spanish.  These two versions are expected to be released soon.

"Guardians of the Pyramid: The Chatham Albatross” by Anju Rajesh of Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) for World Albatross Day, 19 June 2026 and its theme of “Habitat Restoration”

The ACAP Species Infographic series has been designed to help inform the public, including school learners, of the threats faced by albatrosses and petrels and what is being and can be done to combat them.  They serve to complement the more detailed and referenced ACAP Species Assessments, the concise and illustrated ACAP Species Summaries and the ACAP Photo Essay series.  English and (for some) Portuguese language versions of the infographics produced to date are available to download here.  French and Spanish versions can be found in their respective language menus for the website under Infographies sur les espèces and Infographía sobres las especies.

The 22 infographics produced to date may be freely downloaded at a high resolution to allow for printing professionally in two poster sizes (approximately A2 and A3).  Please note they are only being made available for personal use or when engaging in activities that will aid in drawing attention to the conservation crisis faced by the world’s albatrosses and petrels – when ACAP will be pleased to receive a mention.  They should not be used for personal gain.

It is intended to produce one more ACAP Species Infographics in the first half of this year in support of World Albatross Day on 19 June (“WAD2026”).  It will be for the Endangered Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos, endemic to the Tristan da Cunha islands, part of the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic.

The ACAP Species Infographics are all created by Thai illustrator Namasri ‘Namo’ Niumim from Bangkok.  Namo is a graduate of the School of Architecture and Design, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design.

With thanks to Mike Bell, David Boyle, Johannes Fischer, Jess MacKenzie and Chris Robertson for their valued help.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 14 April 2026

First photo from the Crozets?  Wandering Albatrosses on Possession Island, summer 1907/08, photograph by Anders Harboe Ree

Joanie Van de Walle (Département de biologie, chimie et géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Canada) and colleagues have published on boldness in Vulnerable Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans open access in the journal Oikos.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Population dynamics are shaped by individual differences. With a good understanding of the relationships between individual differences and vital rates, population models can be improved to yield more realistic and detailed demographic projections. Personality is expected to shape individual differences in performance. Yet, an empirical quantification of its impact on population dynamics is currently lacking. Here, we developed and analyzed a three-dimensional hyperstate population model that accounts for three sources of individual differences simultaneously in its structure: age, breeding state and boldness as a measure of personality. We parameterized our model using empirical demographic and boldness data on the wandering albatross Diomedea exulans population from Crozet. We quantified the relative importance of boldness through sensitivity analyses and simulations of increased strength of relationship between boldness and three vital rates (survival, breeding probability and breeding success). We showed that sensitivity of population growth rate to changes in vital rates followed the normal distribution of boldness within the population with population growth rate being less sensitive to changes in the vital rates of extreme shy or bold individuals. Our simulations showed that increasing the strength of the relationship between boldness and survival would yield the greatest shift in boldness distribution over time compared to breeding probability and breeding success. However, shifts in boldness distribution appeared constrained by the low heritability (< 0.2) value and the large variance in boldness in this population. Our study provides an important contribution to our understanding of the role of personality in shaping the population dynamics of wild species. In the face of global change, our approach offers a promising avenue to predict the potential for behavioral adaptation. More generally, our approach may help to unravel the complex interplay between individual variations in any (or many) traits and population dynamics.”

Reference:

Van de Walle, J., van Daalen, S., Patrick, S.C., Barbraud, C., Delord, K., Weimerskirch, H., Thorley, J. & Jenouvrier, S. 2026.  Linking differences in personality to demography in the wandering albatross.  Oikos doi.org/10.1002/oik.11765p.

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 13 April 2026

Balearic Shearwater by ABUN artist Mary Ann Stafford, watercolour and collage, after a photograph by Pep Arcos

Marina Ramírez-Bal (Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, Pasaia, Spain) and colleagues have published open access in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation on migration of the Critically Endangered Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus.  Their study shows that core non-breeding areas for the species are in the Bay of Biscay, outside the Mediterranaean and the western Iberian coast, inside it.

The paper’s abstract follows:

“Understanding the migratory patterns of declining species is essential to guide targeted conservation efforts. We studied the migratory dynamics of the critically endangered Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus) using geolocator data spanning 88 annual cycles from 53 individuals tracked between 2017 and 2022. Breeding birds were tagged at colonies across their main breeding islands in the Balearic archipelago (Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca). Post-breeding movements revealed distinct migratory routes: all individuals from Ibiza and Mallorca (n = 78) migrated to the Atlantic, whereas 80 % of those from Menorca (n = 10) remained within the Mediterranean. Among Atlantic migrants, 54 % established core non-breeding areas in the Bay of Biscay, 41 % in the Western Iberia, and 5 % in the Gulf of Cadiz. Of the 27 individuals tracked across multiple years, 89 % consistently returned to the same non-breeding area, demonstrating strong site fidelity. Duration of stay in these regions ranged from one to seven months, with earlier arrivals typically remaining longer. Migration timing was influenced by breeding success: failed breeders departed approximately one month earlier than successful ones. These results underscore the importance of long-term monitoring programmes in capturing individual-level migratory patterns. By revealing consistent use of specific non-breeding areas, such programmes help identify sites that are repeatedly important across both space and time. Enabled by biologging technology, these insights are invaluable for the conservation of declining species. Site-based conservation actions focused on key Atlantic areas could deliver tangible benefits during the non-breeding season.”

Reference:

Ramírez-Bal, M., García-Barón, I., García, D., Arcos, J.M., Carrasco, G., Lewin, P., Delord, K. & Louzao, M. 2026.  Individual migratory patterns of the critically endangered Balearic shearwater: A multi-colony and multi-year study in the NE Atlantic.  Global Ecology and Conservation 65.  e03989.

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