{"id":15265,"date":"2026-02-23T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/?p=15265"},"modified":"2026-02-27T14:56:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T13:56:22","slug":"as-oceans-warm-seabirds-struggle-but-not-everywhere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/2026\/02\/as-oceans-warm-seabirds-struggle-but-not-everywhere\/","title":{"rendered":"As oceans warm, seabirds struggle \u2013 but not everywhere"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Seabirds in the Arctic and North Atlantic struggle to raise chicks as the ocean becomes warmer and more stratified. Meanwhile, birds in the Pacific are still doing better. What explains this difference? The answer lies in the ecosystems.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

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Why do climate impacts vary?<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Climate change is warming the oceans, affecting everything from plankton to top predators like seabirds. But the effect is not the same everywhere. Researchers behind a study published in Communications Earth & Environment wanted to find out why some seabird populations are hit hard while others appear more resilient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 We know the ocean is warming, but we\u2019ve lacked knowledge about how this affects seabirds in different marine regions<\/em>, says Tycho Anker-Nilssen, one of the authors behind the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long time series and diet data<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The researchers analysed 138 time series of breeding success data for 39 seabird species across the Northern Hemisphere \u2013 from the Arctic to Hawaii \u2013 and linked these data to changes in ocean temperature and water stratification between 1993 and 2020. They also examined how varied the birds\u2019 diets are in different ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geographic variation in breeding success<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The picture is clear: in the Arctic and North Atlantic, seabirds show declining breeding success. These areas have both warmer surface waters and stronger stratification, which can reduce nutrient availability. Birds in the Pacific and Hawaii, however, show no clear decline despite rising temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 When the ocean becomes more stratified, nutrients stay at depth. That means reduced productivity of food for fish \u2013 and thereby less food for the birds<\/em>, Anker-Nilssen explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another key finding was that seabirds in the Arctic and North Atlantic had more uniform diets than the populations in the Pacific. This suggests that ecosystems with low diet diversity \u2013 where birds have few alternative prey \u2013 are the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Species diversity is crucial<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The study shows that climate effects are not just about temperature, but about the structure of the entire ecosystem. Where birds have a broad range of food resources, they can easier adapt to changes. Where diets are narrow, the consequences are greater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 This is a wake-up call. Marine management must consider the entire food web, not just individual species<\/em>, says Anker-Nilssen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 If we want to help seabirds, we also need to safeguard diversity in the ocean<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the article:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n