Due to the biases and unethical sampling methods conventionally used to collect dietary data, the most recent data for shy albatross is over 20 years old (Hedd et al 2001). A recent international review of albatross diets highlighted the need to 1) incorporate appropriate dietary studies as an integral component of species recovery and management plans, and 2) elevate the importance of dietary studies in long term monitoring plans to link observed demographic parameters to ecological drivers (McInnes et al 2016a). With changing environmental conditions and improvements to mitigation measures used by fisheries, it is important to monitor how TEP species may adapt to these changes. Current, reliable diet information will allow risk assessment tools such as trophic models to be developed and provide a baseline of diet information in which we can test what drives any dietary shifts in TEPs. There is also paucity in information about if and when seabird-fishery engagements occur. This was raised at the AFMA Seabird Workshop in late 2016. Quantification of albatross engagements with vessels would assist with the development of the Seabird Strategy for Commonwealth fisheries to ensure fisheries are managed sustainably.

This project seeks to apply new high-resolution DNA-based diet-analysis (DNA metabarcoding) to characterise the diet of shy albatross, including intra- and inter-annual variability. This trophic information, in combination with existing fine-scale tracking data, will contribute valuable information to assist in fisheries management and ecological risk assessment processes. Specifically, this information will enable us to: i) estimate the range of prey species consumed by shy albatross, (ii) develop trophic models to estimate the relative resource requirements of shy albatross, (iii) evaluate intra-and inter-annual level of engagement of shy albatross with fisheries, (iv) provide baseline data for evaluating efficacy of fisheries management changes, (v) provide a demonstration of the applicability of this technique to other TEP species and regions.