A flock of about 60 Sanderlings—small shorebirds—fly in a group above a crashing wave.

Coasts and Oceans

Protecting birds and people on our coasts.
Sanderlings winter all over the world. Photo: Matthew Reitinger/Audubon Photography Awards

Coastal birds are in crisis.

Threatened by climate change, development, overfishing, and pollution, seabird populations around the world have decreased by 70 percent since 1950. In North America alone, shorebird populations have decreased by 70 percent since 1973. Through our Coasts strategy, Audubon is working to reverse this crisis in multiple ways.

70%
Decline in seabirds globally since 1950
70%
Decline in North American shorebirds since 1973
50+
Years of Atlantic Puffin conservation
The Push to Save Horseshoe Crabs Is Gaining Momentum
The Push to Save Horseshoe Crabs Is Gaining Momentum

Conservationists hope new restrictions on harvesting and synthetic alternatives to a crab-blood compound used in biomedical testing can turn the tide for the ancient arthropods, whose eggs are a vital food source for Red Knots.

Building Anew Along the Shores of San Diego County
Building Anew Along the Shores of San Diego County

Local chapters, universities, Indigenous groups, and Audubon California collaborate to revitalize a shoreline that has long been left to the depredations of industrial action.

How We Work, Where We Work

In order to address and reverse the drastic global decline of marine and coastal birds and build resilient coastlines, we work in specific ways to achieve the most impact.

The National Audubon Society launched Project Puffin in 1973 in an effort to learn how to restore puffins to historic nesting islands in the Gulf of Maine.

Now known as Audubon’s Seabird Institute, we work to share restoration methods that benefit rare and endangered seabirds worldwide. Through active restoration on seven seabird colonies in the Gulf of Maine, we listen and amplify what seabirds tell us about climate change, forage fish management, proposed offshore wind development, and other ocean conservation challenges.

Learn more
Our Experts

Julie Hill-Gabriel

Vice President, Water Conservation & Interim Vice President, Coastal Conservation

Brian Moore

Vice President, Coastal Policy

Bethany Carl Kraft

Senior Director, Coastal and Marine Resilience

Kara Fox

Director, Gulf Coast Restoration

Don Lyons

Director, Conservation Science of Audubon's Seabird Institute

Portia Mastin

Policy Manager, Coastal Conservation

Romaric (Remy) Moncrieffe

Policy Manager, Marine Conservation

Rachel Guillory

Coastal Communications Manager

Birds That Depend on Our Coasts
! Priority Bird
Least Tern
Gulls and Terns
! Priority Bird
Piping Plover
Plovers
! Priority Bird
American Oystercatcher
Oystercatchers
! Priority Bird
Brown Pelican
Pelicans
! Priority Bird
Black Oystercatcher
Oystercatchers
! Priority Bird
Black Skimmer
Gulls and Terns
Atlantic Puffin
Auks, Murres, Puffins
! Priority Bird
Snowy Plover
Plovers
! Priority Bird
Red Knot
Sandpipers
! Priority Bird
Reddish Egret
Herons, Egrets, Bitterns
Tufted Puffin
Auks, Murres, Puffins