2022 AOS Ralph W. Schreiber Conservation Award to David Ainley and to Lindsay Young and Eric VanderWerf

AmericanOrnithology.org Volume 139, 2022, pp. 1–2 https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithology/ukac037 AWARDS 2022 AOS Ralph W. Schreiber Conservation Award to David Ainley and to Lindsay Young and Eric VanderWerf Marty Leonard,1,* Mark Hauber,2, Helen F. James,3, Tony D. Williams,4 and Karen Wiebe5, Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Department of Animal Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA 3 Division of Birds, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA 4 Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada 5 Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada *Corresponding author: 1 2 David Ainley The Ralph W. Schreiber Conservation Award is an AOS senior professional award that honors extraordinary conservation-related scientific contributions by an individual or small team. The award is named for Ralph Schreiber, a prominent figure in American ornithology known for his enthusiasm, energy, and dedication to research and conservation, particularly of seabirds. This award consists of an original piece of avian art, framed certificate, and an honorarium. In 2022, AOS is presenting two separate Ralph W. Schreiber Conservation Awards; one to David Ainley, and one to Lindsay Young and Eric VanderWerf. David Ainley is a Senior Ecologist with HT Harvey & Associates and Point Blue Conservation Science. Dr. Ainley is a prominent seabird biologist, having worked on marine ecosystems for more than 40 years. His research foci include the Farallon Islands’ ecosystem and marine ornithology in California, as well as his long-term studies of Adelie Penguin foraging and breeding biology in Antarctica. His work has uncovered the genetic impacts of calving icebergs on the population structure of penguin colonies and the competitive interaction of krill-foraging (left) Eric VanderWerf and (right) Lindsay Young specialists in Antarctic waters, all aspects that are severely impacted by global change. In addition to his productive research career, Dr. Ainley has worked tirelessly to conserve marine organisms. He led the restoration of the Farallon Islands, removing tons of debris as well as feral animals, leading directly to the return of two species of breeding bird after a 100-year absence, and increasing the populations of others. Dr. Ainly also initiated efforts to designate the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area through numerous papers, presentations and film. In short, Dr. Ainley has been instrumental in advancing our knowledge of, and preservation of, marine birds and other organisms. Copyright © American Ornithological Society 2022. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: . Published August 25, 2022 2 Awards Ornithology 139:1–2 © 2022 American Ornithological Society conservation projects on multiple islands have reduced predation on, and improved habitat for, multiple species of breeding Hawaiian birds, and established new breeding colonies of several vulnerable seabird species. Drs. Young and VanderWerf are the authors of multiple scientific articles, book chapters and reports, and co-authors of the recent book, Conservation of Marine Birds (July 2022; Elsevier), on the factors influencing seabird conservation. The American Ornithological Society is honored to bestow the 2022 AOS Ralph W. Schreiber Conservation Awards to Dr. David Ainley and to Dr. Lindsay Young and Dr. Eric VanderWerf. Please check Wing Beat (https://americanornithology. org/blog/) for more detailed profiles of the two award winners. The second Schreiber Conservation Award goes to Drs. Lindsay Young and Eric VanderWerf of Pacific Rim Conservation. Drs. Young and VanderWerf are being recognized for the sustained success of their conservation actions combined with their publication, individually and together, of a significant body of research on bird conservation and the biology of birds. Their long-term study of Hawaiian seabirds and land birds, combined with planning and execution of effective conservation actions, have helped to protect vulnerable breeding birds in Hawaiʻi. Conservation projects led by Pacific Rim Conservation encompass a range of techniques including acoustic survey and population monitoring, habitat restoration, chick fostering and translocation, social attraction, predatorproof fencing, and predator eradication. Their diverse M. Leonard et al.  (...truncated)