National Geographic Pristine Seas, in partnership with BirdLife International, NatureFiji-MareqetiViti (BirdLife International’s Partner), the Fiji Ministry of the Environment and iTaukei affairs will visit the waters off Gau Island to try and locate Fiji Petrels at sea, in an effort to determine the location for their nesting grounds. Finding the elusive birds’ nesting locations will enable measures to be taken to protect them, which can help them to breed safely and recover their population.
As one of the rarest seabirds in the world, scientists have been limited in studying the Fiji petrel, but filling gaps in data about the species is key to their conservation and protection. Seabirds are critical to marine ecosystems; their guano enrich coastal soils and nearshore waters with nutrients which acts as an important link between marine and terrestrial ecosystems. They come to land primarily to breed and travel far out into the ocean to forage for food. They are unique indicators of ocean health and can reflect broader changes in marine ecosystems.
