Seabirds roam far and wide in the Indian Ocean – so they need ocean-wide protection, new research shows.

All other oceans are known to contain “hotspots” where predators including seabirds feast on prey.

But the new study – by a team including Exeter, Heriot-Watt and Réunion universities, and ZSL – found no such concentrations in the Indian Ocean.

With seabirds facing numerous threats due to human activity, their survival depends on protecting the open ocean.

“Efforts are being made to protect key breeding colonies, but until now little was known about where Indian Ocean seabirds go when they’re not breeding,” said Dr Alice Trevail, from the Environment and Sustainability Institute at Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

Read more at: University of Exeter

Terns. (Photo Credit: Camille Lebarbenchon (Reunion University)

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