NESP MaC Project 1.21 - Australia’s Coastal Shorebirds: Trends and Prospects (UQ)

Research Project

Researchers: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE), Australian Government (Resource provider of) ,  Dr Andrew Rogers (collaborator) ,  Dr Andrew Rogers (collaborator) ,  Dr Tatsuya Amano (collaborator) ,  Dr Tatsuya Amano (collaborator)
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Full description This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub small-scale study - "Australia’s Coastal Shorebirds: Trends and Prospects". No data outputs were generated by this project.
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Coastal Australia is home to 37 regularly occurring migratory shorebird species, with many protected areas including Ramsar sites designated on the basis of shorebird populations. Many migratory shorebirds are declining rapidly, and hence the focus of conservation efforts at multiple levels of government in Australia and overseas. However, trend data are now nearly 10 years old, meaning the information available to assess where conservation actions are needed most urgently and whether conservation efforts are helping species recover are outdated.

To ensure populations have the best chance at recovery and that resources are allocated where they are most likely to have the greatest positive impacts, it is critical to maintain up-to-date information on species trends. This project analysed 30 years of shorebird monitoring data collected by citizen science groups across Australia and curated by BirdLife Australia’s National Shorebird Monitoring Program to update national trend estimates, while also assessing the relative effects of human pressure and conservation efforts on population trends. In particular, it focused on 15 migratory shorebird species whose conservation status was being reassessed by the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. This project sets the stage for building the next decade of coastal shorebird conservation activity in Australia, coordinated through the national mechanism of the End User: National Migratory Shorebird Conservation Action Plan Steering Committee, with representatives from national and state governments as well as leading shorebird experts.

Outputs
• Fact Sheet on Australia's coastal shorebird trends and prospects [written]
• Final Project Report, including a short summary of recommendations for policy makers of key findings [written]

Lineage Maintenance and Update Frequency: asNeeded

Notes Credit
National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Marine and Coastal Hub

Notes Credit
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), Australian Government

Notes Credit
In addition to NESP (DCCEEW) funding, this project is matched by an equivalent amount of in-kind support and co-investment from project partners and collaborators.

Notes Purpose
To (1) update shorebird population national trends estimates, (ii) determine whether declines have decelerated through conservation efforts, and (iii) identify regional hotspots of Australian impacts on shorebird populations.

Data time period: 2021-09-01 to 2022-08-31

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