Conservation of Seabird Populations in Portuguese Waters
Main goal: Evaluate the status of seabird populations occurring in Portugal mainland waters using OSPAR Common Indicators.
We aim to assess the quality status of each seabird population. The intern/student is welcome to choose one or more target species to work on or use an OSPAR indicator to evaluate a group of species.
Available Data
Over 10 years' time series of data on population size and breeding success/productivity for breeding species, 15 years dataset on at-sea counts, and available data on bycatch.
The student will have the opportunity to participate in data collection and fieldwork.
The entire dataset will be made available for analysis within the project LIFE SeaBil, LIFE PanPuffinus, and LIFE Ilhas Barreira.
Proposed Tasks
* Analysis of available data
* Join monthly fieldwork sessions (7 days each session) in Berlengas archipelago
* Collect data on breeding parameters and counts at sea
* Submit the work in a peer-reviewed journal
Framework of the Topic
This topic is part of an ongoing project/study funded by LIFE projects. Financial support is available for fieldwork/material.
Supervisor/Tutor
Nuno Oliveira, Department of Marine Conservation