Maritime Archaeology of Guadalcanal: Iron Bottom Sound

"This is seabird habitat, but unfortunately, we don't know a lot about what seabirds are here," Karen Barid says. "It's important to understand how seabirds use the ocean - where the hot spots are, and what are the most important areas that we need to protect." 

Karen Baird is Co-Chair of the Seabird Trust, a non-profit that seeks to better understand seabirds and the ecosystems they inhabit throughout northern New Zealand, the Three Kings Islands, and the Kermadec Islands. Her husband, Chris Gaskin, is also a founding member of the trust. During this transit from Guam to the Solomon Islands (NA172), Karen and Chris have spent each day, from sunrise to sunset, on the monkey deck, photographing and logging every bird they see. 

"This transit is a brilliant opportunity to record what seabirds we can see at sea. It's important to understand what seabirds are around, particularly in Oceania, where there is very little known about the populations. Oceania consists of 21 Pacific Island countries and territories with thousands of islands, ranging from high mountains covered in forests to barren atolls."