Circumpolar Seabird Monitoring Plan

Abstract

This Circumpolar Seabird Monitoring Plan is intended to monitor populations of selected Arctic seabird species, in one or more Arctic countries; to monitor, as appropriate, survival, diets, breeding phenology, and productivity of seabirds in a manner that allows changes to be detected; to provide circumpolar information on the status of seabirds to the management agencies of Arctic countries, in order to broaden their knowledge beyond the boundaries of their country thereby allowing management decisions to be made based on the best available information; to inform the public through outreach mechanisms as appropriate; to provide information on changes in the marine ecosystem by using seabirds as indicators; to quickly identify areas or issue in the Arctic ecosystem such as declining biodiversity or environmental pressures to target further research and plan management and conservation measures.