About This Project

The islands of the Grenadines, in the Caribbean, provide critical habitat for 12 species of seabirds and include internationally recognized Important Bird Areas. Threats from poaching of eggs, chicks, and adults as well as human disturbance, burning, and invasive species are major concerns. This project empowers citizen scientists, the Grenadines Guardians, to travel to these remote, uninhabited islands to monitor threatened populations and report illegal activities to the authorities.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

This project was inspired by EPIC's work in 2009 and 2010 during the Seabird Breeding Atlas of the Lesser Antilles. This groundbreaking study, the first standardized seabird survey for the region, identified the Grenadines as the most important area of the Lesser Antilles for nesting seabirds. The Grenadines archipelago includes 80 islands, islets, and cays that harbor globally and regionally important seabird nesting colonies and 54,000 nests. The transboundary archipelago is part of two nations, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. As a result of the findings, EPIC initiated the Grenadines Seabird Conservation Project to implement a multi-disciplinary approach, including citizen science, public education, community-based conservation planning, and capacity building.

What is the significance of this project?

Both nations lack resources to monitor these remote islands so citizen scientists are the only eyes and ears for these crucial nesting sites. By empowering stakeholders, such as fisherfolk and tour guides, as Grenadines Guardians, we create buy-in for conservation at the community level. Guardians serve as ambassadors for wildlife. Since 2016, we have trained dozens of stakeholders in seabird identification, survey methods, and threat assessment. Their data is the only seabird data being collected in the Grenadines. Without monthly surveys, seabirds in this threatened region will continue to decline with no indication of how these crucial populations are being impacted by threats and nobody to report illegal activities such as poaching.

What are the goals of the project?

The research goal of this project is to continue monthly surveys by Grenadines Guardians in order to assess 1) seabird diversity and abundance 2) threats including plastic in nests, presence or absence of invasive predators such as rats, and the extent of poaching of eggs, chicks and adults. The findings of this research are shared at least annually with government management authorities and integrated into EPIC's advocacy work, media campaigns, and outreach materials. Our ultimate goal is to use this data to implement appropriate conservation actions through the EPIC-authored Community-based Grenadines Seabird Conservation Management Plan, which is implemented by a Working Group comprised of local stakeholders.