Endemic species are often the result of centuries of evolution and unique conditions in specific regions. However, they are highly vulnerable: climate change, habitat loss, and invasive species threaten their survival. The loss of an endemic species is not only a biological tragedy but can also have negative consequences for ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
The origin
Commissioned by the Royal Dutch Academy of Science, in 1999 Richard Witte and Robert Ketelaar travelled to the Falkland Island in order to count seabird colonies in cooperation with the JNCC and Falklands Conservation. The Falkland Islands support large seabird populations of global importance; both numerically, and in terms of conservation status. The Islands are home to the world’s largest breeding populations of Black-browed Albatross and Southern Giant Petrel, as well as significant concentrations of Gentoo Penguin and Southern Rockhopper Penguin. Falklands Conservation initiated the Falkland Islands Seabird Monitoring Programme (FISMP) in 1989/90 to protect sensitive and important sites for wildlife. Interesting animals found where Commerson’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii), Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) (with over 100.0000 pairs breeding on Kidney Island. Great shearwater (Ardenna gravis). The Falklands is the only breeding site of this species known outside of Tristan de Cuhna – only a few breeding pairs have been recorded at three sites including Kidney Island. The endemic species they found were Falkland steamer duck (Tachyeres brachypterus), Blackish cinclodes (Cinclodes antarcticus) and Cobb’s wren (Troglodytes cobbi . This was the start of what later became known as Bureau Endemica.
