Seabirds are some of the world's most fascinating wildlife species. In an effort to raise awareness about the plight of these birds and the habitats they depend on, Audubon released an interactive map that allows users to explore some of the most important places for these birds. The map extends from the icy Beaufort Sea along Alaska's north coast to the tropical seas of Mexico's Baja Peninsula.

The interactive map specifically identifies newly designated globally significant marine Important Bird Areas. Started by BirdLife International, the Important Bird Area program identifies places essential to nesting, migrating, or wintering birds. Global status means an Important Bird Area affects a significant portion of the world population of a species.

Just off the Pacific Coast of North America fly some of the world's most fascinating birds: the elegant Laysan Albatross, the elusive Ashy Storm-Petrel, the adventurous Arctic Tern, the hardy Spectacled Eider, and many others. This stunning diversity of species is drawn to our waters because of the extensive habitat available for feeding, resting, and breeding. Some threats to seabirds include ocean pollution, human overfishing of critical food fish, and human-caused disturbance to breeding and roosting sites.

Easy to use and packed with photos and fun facts about seabirds, the map allows people to browse the newest marine IBAs to learn more about where seabirds nest and feed. For those that want a more in-depth view, or that need information about certain species or places, the map has deeper layers with species profiles for the key bird species, the habitat descriptions, as well as detail about the conservation issues being faced. 

Explore the little-seen world of these amazing birds!