This Special Publication of Waterbirds is the result of a symposium on the decline of some North Atlantic gull populations held in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, in October 2013 as part of the 37th Annual Meeting of the Waterbird Society. Here, we focus on the rise and subsequent decline in the 20th century of Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) and Great Black-backed Gull (L. marinus) populations in eastern North America with reference to other regions. In addition to survey reports, the Special Publication includes several papers on closely related species (Lesser Black-backed Gull, L. fuscus; Ring-billed Gull, L. delawarensis; and Kelp Gull, L. dominicanus) with contrasting population trends, and papers related to breeding biology, diet and predation, movement, demographics and contaminants.