How saving seabirds could help save the oceans

Seabirds don’t just skim the sea – they knit entire ecosystems together. A new global synthesis argues that protecting these birds could pay triple dividends for climate resilience, ocean recovery, and biodiversity.

The study and was led by Northern Illinois University’s Dr. Holly Jones. The experts describe seabirds as living pipelines that transport nutrients from the open ocean to islands and then back to coastal waters, powering life along the way.

Seabirds are the ocean’s engineers

“Seabirds function as biological pumps, consuming prey in the ocean and transferring large quantities of nutrients to their breeding grounds on land,” Dr. Jones said. “They connect the ocean and islands in ways that are both powerful and measurable.”

The authors call this the “circular seabird economy.” It’s a recurring exchange in which guano deposited at colonies fertilizes soils, plants, and invertebrates, while rain and runoff return a portion of that nutrient pulse to the sea.

By treating seabird movements and colony hotspots as nutrient nodes, the paper reframes birds not as passive indicators of ocean health but as active engineers of productivity.

Fertilizing reefs and resilience

“These nutrient flows, when they leach back into surrounding waters, support coral growth, bolster fish biomass, and enhance the resilience of marine ecosystems to the effects of climate change,” said co-author Nick Graham from Lancaster University.

Across decades of case studies, colonies have been linked to greener islands, faster plant growth, richer reef fish communities, and coral systems better able to rebound after heat stress.

The mechanism is simple but potent. Seabird-derived nitrogen and phosphorus feed coastal food webs from “ridge to reef,” raising the baseline that ecosystems draw on when conditions turn harsh.

The seabird crisis deepens

Despite their outsized influence, seabirds are faltering. Nearly one-third of species face extinction risk.

The islands where most nest are among the most vulnerable biodiversity hotspots on Earth. Predatory invaders, bycatch, shifting prey, plastic, and disease have all chipped away at populations that took millennia to build.

“Seabirds influence ecosystems across vast spatial scales, yet many of their marine impacts remain understudied,” said co-author Casey Benkwitt from Lancaster University.

“This paper identifies key knowledge gaps and calls for more integrated research to understand how seabirds support ecosystem function from ridge to reef,”

The authors single out mangroves, seagrass meadows, and oyster reefs as especially neglected in the literature. These nearshore habitats are likely beneficiaries of seabird nutrient return. Quantifying those boosts – and the climate services they enable – will require coordinated land–sea research.

Restoring nature’s nutrient cycle

“We now have the science to show that seabird restoration is one of the most effective tools for ecosystem recovery,” said Stephanie Borrelle, the Marine and Pacific Regional Coordinator at BirdLife International.

“By removing invasive species and reconnecting nutrient flows, we can restore island and marine systems at scale – and deliver lasting benefits for biodiversity.”

The methods are well tested: eradicate invasive rats, cats, and other predators that devastate colonies. In addition, use social attraction – decoys, sound – to lure birds back and translocate chicks where needed.

When seabirds return, the nutrient pipeline restarts, and both islands and adjacent waters respond.

Because these interventions can unlock cascading benefits – from stronger reefs and fisheries to stabilized dunes and carbon-rich vegetation – they represent cost-effective climate adaptation as well as conservation.

Science meets the seabirds

Emerging technologies are expanding the field’s reach. Remote sensing can detect vegetation greening around colonies.

Ecoacoustics can monitor colony activity without constant human presence. Environmental DNA in soil, water, or even air can flag species’ return and map changes in food webs over time.

Together, these tools allow teams to track how nutrient pathways reassemble as birds rebound. This provides valuable feedback for adaptive management at scales that match seabird ranges. But technology isn’t the only missing piece.

Indigenous knowledge of seabirds

“Seabirds are intimately tied to many cultures around the world,” said co-author Laura-Li Jeannot, a PhD student at Lancaster University. “Yet Indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge have largely been sidelined by dominant forms of science.”

“Future research should seek a more holistic approach that weaves in Indigenous perspectives on the circular seabird economy.”

Places where people have coexisted with seabirds for centuries often hold practical knowledge about colony dynamics and harvest timing.

This traditional understanding of landscape stewardship can accelerate recovery and ensure it aligns with community priorities.

Investing in seabird recovery

The synthesis makes a simple case: if we want resilient reefs, productive fisheries, and buffered coastlines, then we should restore and protect the birds that help power them.

That means safeguarding nesting islands, cutting at-sea threats, and funding long-term programs that stitch together terrestrial and marine management.

Protection also means measuring success by function – nutrient flows, fish biomass, coral recovery – rather than species counts alone.

“Seabirds function as biological pumps…” is more than a metaphor. It’s a management target. When those pumps are silent, islands and oceans lose a vital exchange. When they hum, entire seascapes brighten.

Understanding how seabirds support the ecosystems people rely on, from fisheries to coastal protection, is essential. Investing in seabird restoration can deliver major benefits for both ecosystems and coastal communities.

The study included collaborators from BirdLife International, The Nature Conservancy, Lancaster University, and Island Conservation.

The research is published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity.

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