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Australasian Seabird Group

The Australasian Seabird Group (ASG) is a Special Interest Group managed through BirdLife Australia in collaboration with Birds New Zealand, the Ornithological Society of New Zealand.

ASG was established in 1971, with the aim to promote seabird research and conservation in Australasia and the South Pacific. We pursue these objectives through a range of activities, including publication of a bulletin and other seabird related material, organisation of symposia discussing issues affecting seabirds (held at biennial Australasian Ornithological Conferences), provision of expert opinion on the management and conservation of seabird populations in our region and support for projects such as surveys of seabird islands, at-sea surveys and beach patrols.

The ASG is a member of the World Seabird Union (WSU) where it represents Australasia.

The value of networking

Seabirds are highly mobile, regularly moving within and between national jurisdictions.  When it comes to seabirds, no researcher achieves much alone. Networking nationally and internationally is essential – and the ASG facilitates these networks.

Most seabird species feed far from land and many breed on remote islands, for most people out of sight and therefore out of mind. Thus, the public typically have little awareness of seabirds, their role in marine ecosystems and their potential as sentinels of changes in the marine environment. The ASG helps build capacity for seabird research and management through education and sharing field skills.  Building capacity for seabird conservation in our region can include strengthening institutional capacities, transferring know-how and developing appropriate field skills.

ASG Grants scheme

The ASG supports students undertaking theses on seabirds, either with travel grants to attend seabird related conferences or research grants to support their thesis research.

  • Student Project Awards – two awards generally on a biennial basis to assist field programs, data management or defray lab costs.
  • Student Travel Awards – two awards generally on a biennial basis to defray travel and accommodation or registration costs for students presenting their work at the biennial AOC, held in either Australia or New Zealand (co-sponsored by BirdLife Australian and Birds New Zealand)