Protecting Birds in a Changing Ocean: How Marine IBAs Can Guide Ocean Planning

Yearly, birds journey extraordinary distances to achieve the productive coastal waters of California, the place they rely upon important marine and coastal habitats acknowledged as Essential Fowl Areas (IBAs). Sooty Shearwaters undertake considered one of Earth’s longest migrations, breeding in New Zealand earlier than crossing the huge Pacific Ocean to feed in locations like Monterey Bay, the place they forage offshore throughout the Piedras Blancas Marine IBA close to Cambria. Elegant Terns journey as far south as Chile, however some first feast in locations like Aramburu Island in Richardson Bay, a part of Audubon’s sanctuary, and nest and forage throughout the Palos Verdes Marine IBA, an space that helps an estimated two p.c of the worldwide inhabitants. IBAs are far more than strains on a map—they replicate unbelievable fowl journeys and assist us shield the locations birds like Sooty Shearwaters and Elegant Terns rely upon all through their outstanding migration cycle.

What are Essential Fowl Areas (IBAs)?

Essential Fowl Areas are websites recognized utilizing a world standardized, science-based standards that acknowledge locations important for breeding, migrating, and wintering birds. The worldwide IBA program was established by BirdLife Worldwide in 1979 and managed by the Nationwide Audubon Society within the U.S. because the early Nineteen Nineties. Now 14,000 IBAs have been acknowledged throughout 200 international locations, and Audubon has helped set up 2,800 throughout the U.S (read more about IBAs here)

These IBAs determine habitats that assist important populations of birds, whether or not breeding colonies, migratory stopover websites, or wealthy feeding areas within the ocean. Utilized by Audubon conservation groups, scientists, coverage specialists, and chapters in addition to federal businesses and NGOs, IBAs are a strong software to information conservation priorities on a neighborhood to hemispheric scale. These important areas are referenced in every thing from Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and fishery rules to national monument designations.

Why California’s Marine IBAs Matter

California’s coastal and offshore waters kind one of many world’s richest marine ecosystems, formed by ocean situations that create productive habitats. Monterey Bay, for instance, has a deep submarine canyon and seasonal upwelling that, mixed with the southward flowing California Present, brings chilly nutrient-rich waters to the floor. This ends in plankton blooms that assist spectacular faculties of fish and different marine life, attracting species just like the Ashy Storm-Petrel, Black-footed Albatross, Laysan Albatross, and Pink-footed Shearwater that collect offshore to feed.

The 18 Marine IBAs in California, together with the Monterey Bay and San Mateo Coast IBA, acknowledge and highlight these “habitat hotspots” that assist excessive concentrations of seabirds and different marine wildlife. As an easy-to-understand, science-backed framework, the IBAs assist decision-makers and companions take into account the impacts of actions offshore.

Updating Marine IBAs and the Way forward for Offshore Wind

As California transitions to wash power, offshore wind power has emerged as an vital renewable power supply with the potential to generate massive quantities of electrical energy. In truth, the potential capability for offshore wind technology represents greater than triple the mixed producing capability of all U.S energy vegetation at the moment in operation (read more here). Audubon is working with businesses and builders to advocate for insurance policies that prioritize wildlife safety and guarantee offshore wind is deployed responsibly (read more about birds and offshore wind here). 

In California, the Bureau of Ocean Vitality Administration (BOEM) has designated two Wind Vitality Areas off the north coast in Humboldt and off the central coast in Morro Bay. Marine IBAs are extra related than ever to assist Audubon consider how offshore wind power improvement could have an effect on important fowl habitats and advocate for insurance policies that guarantee clear power is developed in ways in which keep away from and scale back impacts on seabirds and the marine ecosystems they depend on.

To assist accountable offshore wind siting, we up to date California IBA maps to grasp how seabirds are at the moment utilizing California’s marine setting. The unique maps included overlapping boundaries that had been troublesome to interpret and species inhabitants estimates that seemingly underestimated seabird use in these massive offshore areas. Because the authentic IBA estimates had been quantified, NOAA has developed fashions that we used to calculate extra correct estimates of populations throughout the marine IBAs. We refined IBA boundaries and up to date species inhabitants estimates utilizing long- time period predicted seabird density fashions developed by NOAA and companions from 21 survey datasets, together with aerial and ship-based at-sea fowl counts, that had been collected between 1980 and 2017 (entry NOAA report here).

The up to date IBAs present a extra correct image of seabird use throughout California’s IBAs. When evaluating potential impacts of the Morro Bay Wind Vitality Space, we now see that the Even Keel Wind lease space overlaps with Piedras Blancas IBA, which helps an estimated inhabitants of 10,550 Sooty Shearwaters. Understanding this overlap permits us to determine methods to attenuate potential impacts to this species. For instance, we will analysis when and at what top Sooty Shearwaters are flying all year long, in addition to consider whether or not turbine lights might assist them detect and keep away from these buildings. These insights can inform how the lease space is designed and operated to cut back threat to birds. Up to date estimates like these present a quantitative, science-backed basis to assist advocacy and information accountable offshore wind power improvement.

How Will You Use IBAs?

Marine IBAs are a strong software for understanding and defending the locations birds rely upon most. We invite you to explore the IBA Hub to find Essential Fowl Areas close to you and learn the way these areas assist seabirds and their habitats.

By sharing this info along with your communities, native companions, and decision-makers, you possibly can assist make sure that IBAs inform conservation efforts and information accountable ocean planning. Collectively, we will advocate for insurance policies that shield birds and the habitats they depend on now and into the longer term!

For extra details about California’s Marine IBAs or questions on how one can use them in your work, please contact Keilani Bonis-Ericksen at k.bonisericksen@audubon.org.