Conservation Accomplishments
- Co-founded Island Conservation. A science-based NGO that has protected 242 seabird colonies and 224 endemic species and subspecies by eradicating invasive predators from islands.
- -Initiated and obtained funding for the formation of two new marine protected areas with 16 islands totalling 92,000ha, each with a surrounding marine protected areas totaling 144,000ha.
- -Facilitated over $5 million in US Agency funding for seabird restoration in these new protected areas by demonstrating that conservation action in Mexico was a cost effective way to protect US seabirds.
- -Initiated a successful ban on krill fisheries in US Pacific Federal waters and designation of essential habitat for krill.
- -Provided a key conceptual component and supporting data for the Packard Foundation’s $4-6 million / year Marine Bird Conservation Program.
- Worked to have a critical sentence in the reauthorization of the Magnuson Sevens Fisheries Act that facilitates science-based seabird protection in relation to fisheries by-catch Sec. 316.c.2 page 144
- Played a supporting role in successful efforts to prevent Chevron/Texaco from constructing a poorly located off-shore Liquefied Natural Gas plant off Coronado Island, Western Mexico. More…
- Conducted research and early advocacy that lead to formation of San Pedro Mártir Island Marine Protected Area in the Gulf of California (Tershy et al. 1993, Tershy et al. 1997).
- -Co-organized a workshop to develop the first management plans and regulations for the Gulf of California Islands Biosphere Reserve (Bourillon et al. 1994).