Ornithologists Rosario Balestrieri and Salvatore Urso from the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn-CRIMAC, together with Letizia Campioni, a specialist in pelagic birdlife at the Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC) in Seville, presented the symposium ‘From coasts to oceans: New research frontiers in the behavioural ecology of seabirds.’
The event, part of the programme of the 22nd Italian Ornithological Congress, which took place in Lecce from 8 to 12 September, focused on new frontiers in research into the behaviour and ecology of these fascinating animals.
The six presentations explored topics such as:
• Migration and use of space: how seabirds move and utilise the vast areas they fly over.
• Reproductive behaviour: from egg-laying to rearing chicks, and social dynamics within colonies.
• Adaptations to a constantly changing environment: how factors such as pollution, climate change and human activities influence their behaviour and their interactions with the surrounding environment.
This symposium provided an important opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of these species, which are difficult to study, and to better understand the mechanisms that govern their lives between sky and sea.
Understanding the behaviour of seabirds, the way they move and how they interact with their surroundings is crucial to understand how to protect and conserve them. Indeed, studying the ecology and behaviour of these animals is essential for developing more effective conservation strategies, ensuring a safer future for these fascinating creatures of the skies and seas.
