5 June Seabird Research Exped – Diego Garcia

Download the full report here: BIOT seabird research June 2018 expedition report – Diego Garcia

 

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Exeter University, supported by the Bertarelli Foundation, visited Diego Garcia (DG) in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), during June and July 2018, to continue research to assess the importance of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) for seabirds. Using Red-footed Booby (RFB) as the indicator species, the research consisted of three objectives that built on fieldwork conducted on DG in 2016 and January 2018. The three objectives were:

Objective 1: To document the year-round biology and foraging ecology of breeding RFBs at Barton Point Nature Reserve.

Objective 2: To document the distribution of non-breeding RFBs from the colony on DG.

Objective 3: To establish the status and distribution of breeding RFB on DG.