By the year 2009, human encroachment, habitat loss, destruction and other threats had reduced the entire North American population of American Oystercatchers to around 10,200 individuals. Manomet works to increase this number by coordinating the American Oystercatcher Working Group, which implements rangewide research and management efforts that promote the conservation of American Oystercatchers and their habitats. Manomet also supports participating organizations with fundraising, coordinates the monitoring that serves as the common success measure for the initiative and conducts research on factors limiting Oystercatcher populations.

 

Manomet’s American Oystercatcher project is seeking a 30 percent increase in the population of oystercatchers (to 13,600) by 2018. The work to recover this charismatic species will also improve conditions for other beach-nesting shorebirds that have shown sharp population declines.