In this episode of The Amp, we look at seabirds - the storytellers of the sea - and how they can tell us about the impact of human pressures on their fragile ecosystem
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The ocean has always been a place of wonder - vast, full of life, and essential to our survival. But pressures from human activity, pollution, and industrial fishing are unravelling its delicate food webs. In this episode of The Amp, we look at seabirds - the storytellers of the sea - as they are the ones sounding the alarm.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This podcast was brought to you by Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum, supported by the Tennyson Charitable Trust. It was written, produced and hosted by Laura Skerritt. Production support from Annabel Walker. Sound design by Sara O’Brien. The executive producer was Teresa Cowie from Connect Content.
Thanks to our guest Dr Matt Rayner, and to bird sound archivist Les McPherson- who generously shared his recordings with us for this episode.
Thanks to our guests: Lucy Mackintosh and James Taylor, and to the Ah Chee family, Louise Chin and Bonnie Lynch for letting us use snippets from their previous interviews in this episode.
RESOURCES
Read more about the Kawau tikitiki in Matt’s blog: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/stories/science/saving-aucklands-spotted-shag
Learn about the Karoro and its changing diet here: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/stories/blog/2025/karoro
Read the Hauraki Gulf Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill: https://legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2023/0282/latest/versions.aspx?search=ta_bill%40bill_H_bc%40bcur_an%40bn%40rn_25_a&p=1
Birds NZ website: https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/
More about the decoy birds project: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2020/02/decoys-lure-birds-to-new-breeding-site/
Matt’s research:
https://gulfjournal.org.nz/2023/10/kawau-tikitiki-canary-in-the-coalmine-of-a-declining-gulf/
MUSIC REPRODUCTION
"Nigel The Gannet" (Mathias Kom, Ariel Sharratt, Jake Nicoll) taken from the album “Garbage Island” as performed by The Burning Hell © Mathias Kom (SOCAN) (p) BB*ISLAND courtesy of BB*ISLAND
Recordings of Karoro, Kawau Tikitiki Spotted Shag, Kororā Little Penguin, Pomarine Skua, Tara White Front Tern, Taramio Caspian Tern, from the Les McPherson archives
freesound.org
Rowing2.wav by juskiddink -- https://freesound.org/s/101921/ -- License: Attribution 4.0
Other SFX/Music used with appropriate permissions/licence from Epidemic, Soundsnap, BBC library, Sara O’Brien, AWMM SFX Library.
IMAGE REPRODUCTION
Phalacrocorax punctatus, Spotted Shag. AWMM. LB4251
Larus dominicanus, Southern black-backed Gull, Karoro. AWMM. LB4244