Salish Sea Gull Project: Monitoring Marine Bird Health in a Changing Environment

The Salish Sea is a vital wintering ground for a wide variety of marine bird species, but it’s under growing pressure from urbanization, population growth, and marine traffic. These changes pose significant challenges to wildlife, especially birds that depend on the region’s unique marine ecosystem.

As part of the broader Salish Sea Marine Bird Monitoring and Conservation Program, the Salish Sea Gull Project plays a key role in tracking the health of marine bird populations. Gulls, protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act (1994) and identified as a stewardship priority by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), serve as critical indicators of ecosystem health.

Through in-depth research, the project assesses:

• Survival rates and population structure

• Movement patterns and habitat use

• Diets, pathogens, and diseases

• Contaminant exposure in gull species

By gathering this essential baseline data, the Salish Sea Gull Project supports effective conservation planning and helps guide strategies to protect both birds and the marine environments they depend on.

To read more about this interesting study: