Archipelago in Chiloé Waits for World Shorebirds Day
September 20, 2019
Bird Ecology Lab working group of the University Austal of Chile, host institution for the work being done in Chiloé 
Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) in flight Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) resting in Caulín Bay, Chiloé during high tide Participating in the program of the future of artisanal fishing in Pudeto Radio Inter-tidal red algae harvest experiment, which evaluate how harvest affects shorebirds feeding habits
Natalia Martínez
Ornitóloga / Universidad Austral de Chile
Archipiélago de Chiloe, Chile
During World Shorebirds Day, we find ourselves in Chiloé waiting for the return of the migratory Nearctic shorebirds. While they were reproducing in the Northern Hemisphere, the Coastal Solutions team, integrated by biologists, sociologists and engineers, worked with local communities, government agencies and private companies to begin the participatory development of the “Best Practice Guidelines for the Cultivation and Extraction of Pelillo”. Pelillo is a type of marine algae, primarily used to produce agar, that is grown and harvested in intertidal environments. Because of this, this year we wait for the shorebirds along with the pelillo harvesting community, to continue building collaborative strategies that will improve the livelihoods of everyone that depend on these intertidal environments.
The Coastal Solutions Fellows Program builds and supports an international community to design and implement solutions that address coastal challenges across the Pacific Americas Flyway. Our main goal is to conserve coastal habitats and shorebird populations by building the knowledge, resources, and skills of Latin American professionals, and by fostering collaborations among multiple disciplines and sectors.