From hotspots to site protection: Identifying Marine Protected Areas for seabirds around the globe

► Outline why seabirds can be effectively used to identify candidate MPAs. ► Review approaches to identifying and prioritizing seabird hotspots in the oceans. ► Discuss policy mechanisms and MPAs in the context of marine spatial planning. ► Examine practical steps for proposing and promoting seabird sites for MPA designation. ► Ultimately we hope this paper encourages better links at the science-policy interface of MPAs.