The Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP) has provided consistent, standardised monitoring of seabird populations across the UK for several decades. However, the methodologies at its core are now more than 30 years old. Technological advances — including drone surveys, automated image analysis and digital data management — have transformed what is possible in the field, yet the existing handbook has not kept pace. Outdated guidance risks undermining the validity of new data collected alongside historic records, limits the integration of modern techniques, and creates a barrier to broader participation in seabird monitoring at a time when greater coverage is urgently needed.
SMEEF has funded the first stage of a comprehensive update to the Seabird Monitoring Programme Handbook — the primary fieldwork guidance document for seabird monitoring across the UK. The update is being developed through a structured process involving a Project Steering Group and targeted Task and Finish Groups.
The inclusion of new species accounts for European Storm Petrel and Leach’s Petrel addresses gaps in the existing guidance for two of the UK’s most challenging and conservation-relevant species to monitor. The move to an online format will make the handbook easier to update, share and use in the field — ensuring it remains a living resource rather than a document that risks falling out of date again.
This project is expected to be completed in December 2027.