Project Location: Sonora
Species Group: Seabirds
Habitat: Islands
Grantee: Conselva, Costas y Comunidades A.C.
Project Description
Isla San Pedro Mártir is a key site for seabirds in the Gulf of California. Colonies on this island are considered regionally and globally important, but colony size estimations were conducted over 30 years ago, without recent updates. Recent evidence indicates a drastic reduction of colony size for Brown and Blue-footed Boobies and Brown Pelican. Updated information is necessary to understand the situation and establish conservation and management actions. Although the protection and management of seabird colonies have been essential tools for their conservation, there are also limitations and threats in seabird foraging areas. In order to improve management and designation of protected areas, researchers need to know where birds are foraging. The objectives of this project are to: 1) assess colony size for San Pedro Mártir breeding seabirds in 2021; 2) Characterize foraging zones of Brown and Blue-footed Boobies to identify marine areas of high conservation value, and 3) Report results to CONANP and jointly establish a plan that ensures the conservation of San Pedro Martir’s seabird colonies.