In the last few years there has been an excltmg upsurge in seabird research. There are several reasons for this. Man's increased ex ploitation of natural resources has led to a greater awareness of the potential conflicts with seabirds, and of the use of seabirds to indicate the damage we might be doing to our environment. Many seabird populations have increased dramatically in numbers and so seem more likely to conflict with man, for example through competition for food or transmission of diseases. Oil exploration and production has resulted in major studies of seabird distributions and ecology in relation to oil pollution. The possibility that seabirds may provide information on fish stock biology is now being critically investigated. Some seabird species have suffered serious declines in numbers and require conservation action to be taken to reduce the chances that they will become extinct. This requires an understanding of the factors determining their population size and dynamics.

Highlights aspects of skua biology where the available knowledge provides insights into the role of skuas in ecosystems, including their interactions with man (as pests or in problems of conservation) and the adaptations they show to their ways of life.

The Status and Conservation of Seabirds in Alaska; Status of the Nesting Seabirds of British Columbia; Conservation Problems of Seabirds in Baja California and Pacific Northwest; The Seabirds of Greenland, Their Status and Conservation; The Seabirds of Northeastern North America; Their Present Status and Conservation Requirements; Seabirds of the North and Middle Atlantic Coasts of the United States, Their Status and Conservation; Status and Conservation of Seabirds in Southeastern United States; The Status and Conservation of Seabirds of the Bahama Islands; The Status and Conservation of Seabirds in the Caribbean; Status and Conservation of Seabirds in Costa Rican Waters; The Conservation and Status of Seabirds of the Ecuadorian Mainland; Seabird Conservation in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador; The Conservation Status of Peruvian Seabirds; The Status and Conservation of Seabirds in Chile; The Status and Conservation of Seabirds at the Falkland Islands; Status and Conservation of Seabirds in Northwest Europe, (excluding Norway and the U.S.S.R.); The Status and Conservation of Breeding Seabirds in Norway; Breeding Seabird Populations in the Atlantic Sector of the Iberian Peninsula; The Status and Conservation of Seabirds in the Spanish Mediterranean; The Conservation of Seabirds at the Chafarinas Islands; The Status and Conservation of Seabirds in the Mediterranean Sea; The Status and Conservation of Seabirds in the Macaronesian Islands; Breeding Distribution, Numbers and Conservation of Tropical Seabirds on Oceanic Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean; Distribution, Population Sizes and Conservation of Breeding Seabirds in the Afrotropical Region; The Distribution and Conservation of Seabirds Breeding on the Coasts and Islands of Iran and Arabia; Seabird Status and Conservation in the Tropical Indian Ocean; Seabirds Nesting in the USSR, The Status and Protection of Populations; Status and Conservation of Seabirds in Japan, with Special Attention to the Short Tailed Albatross; Seabirds of China and the Surrounding Seas; The Status and Conservation of Seabirds in the Hawaiian Archipelago and Johnston Atoll; Status and Conservation of Seabird Colonies in Indonesia; Conservation of Seabirds in the South Pacific Region, A Review; Status of Seabirds in Australia; Seabird Status and Conservation in the New Zealand Region; The Status and Conservation of Seabirds at Macquarie Island; The Status and Conservation of Birds in the Ross Sea Sector of Antarctica; The Seabirds of the French Subantarctic Islands and Adelie Land, Their Status and Conservation; The Status and Conservation of Seabirds on some Islands in the African Sector of the Southern Ocean; The Seabirds of the Antarctic Peninsula, Islands of the Scotia Sea, and Antarctic Continent between 80 degrees west and 20 degrees west, Their Status and Conservation; Predation on Seabirds by Introduced Animals, and Factors Affecting its Severity; Human Exploitation; Threats to Seabird Populations presented by Commercial Fisheries; Incidental Mortality of Seabirds in Gillnets in the North Pacific; Seabird Mortality Incidental to the Japanese Salmon Gill Net Fishery; Influence of Habitat Destruction and Disturbance on Nesting, Seabirds; At Sea Distribution and Nesting Habitat of the Marbled Murrelet in British Columbia, Problems in the Conservation of a Solitarily Nesting Seabird; Predation and Potential Environmental Perturbances on Ancient Murrelets Nesting in British Columbia; Priorities for Seabird Conservation and Associated Research, Recommendations of the ICBP Seabird Specialist Group.