Main objective
To characterize seabird strandings in the Portuguese coast, looking into the species and age-classes affected, spatial and seasonal
patterns, but also to temporal changes over the last decades.
Available data
SPEA has been working on this topic for more than 20 years, conducting beach bird surveys in the Portuguese coastline, in the context of different projects, but also collecting information through citizen science. Since 2023, SPEA (together with other Birdlife partners) launched an app (ICAO) to facilitate the report of seabird strandings by citizens, having received more than 1.250 observations in three years. All data (previously collected and collected during the study) will be available for analysis.
Proposed tasks
- Organisation and update of the seabird strandings dataset
- Bibliographic review and data compilation
- Fieldwork – Collect data through beach bird surveys (optional)
- Analyse data and characterize the strandings in the Portuguese coast (species and age-classes affected; estimate numbers per effort unit; spatial and temporal patterns; long-term changes; identification of causes)
- Submit the work in a peer-reviewed journal
Framework of the topic
- Is the topic part of an ongoing project/study? No
- Is there any financial support? No: fieldwork/material
Supervisor/tutor
Hany Alonso | hany.alonso@spea.pt
