Global Warming Blamed for Declining Seabird Population
According to this article by The Australian newspaper, research has found that global warming is directly responsible for declining seabird populations.
The research, compiled by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, was carried out in the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. The research was then used for a report called Seabirds and Shorebirds in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in a Changing Climate, which was commissioned by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Environment Protection Agency.
The reseach found that warmer water near the surface of the ocean, forces fish and plankton away from the surface of the water. This causes the seabirds and their young to go hungry, as it is more difficult to find prey. This in turn, means the seabirds are less likely to breed.
According to the report, the warmer water is being caused by more frequent and intense El Nino events.
In some areas, seabird populations have declined by up to 96 percent.
Also, the report found that, around Heron Island in 2003, a 1 degree increase in temperature reduced shearwaters’ feeding frequency from once every two nights, to once every five.
Another report, produced in December last year, identifies 31 bird species in Australia that are at “high risk of extinction”.
The report, entitled The State of Australia’s Birds 2007 - Birds in a Changing Climate, says that a 2 to 5 percent rise in temperatures will lead to the extinction of many species. The urgency of the situation is highlighted when you consider that experts are forecasting that temperatures will rise to those levels within the next 60 years or so.
The birds at most risk are those around the savannas and rainforests of northern Australia, where the climate is much warmer.
Tags: Climate Change, Global Warming, oceans, sea birds
