University of Liverpool seabird tracking in Anguilla 2012-2015

The UK Overseas Territories of Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands are located in the north-west Lesser Antilles. Whilst mainland Anguilla lacks any large breeding seabird populations, its offshore cays excel in this area and are home to five globally and 12 regionally important populations. Four of Anguilla’s seven offshore cays are already designated as terrestrial important bird areas (IBAs) due to their important seabird colonies, with Dog Island being the second most important site for breeding seabirds in the region. The British Virgin Islands (composed of 60 cays) support two globally important populations of Magnificent frigatebird and Roseate tern and have three IBAs designated for breeding seabird populations. This study uses GPS tracking data collected from the guild of globally and regionally important seabird populations breeding within these two Territories to identify important foraging areas, and relate these to oceanographic variables and potential threats such as fishing activity and coastal/marine developments.

This project aimed to:(1) identify key feeding areas of seabirds using GPS technology, (2) establish and support long-term monitoring strategies in Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, and (3) identify current and future threats facing seabird populations in Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.

This project is being led by the University of Liverpool (UK) in collaboration with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Anguilla National Trust, Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society and British Virgin Islands National Parks Trust, with support from the Anguillan Government’s Fisheries and Marine Resources Department and the BVI Conservation and Fisheries Department, and funded by the UK’s Darwin Plus Initiative.

Only data aggregated per 1-degree cell are available through OBIS. The non-aggregated data are available from the OBIS SEAMAP Portal.