Bahamas National Trust and wildlife biologists assess the seabirds of the Cay Sal Bank, The Bahamas

Sooty tern.

The Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds, Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) and the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) recently joined forces to assess the seabirds of the Cay Sal Bank.

Cay Sal Bank, a remote and rarely visited island group in the southwestern corner of the Bahamas archipelago, is one of the largest atolls in the world. Human inhabitants have established permanent settlements on only two of the hundreds of cays and rocks on the Bank. BRI instituted a special expedition May 26th to June 1, 2012 this year to allow scientists and volunteers to estimate the number of breeding seabirds on the Cay Sal Bank.

The Seabirds of the Cay Sal Bank Expedition was BRI’s inaugural Ecotour. This new program will allow participants to join research biologists on scientific expeditions in locales around the world. Groups will include a mix of experienced wildlife biologists and interested participants.

For this expedition, participants lived aboard the Sea Explorer, a 65-foot sailboat, chartered by Blackbeard’s Cruises, which accommodated 18 passengers in rustic, bunk-style sleep quarters.

Working alongside BRI wildlife biologists and ornithologists, as well as guest biologists and conservation experts, expedition participants made important contributions to science while exploring these beautiful islands.

Caribbean Seabirds

Thousands of seabirds nest on the Cay Sal Bank; the area is designated as an Important Bird Area by the BNT and Birdlife International. Seabird colonies in this area have never been properly documented. As attempts continue to halt the decline of seabirds in the Caribbean, it is critical to know the size and status of these large populations. The goal of this expedition was to locate and carefully estimate current numbers of breeding seabirds, including: Audubon’s Shearwaters, Brown Boobies, Sooty Terns, Bridled Terns, Brown Noddies, Least Terns, Roseate Terns, Royal Terns, and Sandwich Terns.

Three major island groups were visited—Cotton and Anguilla Cays in the southeast corner of the Bank, the Double-Headed Shot Cays on the western side, and the Elbow Cays in the southwestern corner. At each stop, the group divided into teams, each led by an experienced field biologist. Teams set up permanent census plots to document the populations and enable monitoring of the health of the populations with future surveys. All fieldwork was voluntary.

The expedition was led by William A. Mackin, Ph.D., who specializes in the conservation of Caribbean seabirds; Lisa F. Eggert, M.S., the director of BRI’s coastal bird program.

Also participating in the expedition were BNT Science Officer Predensa Moore and BNT Warden (Grand Bahama) David Cleare. Volunteer biologists and conservation professionals included: Lisa Sorenson, Ph.D., and Ann Sutton, Ph.D., of the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds; Michael Sorenson Ph.D., Boston University; and Jeff Gerbacht, Cornell Lab Ornithology.

For more information contact Lynn Gape, BNT Deputy Executive Director, lgape@bnt.bs, (242) 393-1317 or visit the Bahamas National Trust website.