MEXICO CITY – In a profound victory for global conservation efforts, Mexico is celebrating the triumphant return of several seabird species, including the magnificent Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses, to its Pacific islands. These birds, once locally extinct due to decades of habitat degradation, are now thriving again, a remarkable testament to a long-running, ambitious ecological restoration initiative.

The phenomenon, confirmed by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and leading scientific organizations, marks a notable success story in habitat recovery and ecological restoration along the Mexican Pacific coast. This quarter-century-long project, which has already yielded impressive results, has been formally recognized by the United Nations as a World Restoration Flagship under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

The Magic of Island Restoration

On the rugged terrain of Guadalupe Island, a volcanic mass approximately 240 kilometers off Mexico’s western coast, the signs of recovery are unmistakable. Federico Méndez Sánchez, the Executive Director of Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas (GECI), a key organization in the initiative, recently observed a pair of Laysan Albatrosses engaging in an intricate courtship dance. "You can see how they raise their beaks, tuck them under their wings, and do it in synchrony," Sánchez explained. "The better synchronized they are, the higher the probability they will pair for life and breed."

Guadalupe Island is just one of nearly 100 Mexican islands benefiting from the comprehensive restoration program. The core strategy has been the systematic eradication of invasive alien species—the single largest driver of extinction for the unique flora and fauna that evolved in these isolated island ecosystems. Once the invasive threats are removed, active support is provided to aid the recovery of native species, from majestic seabirds to little-known endemic plants.

The UN recognition underscores the initiative's exemplary large-scale, long-term approach to healing nature and bolstering the resilience of terrestrial and marine landscapes against threats like climate change. "Islands are biodiversity treasures that are, unfortunately, highly vulnerable to external influences," noted Natalia Alekseeva of the UN Environment Programme, coordinator for the UN Restoration Decade. "Mexico’s success in eliminating invasive alien species to allow local nature to recover demonstrates what can be achieved with cooperation, resources, and patience."

Decades of Dedicated Effort

Mexico's more than 1,300 islands and their surrounding waters offer vital nesting and feeding grounds for nearly a third of the world's seabird species, including petrels, murrelets, and various cormorants, as well as many migratory birds. However, these islands have historically suffered from the impact of introduced mammals like cats and rats, which prey on native wildlife, and goats and rabbits, which decimate vegetation. Compounding these issues are pollution, including marine debris, and the effects of climate change, such as sea-level rise.

In response, CONANP and GECI developed an ambitious and holistic restoration program, collaborating with government agencies, civil society, academia, and local communities. To date, the initiative has restored approximately 60,000 hectares, including the successful removal of 60 populations of 13 invasive alien species across 39 islands. As a direct result, 23 of the 27 seabird colonies that had been lost from islands off the Baja California peninsula have returned, including Royal Terns on San Roque Island and Cassin’s Auklets across eight island groups.

The project's goal for the close of the UN Decade in 2030 is to complete the restoration of a total of 100,000 hectares across nearly 100 islands, protecting over 300 endemic species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and plants. This tangible return on an estimated $25 million investment highlights the profound ecological benefits of sustained conservation work.

Crucially, the initiative has woven local communities into its fabric, investing in educational and cultural programs that celebrate the islands' biodiversity. Island communities also benefit from more resilient ecosystems—such as native forests preventing landslides during extreme weather events—and stable livelihoods through sustainable fishing and ecotourism.

Guadalupe Island: A Challenging Success

The restoration efforts on Guadalupe Island exemplify the logistical and scientific challenges overcome. A remote locale, inhabited only by Mexican Navy personnel and a small itinerant fishing community, the island lacks paved roads and reliable freshwater. Supplies arrive sporadically, and scientists endure month-long stays in rudimentary biological stations.

An early priority was the elimination of an estimated 10,000 feral goats, descendants of animals brought by seal hunters and whalers centuries ago. These goats had so thoroughly consumed the vegetation that, according to Alfonso Aguirre Muñoz, former Executive Director and current strategic advisor for GECI, the island resembled "Mars. It was just rocks, almost no soil. And almost all the trees had disappeared.”

With the goats eradicated, a nursery was established to accelerate vegetation recovery. Over a quarter of a million seedlings, including endemic varieties of pine and cypress, have been planted, helping to triple the forest area to over 900 hectares.

A second critical focus was the removal of feral cats, which had decimated the island's bird populations. The drastic reduction in the cat population is directly linked to the spectacular growth of the Laysan Albatross colony, which swelled from 143 pairs in 2013 to approximately 1,700 pairs in 2024.

Building on this success, scientists are now undertaking an international translocation project to establish a new nesting colony for another species, the Black-footed Albatross. Using eggs and chicks collected in Hawaii, where their low-lying breeding sites are threatened by rising sea levels, the program has brought 127 eggs or chicks to Guadalupe Island since 2021. The young are either fostered by resident Laysan Albatrosses or hand-reared by scientists. The first translocated Black-footed Albatrosses have already returned, raising hopes that they will eventually breed and establish a new, climate-resilient colony.

"The magic of island restoration is that, within a single human lifetime, you can really see the change," commented Sánchez.

The visible progress on Guadalupe Island has been a source of immense encouragement for Pedro Álvarez Icaza, head of CONANP. “This collaborative effort between civil society, international support, and the Mexican government is an example of what can be achieved across the country,” he concluded. The return of the albatrosses, iconic symbols of the open ocean, after more than half a century, serves as a powerful reminder that with sustained commitment, even the most profound ecological damage can be reversed.