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Connecting with seabird researchers at the World Seabird Conference 2026

Article by ERI PhD researcher Steph Griffths

In September 2026, I attended the 4th World Seabird Conference (WSC4) in Hobart, Tasmania. Over five days, the conference explored the challenges facing seabirds in a changing climate, alongside themes including island restoration, offshore wind energy and pollution.

With more than 800 delegates, this was by far the largest conference I have attended. It was a little overwhelming at times, but also incredibly exciting as an early-career researcher. I arrived with a long list of talks to attend and researchers I hoped to meet — perhaps an overly ambitious plan in hindsight!

I learnt a great deal about the issues facing seabirds, new ecological discoveries, and the technologies and methods being developed to monitor populations. I was particularly impressed by researchers’ creativity in tackling challenges and their use of emerging technologies. Artificial intelligence (AI), for example, is increasingly being used to monitor seabird colonies, with image-recognition models capable of identifying behaviours as well as individual birds. Drones are also becoming more accessible and are now widely used to survey seabird colonies, offering valuable opportunities to monitor sites that are difficult to access.

Just as importantly, the conference was an opportunity to connect with the wider seabird research community. I was keen to share my PhD research on plastic debris in seabird nests and meet potential collaborators. I was delighted to meet researchers whose work has been particularly influential in my field, as well as researchers working at UK seabird sites who shared potential opportunities for collaboration. These conversations have given me plenty to think about as I continue developing my research.

I am very grateful to the SUPER DTP for funding my attendance at WSC4. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from the international seabird community, build connections and bring new ideas back to my PhD research.