The circular seabird economy is critical for oceans, islands and people

This Review summarizes researchers’ understanding of the circular seabird economy and outlines goals for future research. Historically, research has focused on terrestrial impacts, with emerging research explicitly studying the cross-ecosystem impacts of seabirds. They identify substantial knowledge gaps, with research needed to understand how the circular seabird economy changes with space, time, across biomes and with island size. Emerging analytic and monitoring tools will help to propel this research forward. Many coastal communities, especially Indigenous people, rely on seabirds for their livelihoods and cultural connections, and so taking a people-centred approach incorporating Indigenous knowledge and perspectives is critical moving forward.