2021 State of the Environment Report Marine Chapter – Expert Assessment – State and Trend – Seabirds

The Marine chapter of the 2021 State of the Environment (SoE) report incorporates multiple expert templates developed from streams of marine data. This metadata record describes the Expert Assessment "State and Trend of seabirds". A PDF of the full Expert Assessment, including figures and tables (where provided) is downloadable in the "On-line Resources" section of this record as "EXPERT ASSESSMENT 2021 - Seabirds"

DESCRIPTION OF TAXONOMIC GROUP FOR EXPERT ASSESSMENT There are approximately 60 species of seabirds known to breed in and around Australia and the external territories of Cocos (Keeling) and Christmas Island, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and the Coral Sea islands. These species are comprised of penguins, albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, prions, storm-petrels, boobies, tropicbirds, frigatebirds, cormorants, pelicans, gulls, terns and noddies.

DATA STREAM(S) USED IN EXPERT ASSESSMENT The raw survey/census data are with the original investigators whose published materials were drawn on in Woehler and Baker (2020) and Garnett and Baker (in press) reviews. The 2021 assessment drew heavily on Woehler and Baker (2020) and references therein (c.150). The spatial extent comprises Australia and the external territories of Cocos (Keeling) and Christmas Island, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and the Coral Sea islands. The temporal extent varies by species and/or study undertaken.

2021 SOE ASSESSMENT SUMMARY [see attached Expert Assessment for full details]

• 2021 • Assessment grade: Good Assessment trend: Highly variable, no national trends Confidence grade: Limited evidence or limited consensus Confidence trend: Limited evidence or limited consensus Comparability: Similar, increasing spectrum of threats identified • 2016 • Assessment grade: Good Assessment trend: Unclear Confidence grade: Limited evidence or limited consensus Confidence trend: Limited evidence or limited consensus Comparability: Grade and trend comparable to 2011 assessment • 2011 • Assessment grade: Good Assessment trend: Stable Confidence grade: Limited evidence or limited consensus Confidence trend: Limited evidence or limited consensus

CHANGES SINCE 2016 SOE ASSESSMENT nil

Data and Resources

Additional Information

Field Value
Published (Metadata Record) 02/03/2026
Last updated 03/03/2026
Organisation Australian Federal Government
License License Not Specified
Update Frequency Unknown