Conservation Action Plan for Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) and Laysan Albatross (P. immutabilis). Version 1.0

摘要

The black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) and Laysan albatross (P. immutabilis), are distinguished from most other species of albatross by their Northern Hemisphere distribution and sub-tropical breeding range. As of 2005 there were 21 islands that supported black-footed or Laysan albatross colonies, from the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea to the Islas Revillagigedos, Mexico in the eastern Pacific. The core of the breeding range is the Hawaiian Islands, where the majority of birds nest on the small islands and atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The primary threats to black-footed and Laysan albatrosses include incidental mortality in fishing operations (bycatch), predation by introduced mammals, reduced reproductive output due to contaminants, and nesting habitat loss and degradation due to invasive plant species. The loss of nesting habitat due to sea level rise is a potential future threat that, coupled with the paucity of secure nesting habitat on high islands, could have serious consequences, particularly in the core breeding range in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. When combined, some of these threats may have synergistic or cumulative effects as well.