The Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP) is an ongoing annual
monitoring programme, established in 1986, of
26 species of
seabird that regularly breed in Britain and Ireland. It
aims to ensure that sample data on breeding numbers and breeding
success of seabirds are collected, both regionally and nationally,
to enable their conservation status to be assessed.
The SMP is led and co-ordinated by JNCC
in partnership
with others. All the partners and other
organisations and individuals contribute data to the SMP and
some provide funding.
SMP sampling methods
Measurements of breeding success, adult survival and diet are
collected to provide information about the mechanisms responsible
for observed changes in breeding numbers. Such parameters are
revealing because they can tell us about interactions between
seabirds and their environment – such as the availability of fish
in the seas or pollution incidents – and so indicate how their
populations can be more effectively conserved. Results from the
programme have informed practical conservation and management
practices aimed at protecting key components of the marine
ecosystem.
The most detailed monitoring in the SMP is contracted by JNCC
at geographically dispersed 'key sites': the Isle of May
(south-east Scotland), Fair Isle (Shetland), Canna (north-west
Scotland) and Skomer (west Wales). Long-term monitoring of numbers
and breeding success is also carried out at other colonies,
including in-house triennial monitoring in Grampian, Orkney, and St
Kilda, Western Isles.
SMP Results
The SMP produces regional and national (e.g. UK, GB, devolved
countries) trends in numbers and breeding success for each species,
where the SMP's sample of colonies is representaive at these
scales. These trends have been updated and published annually
since 1990 in Seabird numbers and breeding success in Britain
and Ireland. The last edition of this report was
updated following the 2006 breeding season. Future updates
will not be published in full in hard copy and will be replaced by
an online reporting mechanism being developed on this website, due
to be launched later in 2009. However an annual summary
leaflet - UK Seabirds will continue to be published
(2008 edition available May 2009).
Follow the link to view these and other SMP Reports
& Publications.
Get SMP Data
Data on
abundance, breeding success and other parameters are
available to view or download.
SMP Review and future sampling strategy
In 2007, JNCC completed a review of the aims, drivers,
sampling strategy and outputs of the SMP - follow the link below to
download the full report:
SMP Review Report (Oct
2007) (PDF, 681 kb), Appendix 1 - Minutes
of SMP Review Working Group Meetings (PDF, 176 kb),
Appendix 2 - Impacts of pressures on
seabirds (PDF, 272 kb).
In October 2008, JNCC ran a workshop of SMP partners to
determine stakeholders’ requirements for information and data, to
obtain stakeholder input into JNCC's SMP review
recommendations, and to discuss ways of working more
effectively together in partnership.
The workshop approved, with amendments, JNCC's
recommendations for an SMP Surveillance
Strategy. Follow the links to view a report on the
results of the SMP
workshop (PDF, 268 kb) and details of the SMP Surveillance
Strategy (Appendix
2: updated Nov 2008, 85 kb).
The recommended future direction for the SMP is summarised
in a
paper presented to the Inter-agency Chief Scientists Group in
November 2008 (PDF, 112 kb) (Appendix
1) (85 kb).
The SMP surveillance strategy is designed to meet the objectives
of the UK Terrestrial Biodiversity
Surveillance Strategy that is currently under
development.
SMP Partners