Iceland's Seabird Colonies Are
Vanishing, With "Massive" Chick Deaths
Climate and ocean changes blamed for huge losses
of puffins, kittiwakes, and terns.
Where
there used to be thousands of birds nesting and mating off this island of
Iceland, there is now no birds to be seen. Nests are empty and the sounds of
puffins are now non-existent. Colonies of eggs have been found abandoned in
nests, untouched and yet to have hatched. What is causing this breeding failure
of so many Atlantic seabirds? Scientists suspect many influences such as change
in climate, their chemistry, their food webs, and their loads of pollutants.
The main focus at the moment is the ocean temperature warming in the Atlantic.
This is causing a whole load of issues for seabirds whose prey are being driven
away due to earlier thaws. The warming oceans are also resulting in dangerous
unseasonal storms and causing the tight breeding schedules of the seabirds to
be thrown off track.
Scientists
have found that the largest Atlantic puffin colony on the Westman Islands have
been a “total failure” in their breeding habits since 2005. In a place where
puffins are a national mascot and a legally hunted delicacy, this poses a huge
issue for conservation of the species. While the entire puffin population has
not yet collapsed, it appears to be only a matter of time before this stretch
of breeding failure creates a long lasting impact on the species. The research
has been done by scientists and made public by journalist so all that is left
is to put this issue into the hands of government officials to make this issue
one of their top priorities. If not, the puffin population that once covered
the coast of Iceland will only be seen in pictures.
No comments:
Post a Comment