Key Areas for Conservation of the European Storm Petrel and Marine Biodiversity Identified in the Mediterranean

26/01/2025

A research team led by IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB) has identified critical foraging areas for the European Storm Petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus), the smallest seabird in the Mediterranean. These areas, located in the Alboran Sea, the Balearic Basin, and the northwest African coast, are characterized by high energy, low temperatures, and nutrient-rich waters. Using GPS tracking data combined with oceanographic variables such as chlorophyll concentration (Chl-a), the study reveals that these zones remain largely unprotected and are threatened by human activities, including overfishing, offshore energy infrastructure, and pollution. These threats pose risks not only to the European Storm Petrel but also to other marine species.

Image: Hydrobates pelagicus.Author Alexandre Roux

 

The findings highlight that these highly dynamic waters, influenced by physical processes such as eddies of various scales, play a crucial role in nutrient concentration and, consequently, in determining the foraging zones of the European Storm Petrel during its incubation period. The birds undertake long and targeted trips to these nutrient-rich areas to feed, a behavior that contrasts with other seabirds, such as Scopoli's Shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea), which generally forage closer to their breeding colonies.

Despite the ecological importance of these areas, the study points out that only 6% of them are currently included within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). It emphasizes the need to expand protection to pelagic, not just coastal, zones and to establish temporary protection measures that account for the dynamic nature of small fronts and eddies critical for the European Storm Petrel’s foraging. Protecting these areas would not only benefit this species but also indirectly support other species sharing these feeding grounds.

This research provides key evidence to guide conservation policies under the global "30x30" initiative, which aims to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030. However, the authors stress that conservation strategies should be grounded in effectiveness criteria and focus on safeguarding areas essential for marine biodiversity.

The study underscores the importance of international and multidisciplinary collaboration in developing conservation strategies that integrate scientific knowledge, adaptive management, and actions to mitigate the impacts of human activities on marine ecosystems.

 

Read the full study here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320724004750?via=ihub