World Shorebirds Day: A Conversation Across the Flyways

For everyone in the shorebird world, September is a very exciting month. Each year on September 6, World Shorebirds Day is celebrated. We go out to count shorebirds, raise awareness through campaigns and community engagement, and celebrate, learn, and refuel to continue our conservation efforts. At Manomet Conservation Sciences, this work is at the heart of who we are. Our teams work to reverse population declines, restore coastal ecosystems, and empower the next generation of conservationists. But we don’t do it alone.

We reached out to partners and emerging conservationists from across the Americas to hear in their own words why this work matters and what gives them hope. 

READ ON ABOUT WHY CONSERVATION WORK GIVES US HOPE >>

Protecting the “Nursery of the Sea” 

Since June 2024, Manomet Conservation Sciences has been setting green crab traps in eelgrass beds in Casco Bay. Once a month, the team goes out with partners from Madeline Point Oyster Farms and places traps in two different eelgrass beds before hauling them the next day. This monthly trapping allows the team to monitor green crab populations and determine how they are impacting eelgrass beds. Since 2001, Casco Bay has experienced a 72% decline in eelgrass beds.

This work helps us further our understanding of green crab population dynamics and their impacts to eelgrass beds which is vital for the restoration and management of eelgrass beds in the future. 

READ MORE >>

An Excerpt from a recent Rare.org Interview with Manomet Conservation Sciences' Lizzie Schueler on Rethinking Conservation

In this conversation with Rare President Caleb McClennen, Ph.D., Lizzie argues for place-based models, shows how tracking reveals full-lifecycle insights, and explains how focus can amplify impact.

Caleb: Given the state of the natural world for shorebird populations in particular, the challenge to “scale solutions” has never been more urgent. How does Manomet take on this challenge?



Lizzie: While I agree that there are urgent needs to heal the natural world, I guess I would use the phrase adapting models rather than scaling solutions. “Scaling solutions” suggests that “we” (who is we?) have the answers and can use a cookie-cutter mold for conservation on a grander scale. That is not the case. Each situation and place are different.

There are things we learn in one place that give us deep insight that may be relevant elsewhere. It’s where we see change first and understand it most clearly, and it provides us with long-term insights into a place and the species. Importantly, bird banding now, depending on the technology we are using, can provide us with information across the full lifecycle and migration journey of the species, rather than in just one place. New technology accelerates our knowledge, enabling us to be remote and hands-on scientists.

We are currently using these data to build demographic models for eight species of shorebirds, modeled after our success with recovering the American Oystercatcher population. To do so, we are weaving together the migratory pathways of these birds to understand where there is mortality or where they are facing threats. This will, in turn, inform where we need to apply conservation efforts.

And yes, this work is urgent, as our focal species have declined by 50 to 90% in the past 50 years.

Podcast Spotlight: Dr. Marissa McMahan, Ph.D.

The Maine Coast Fishermen's Association explored the world of Black Sea Bass in the Gulf of Maine in a podcast with Manomet Conservation Sciences' own, Marissa McMahan. Marissa is the senior director of Fisheries at Manomet who completed her doctorate on black sea bass. Often used as an example of a climate "winner" in the Gulf of Maine, we know shockingly little about this species in the northern extent of its habitat. Marissa shares some of the research she has done, some information on black sea bass management, and some details on a project MCFA and Manomet are partnering on with local fishermen to collect new data on this species.

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW IN THE PODCAST >>

Ornithology Career Institute Summer 2025



In August, scientists Salvadora Morales and Evan Dalton, together with Manomet staff, proudly hosted the Ornithology Career Institute! Participants from across Latin America, Giuliana Panza (Argentina), Fernanda López (Guatemala), Sha’iera Moennoe (Suriname), and Nayeli Vargas (Nicaragua) came together to strengthen their knowledge and skills in bird research and conservation.

Participants developed expertise in bird identification, shorebird trapping, plumage and molt studies, and skin preparation for educational purposes.

A major highlight was the time spent in the Trevor Lloyd-Evans Banding Lab, where they learned to set up mist nets, handle birds safely, and collect essential data for long-term studies.

Beyond the technical aspects, the program encouraged networks of contact and collaboration, laying the groundwork for professional development and strengthening the passion for bird conservation.