The short presentation will be “How do avocets preen?” by Steve Wallace
The main presentation will be by Nicholas Carlile, Acting Principal Scientist, Ecosystem Management Science, NSW Office of Environment & Heritage, on the “Gould’s Petrel: 29 years of research and monitoring.”
Gould’s petrel, Pterodroma leucoptera, is nationally listed as Vulnerable and was downlisted in NSW from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2008 as a direct consequence of active conservation. This was achieved through management of threatening processes on Cabbage Tree Island NSW (30 ha), the primary breeding site for the species in Australia (850-1,000 pairs), and the establishment of a second breeding population on the neighbouring Boondelbah Island (15 ha; 40 pairs), which was seeded through translocation. This work commenced with surveys in 1989-90 (by Chris Davey) and has continued annually since. Significant research was undertaken by David Priddel and Nicholas Carlile of NPWS (now Office of Environment and Heritage) throughout the 1990s into the ecology and management of the species, resulting in the downlisting. Several PhDs and a Science Masters project have also been conducted on Gould’s petrel. Since this time the species has expanded to several islands along the NSW coast. In recent seasons the number of nesting pairs of this long-lived seabird has also fallen by 33% on long-term averages, without showing substantial recovery. Instigation of specific research is now required to understand what new threatening processes are impacting on Australia’s rarest endemic seabird.