International 2021 Funded Projects

Alberta Conservation Association
Enhancing Habitat and Connectivity for Pronghorn and Sage-Grouse by Improving Fences (Canada, MT)
Enhance sage-grouse critical habitat by assessing range condition and signing habitat conservation strategy letters with private landowners. Project will improve 40,000 acres of habitat by removing 
5 miles of page wire fencing and converting it to a wildlife friendly fencing to enhance sage-grouse habitat and retrofitting 50 miles of existing fencing to facilitate easier pronghorn movement.
$150,000

Nature Conservancy of Canada
Conserving McIntyre Ranch to Protect Contiguous Habitat for Migratory Birds and Pronghorn (Canada)
Conserve one of the largest private ranches in Canada, the McIntyre Ranch, protecting high priority grassland habitat to benefit migratory grassland birds and pronghorn while allowing the ranch to continue functioning under range management best practices. Project will place 54,894 under conservation easement.
$300,000

Ocean Wise Conservation Association
Reducing Disturbance of Southern Resident Killer Whales from Vessel Traffic (Canada, WA)
Reduce physical and acoustic disturbance of Southern Resident killer whales caused by vessel traffic in Washington State waters. Project will increase the use and functionality the WhaleReport Alert System in British Columbia and Washington State to enable voluntary measures to benefit killer whales.
$99,979

University of California - Santa Cruz
Improving a Meta-Population Viability Analysis Tool for Threatened and Endangered Seabirds (multiple states)
Improve a meta-population viability analysis (mPVA) tool to help prevent seabird extinctions. Project will incorporate sea-level rise and financial return on investment data to enhance seabird mPVA conservation planning and decision support tool.
$125,000

University of Saskatchewan
Improving Survival of Little Brown Bats in Agricultural Landscapes of the Northern Great Plains (Canada)
Determine best management practices for conserving populations of little brown bats in agricultural landscapes at the leading edge of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in the Northern Great Plains. Project will identify how agricultural practices and exposure to pesticides influence bat activity, condition, survival and reproductive success.
$189,519
 

Areas Costeras y Recursos Marinos
Work With Fishermen at Priority Ports to Reduce Leatherback Sea Turtle Bycatch in Peru
Identify management approaches to bycatch reduction and recruit and train fishermen to reduce sea turtle mortality. Project will test LED lights on driftnets used in artisanal fisheries in the ports of the Ica region and engage driftnet and longline fishermen to increase sea turtle bycatch reporting and promote proper turtle handling and release.
$77,294

Arizona State University
Develop and Test Bycatch Reduction Technology to Expand Use in Mexico
Advance gillnet bycatch reduction solutions for loggerhead and leatherback turtles and promote fisheries that result in less sea turtle bycatch in Mexico. Project will engage with local fishing communities to support the expansion of innovative fishing gear technologies to reduce the risk of bycatch in artisanal fisheries of Pacific Mexico.
$341,208

CIMAD
In-Water Surveys to Assess Juvenile Hawksbill Sea Turtles in Gorgona Natural National Park, Colombia
Reassess the hawksbill sea turtle aggregation at Gorgona National Park to evaluate potential changes in population size. Project will conduct in-water surveys to provide an updated baseline along this coastal area of the Colombian Pacific to evaluate its importance as a foraging site to the population.
$17,939

Equilibrio Azul
Hawksbill Sea Turtle Conservation in Machalilla National Park and Surrounding Beaches in Ecuador
Protect primary nesting and foraging habitats for hawksbill turtles in and around Machalilla National Park in Ecuador. Project will protect and monitor the only known consistent nesting beaches for the eastern Pacific hawksbill population in South America.
$35,999

Ecolibrium
Pacific Loggerhead and Leatherback Turtle Recovery Through Bycatch Reduction Efforts in Mexico
Support loggerhead and leatherback sea turtle recovery by reducing bycatch in gillnet and longline fisheries in U.S.-Mexico waters. Project will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to define the most practicable bycatch reduction approaches and coordinate with participating communities and Mexican government officials to create a framework for sustained and expanded efforts.
$274,950

Fauna and Flora International
Aid Hawksbill and Leatherback Turtle Population Recovery in Nicaragua Through Threat Reduction
Provide a comprehensive conservation program for eastern Pacific leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles in Nicaragua. Project will reduce bycatch in key foraging grounds, improve nesting and hatching success at three priority sites and contribute to regional monitoring programs.
$95,175

Grupo de Ecologia y Conservacion de Islas
Assessing the Ashy Storm-Petrel Breeding Population on Baja California Pacific Islands
Assess the breeding population of ashy storm-petrel on the Baja California Islands in Mexico. Project will monitor three ashy storm-petrel breeding locations in Mexico as part of the first range-wide monitoring effort, conduct social attraction to enhance current breeding at one location, mitigate threats to protect and improve breeding habitat and provide information that will assist future managment and conservation actions.
$90,000

