Asas do Mar

Discover. Value. Protect.

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The Azores are home to one of the most remarkable seabird communities in the North Atlantic. Situated in the middle of the ocean, the archipelago provides breeding grounds, feeding areas, and important stopover sites for birds that travel thousands of kilometres across the Atlantic. They spend almost their entire lives at sea, coming ashore only to breed.

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Founded in 2020, Asas do Mar – Azores Seabrid Institute is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the study and conservation of seabirds and the marine habitats on which they depend.

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Through scientific research, education, and public engagement, Asas do Mar works to increase knowledge about these extraordinary birds and to strengthen the connection between people and the ocean. Understanding seabirds means understanding the marine environment they inhabit and the challenges it faces.

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Our work is guided by a simple belief: the more we know, the more we can value; and the more we value, the more we can protect.

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The Asas do Mar Photography Contest grew from this same idea: to celebrate seabirds, to encourage people to observe seabirds with curiosity and respect, and to share seabirds’ stories with a wider audience.

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