Progress and Priorities: Black Tern Conservation Consortium. 

Black Terns are declining across their range, but causes of population declines are unclear. To understand where populations are most limited, we require greater knowledge of threats across the full annual cycle, from breeding, to migration, to wintering, in order to develop appropriate conservation and management plans. In this symposium, we will hear updates from Black Tern researchers on key research priorities including the population genetic structure, migratory connectivity, and patterns of habitat use and selection of Black Terns throughout their annual cycle.

The Gulf of Mexico Avian Monitoring Network's Symposium

This symposium will include presentations from our subject matter working groups highlighting ongoing monitoring work, as well as discussion of high priority monitoring needs that still need to be addressed, covering several taxonomic groups of birds, as well as renewable energy.

Using Artificial Intelligence, aerial imagery, and computer vision for waterbird science and monitoring

 The use of UAVs (drones) for wildlife research and monitoring is becoming more common with equipment costs decreasing and technology steadily improving. With this burgeoning field comes the challenge of processing and analyzing large imagery datasets. Artificial Intelligence algorithms and computer vision processing is now being applied to these challenges to improve results and decrease the time needed to process data. This symposium will explore recent advances in obtaining, processing, analyzing, and interpreting aerial imagery with a focus on seabirds. 

Double-crested Cormorants: Population trends and recent management activities

With the reduced use of the USFWS Aquatic Depredation Order and the Public Resource Depredation Order (2016) and the reduction in cormorant-associated fieldwork in North America, due to Covid-19 (2020 and 2021), there has been a noticeable decline in population monitoring efforts, management activities and  in national and international discussion groups on the Double-crested Cormorant. Representatives from five major breeding and/or wintering areas of cormorants in North America will present updates, where available, on population trends and management activities on Double-crested Cormorants.

Reddish Egret Ecology and Conservation

This symposium will highlight recent and current research being conducted on the ecology and conservation of Reddish Egrets from across the range of the species. Furthermore, the symposium will highlight the strategies and objectives of the 2022 Species Conservation Action Plan to include discussions and feedback on plan implementation and a call for service on various committees within the Reddish Egret International Working Group. 

Texas Coastal Waterbird Issues

Over twenty five species of nesting waterbirds nest in Texas, utilizing a diverse array of habitats that range from riverine woodlands and saltmarsh, dynamic emergent oyster reefs, black mangroves, thorn scrub-covered "lomas" and numerous dredge material islands and recent island restoration projects. Year-round, Texas hosts a wide array of migratory waterbirds as well as residents and partial migrants. In addition to the unique ecological context, it has a unique set of threats, and management and regulatory challenges. This symposium is intended to provide a forum for researchers and resource managers with a strong geographic focus on waterbirds in Texas.