Above picture:  John Cooper with his other passions – running and cycling; photograph by Ruth Cooper

Seabird biologists and conservationists around the world, and especially those with an interest in the seabirds of sub-Antarctic islands such as Marion, will need no introduction to John Cooper. Those who have been following the news posts on the MFM website will also be familiar with John, who has penned the majority of the articles featured on the website.

A globally respected seabird biologist, formerly based at the University of Cape Town (but now long retired from academia), John initially worked on the seabirds of southern Africa, carrying out pioneering studies on African Penguins, Bank Cormorants, and indeed most of the region’s seabird species. Towards the end of his career he led BirdLife International’s Marine Conservation Programme in its early years. It is no exaggeration to say that John has contributed substantially to research, public awareness and conservation of the full suite of southern African breeding seabirds.

John has a total of 31 visits to Marion Island under his belt, having first visited the island in 1978, with his last visit in 2014. He was responsible for setting up several of the long-term seabird monitoring studies on the island in the 1980s, nearly all of which have continued to this day. John’s long-term work on sub-Antarctic islands has not been limited to Marion and Prince Edward Islands, but also extends to Gough Island in the Tristan da Cunha group, for which he served as an Honorary Conservation Officer for many years. Over decades, John has contributed significantly to understanding, managing and conserving these remarkable islands and their globally important seabird populations. He has also mentored many seabird scientists who are currently active in the field. I consider myself to be one of those lucky recipients of John’s mentorship. Those who have been fortunate enough to spend time with John in the field will know that he has not only contributed to the conservation of these islands through long-term research, policy development and public awareness, but importantly through his hands-on approach to tackling conservation challenges on the ground.

John writes to MFM News on his conservation ethos: “For me, the abiding principle is the threat to the species in its natural habitat, rather than the welfare of any individual within it.  This is not to say that compassion should not be extended to individuals, but that the risk of extinction of species, including evolutionary distinct or geographically isolated populations within a species, is a valid way of ordering priorities in the face of limited resources.  The IUCN threat classification system allows for the making of objective decisions on the need for action for different species.  However, I do see the value in, and would still support, special interest groups working to protect their chosen species and its habitat, whether it is globally threatened or not.  In the end one works to conserve what one knows and loves.  Marion Island and its seabirds do it for me.”

John has served as the honorary Information Officer for the international Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP) since 2007 and has this year taken on a similar role for the Mouse-Free Marion Project, writing news posts and features to promote the project.  John is also a member of the Mouse-Free Marion Project’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG).  His many contributions to seabird conservation have been recognised by a number of organisations and awards.  In 2012, John received the highest honour afforded by BirdLife South Africa, the Gill Memorial Medal Award, for outstanding lifetime contributions to southern African ornithology. In the same year, John received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the USA-based Pacific Seabird Group for his exceptional international contributions to seabird research, conservation and publishing, notably as Founding Editor of the now international journal Marine Ornithology. We are extremely grateful and honoured to have John as a voluntary member of the MFM Project Team and continue to be inspired by his passion for and commitment to ridding Marion Island of its mice, and reclaiming the island for its globally important seabirds. This is illustrated by the substantial contributions of time, knowledge and passion that he provides to the project and the very generous recent sponsorship of 21 ha. John previously sponsored 10 ha to the project, raising his total contribution to 31 ha (R31 000), one for each of his 31 visits to Marion over a period of 36 years.

John has issued a challenge to others who know and love Marion Island and its wildlife, and indeed the sub-Antarctic region more broadly, to support the MFM Project and its Sponsor a Hectare initiative in any way they can.

 

Anton Wolfaardt, MFM Project Manager, 09 December 2021

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Why 77?

In 2022 I increased my original sponsorship of the Mouse-Free Marion Project from 10 to 31 hectares. Thirty-one is the number of visits I made to Marion Island with the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP) from 1979 to 2014. During this period I visited nearby Prince Edward Island four times – a great privilege as most Marion researchers do not get the opportunity to go even once. I have also during this time made 18 research and management visits (including staying for two consecutive summers) to Gough Island with SANAP.

All these island visits add up to 53, so in April 2023 I increased my sponsorship by adding another 22 hectares to the total. This moves me from the Grey Petrel category on the MFM website to that of Giant Petrel, which is pleasing because Southern Giant Petrels, especially those that breed below Low Hump on Gough, are my favourite seabirds.

To mark my long career as a marine ornithologist, during which I was lucky enough to have visited many more localities that support populations of seabirds around the world in July last year I increased my existing sponsorship of 53 to 65 hectares by one hectare for each of my visits to 12 islands that support breeding albatrosses in Australia, Falklands, Galapagos, Hawaii, New Zealand and the United Kingdom’s Tristan da Cunha group.

In January this year I reached the age of 77, so a good excuse to sponsor a further 12 hectares. Perhaps there are others willing to sponsor their age in years? I am also hoping other Marion Island researchers, past and present, who have already sponsored a hectare or more might consider making a further sponsorship. Every hectare counts!

John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project, 25 April 2023, updated 22 February 2024