Our recent research underscores the importance of seabirds as linkers between islands, marine environments, and human communities. Seabirds transfer nutrients from marine environments to terrestrial ecosystems, significantly influencing biodiversity and ecosystem health. This complex relationship is known as the circular seabird economy. Yet it illustrates the profound interlinkages among seabirds, their habitats, and the communities that rely on them.
Additionally, seabirds are important agents of nutrient transfer. Their guano, or bird poop, supports enormous productivity on island terrestrial habitats and in adjacent offshore marine ecosystems. These nutrients contribute to vigorous plant growth and support healthy marine life. This example demonstrates that the ecosystem influence of seabirds spans much greater scales than originally assumed. Almost one in three seabird species are on the path toward extinction. In addition to being an incredibly alarming statistic, this is a clear call-to-arms for conservation efforts.
The Circular Seabird Economy
To us, the idea of a circular seabird economy perfectly sums up the way seabirds help spread and recycle nutrients from ocean to land and back again. Seabirds are thus biological pumps, processing marine prey and returning to land to breed. They carry critical nutrients, fostering lush island ecosystems that are frequently fragile due to their isolation.
“Seabirds function as biological pumps, consuming prey in the ocean and transferring large quantities of nutrients to their breeding grounds on land,” – Dr. Holly Jones
Over time, the loss of seabird populations can sever these nutrient flows, causing declines in the health of both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Islands, where the vast majority of our seabird species breed, are incredibly important biodiversity hotspots. The removal of these bird populations reduces the rich diversity of terrestrial plants, while having a dramatic downward spiral effect on marine communities.
Researchers call for more holistic actions to fully understand the widespread impacts that seabirds can have. Despite these advances, numerous marine impacts related to seabirds are still understudied, creating knowledge gaps that prevent the development of effective, strategic conservation action.
“Seabirds influence ecosystems across vast spatial scales, yet many of their marine impacts remain understudied. This paper identifies key knowledge gaps and calls for more integrated research to understand how seabirds support ecosystem function from ridge to reef,” – Dr. Casey Benkwitt
Cultural Significance of Seabirds
Seabirds are not just ecological players, they are immensely culturally important in Indigenous societies worldwide. Indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge of seabirds needs to play a larger role. Traditional scientific paradigms have consistently failed to account for these rich local perspectives.
“Seabirds are intimately tied to many cultures around the world, yet Indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge have largely been sidelined by dominant forms of science. Future research should seek a more holistic approach that weaves in indigenous perspectives on the circular seabird economy,” – Laura-Li Jeannot
This misalignment of scientific research and indigenous thought closes the door on possibilities for cooperative conservation initiatives. The inclusion of traditional knowledge can improve ecosystem management practices and foster more sustainable human-seabird interactions.
Restoration Efforts and Future Directions
Protection and restoration initiatives for threatened seabird populations have the potential to play an important role in building ecosystem resilience. With focused effort on removing invasive species and reconnecting nutrient flows, conservationists can expand the scale of these success stories and return your island and marine systems to health.
“We now have the science to show that seabird restoration is one of the most effective tools for ecosystem recovery. By removing invasive species and reconnecting nutrient flows, we can restore island and marine systems at scale—and deliver lasting benefits for biodiversity,” – Stephanie Borrelle
By pursuing these restoration efforts, communities can enjoy a variety of benefits. These nutrient flows from restored seabird populations directly feed coral growth and increase fish biomass as well. These improvements help make marine environments more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
“These nutrient flows, when they leach back into surrounding waters, support coral growth, bolster fish biomass, and enhance the resilience of marine ecosystems to the effects of climate change,” – Professor Nick Graham