Grupo de Ecologia y Conservacion de Islas
Nonnative Predator Removal and Seabird Translocation on Guadalupe Island
Eradicate nonnative predators that threaten seabird populations and complete a translocation of black-footed albatross to establish a new high island sea-level rise resilient and predator free colony on Guadalupe Island in Mexico. Project will establish a new population of black-footed albatross, complete seabird monitoring and social attraction and conduct environmental education and outreach efforts to support seabird conservation.
$1,200,000

Grupo de Ecologia y Conservacion de Islas
Protecting and Monitoring the Townsend’s Shearwater on the Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico – II
Continue protection of Townsend’s shearwater on the Revillagigedo Archipelago of Mexico. Project will confirm the success of nonnative predator eradication efforts on Socorro Island, will monitor Townsend’s shearwater, improve social attraction systems, initiate rodent removal on Clarión Island and implement biosecurity protocols across the archipelago.
$450,000

Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias
Engage Fishers to Reduce Eastern Pacific Leatherback Turtle Bycatch Near Nesting Beaches in Mexico
Identify and test collaborative solutions to reduce the incidental capture of eastern Pacific leatherback turtles in proximity to their primary nesting beaches in Southern Mexico. Project will reduce bycatch at two hot spots by working with local fishers and authorities to design and test modified fishing gear.
$239,997

Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias
Engaging Communities in Bycatch Reduction Strategies Along Pacific Mexico
Identify and test sea turtle bycatch reduction strategies in northwestern Mexico to improve loggerhead and leatherback turtle survival. Project will conduct rapid bycatch assessments in communities, organize fishers learning exchanges and conduct community outreach to reduce bycatch along the Pacific coast of Mexico.
$587,951

Oikonos - Ecosystem Knowledge
Conservation of the Pink-Footed Shearwater in Chile – IV
Continue pink-footed shearwater conservation efforts to improve breeding metrics and adult survival in Chile. Project will assess fencing benefits on nesting success, advance capabilities of detecting and controlling invasive mammals in breeding colonies, restore breeding habitat to improve reproductive success, complete various light projects to reduce seabird fallout and investigate mortalities in fisheries.
$325,000

Pacific Rim Conservation
Creating Resilient Tropical Seabird Colonies through Translocation (HI, MEX)
Continue seabird translocations to James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on the north shore of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i and begin translocations of black-footed albatrosses to Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Project will translocate up to 225 chicks (three species) and 42 eggs (black-footed albatross) to two sea-level rise resilient and predator free locations in an effort to create long-term resilient seabird colonies.
$390,000

SUBMON
Reduce Impacts to Sea Turtles From Artisanal Fisheries Along Pacific Costa Rica and Panama
Implement an official training program for longline fishermen along the Pacific coasts of Costa Rica and Panama to reduce sea turtle mortality from bycatch. Project will assess bycatch rates at suspected hot spot ports and establish a government recognized training program for fishermen in the best handling and release techniques of captured sea turtles.
$110,457

The Leatherback Trust
Increase Nesting Beach Quality to Maximize Hatchling Output of Leatherback Turtles in Costa Rica
Increase hatching and emergence success of leatherback sea turtles in Costa Rica. Project will increase nesting beach quality through climate mitigation strategies, predation and poaching reduction and by decreasing light pollution.
$70,000

The Ocean Foundation
Population Viability Analysis of Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Turtles
Develop the first comprehensive population viability analysis for eastern Pacific hawksbills. Project will estimate annual survival at priority nesting and foraging sites and incorporate information on reproductive parameters and bycatch rates to formulate a population model that can evaluate conservation scenarios and validate population viability.
$93,947

University of California - Santa Cruz
Improving a Meta-Population Viability Analysis Tool for Threatened and Endangered Seabirds (multiple states)
Improve a meta-population viability analysis (mPVA) tool to help prevent seabird extinctions. Project will incorporate sea-level rise and financial return on investment data to enhance the existing seabird mPVA conservation planning and decision support tool.
$125,000
 

French Polynesia Island Conservation
Removing Invasive Rodents to Recover Polynesian Storm-Petrels on Kamaka Island
Complete a drone-based operation to remove Pacific rats from Kamaka Island in the southeast region of French Polynesia to improve breeding success of at-risk seabirds, including the endangered Polynesian storm-petrel. Project will remove rodents from 124 acres to restore breeding habitat and allow for recolonization of Polynesian storm-petrel, which will serve as the foundation for future management on Henderson Island.
$48,441

Mariana Islands Nature Alliance
Improving Coral Reef Restoration Outcomes in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Gain a comprehensive understanding of how outplanting strategies and site-level environmental conditions influence coral reef restoration outcomes in the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands. Project will inform future coral reef restoration and management decisions and increase local restoration capacity by contributing to the expansion of an existing coral nursery.
$50,000