{"id":15310,"date":"2026-04-10T09:54:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T07:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/?p=15310"},"modified":"2026-04-10T09:54:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T07:54:39","slug":"environmental-stress-affects-all-kittiwakes-but-not-to-the-same-degree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/2026\/04\/environmental-stress-affects-all-kittiwakes-but-not-to-the-same-degree\/","title":{"rendered":"Environmental stress affects all kittiwakes \u2013 but not to the same degree"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"den-pagaende-nedgangen-i-arktisk-sjois-antas-a-kunne-pavirke-sjofugl-som-hekker-pa-svalbard-men-sammenhengen-er-ikke-bevist-pa-vest-spitsbergen-har-forskere-benyttet-lange-tidsserier-pa-sjoisutbredelse-og-bestandsstorrelse-av-krykkje-rissa-tridactyla-og-polarlomvi-uria-lomvia-for-a-undersoke-om-et-slikt-arsaksforhold-finnes-og-eventuelt-hvilke-mekanismer-som-ligger-bak\">A new long-term study of breeding black-legged kittiwakes (<em>Rissa tridactyla<\/em>) in the Arctic has examined how individual personality types relate to stress. The research reveals how personality, stress levels and fluctuations in the marine environment affect both breeding success and survival in this vulnerable seabird species.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sizing-medium\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading mt-0\" id=\"sjois-og-sjofuglbestander-i-tilbakegang\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Different \u201cpersonalities\u201d in birds<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sizing-medium\">Personality plays a role in how animals handle stress. The more active and risk-taking birds \u2013 referred to here as \u201cbold\u201d \u2013 are predicted to be more tolerant of disturbances and prioritize reproduction, whereas \u201cshy\u201d individuals are predicted to be more cautious and sensitive to environmental disturbances, placing greater emphasis on their own survival. The researchers behind the study we\u2019re presenting here followed the kittiwake colony at Grumantbyen on Svalbard, a site with around 20\u201340 breeding pairs, examining links between personality, stress levels, environmental change and important demographic variables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"effekten-forsinkes-gjennom-naeringskjeden\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>A long-term study in an Arctic colony<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sizing-medium\">Over eight years, they collected feathers that had grown on the kittiwakes during three different phases of the annual cycle \u2013 before, during and after breeding \u2013 to measure the birds\u2019 individual levels of fCORT \u2013 a stress marker that provides a measure of the cumulative stress a bird has experienced during the period in which its feathers grew. They also conducted standardized tests to assess each bird\u2019s degree of boldness\/shyness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sizing-medium\">At the same time, environmental variables were examined to understand how external factors such as food availability influenced stress responses. Two key factors were considered: the Atlantic Water Inflow (AWI) and the subpolar gyre index \u2013 both indicators of the productivity and stability of the marine environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Personality influences when stress occurs<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The study revealed that the relationship between personality and stress varies strongly with the seasonal demands placed on the birds. For instance, fCORT levels indicated that bold birds were less stressed during and immediately after breeding than shy birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8211; Environmental conditions also proved to play a decisive role<\/em>, says S\u00e9bastien Descamps, who is one of the researchers behind the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; <em>Years with low AWI \u2013 which means lower marine productivity \u2013 resulted in higher stress levels during the breeding period. And when stress levels increased during breeding, chick survival dropped noticeably. This shows that unfavourable conditions in the ocean directly affect the birds\u2019 breeding success<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A key finding was that even though bold and shy individuals experienced stress at different times, personality type did not influence the overall relationship between stress and body condition. Environmentally induced stress had negative effects regardless of personality. The harmful consequences of stress thus appear to be universal, even though bold and shy individuals might be affected via different pathways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>The entire population suffers under difficult environmental conditions<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The study shows that individual kittiwakes experience environmental stress at different times and to varying degrees depending on personality, but that the consequences \u2013 poorer breeding success and reduced survival \u2013 affect all individuals. In a rapidly changing Arctic, where food availability and ocean conditions fluctuate more than before, such insights are crucial for seabird management and conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"les-hele-artikkelen\"><strong>Read the article:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/1365-2656.70225\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Environmentally induced stress affects fitness of bold and shy alike: A long-term study of personality and feather corticosterone in Arctic-breeding kittiwakes<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-sd-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2046\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-sd-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A fieldworker checks the contents of a black-legged kittiwake's nest. Photo \u00a9 S\u00e9bastien Descamps\" class=\"wp-image-15319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-sd-scaled.jpg 2046w, https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-sd-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-sd-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-sd-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-sd-768x769.jpg 768w, https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-sd-1534x1536.jpg 1534w, https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-sd-400x400.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2046px) 100vw, 2046px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A fieldworker checks the contents of a black-legged kittiwake nest in Grumantbyen on Svalbard using a mirror on a stick.<br><em>Photo \u00a9 S\u00e9bastien Descamps<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/krykkjer-grumant-sd-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1363\" src=\"https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/krykkjer-grumant-sd-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Breeding black-legged kittiwakes in Grumantbyen, Svalbard. Photo \u00a9 S\u00e9bastien Descamps\" class=\"wp-image-15314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/krykkjer-grumant-sd-scaled.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/krykkjer-grumant-sd-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/krykkjer-grumant-sd-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/krykkjer-grumant-sd-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/krykkjer-grumant-sd-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Between 20 and 40 pairs of black-legged kittiwakes nest annually in the abandoned stone building at Grumantbyen in Isfjorden, Svalbard. <br><em>Photo \u00a9 S\u00e9bastien Descamps<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-sizing-medium\">Contact person: <a href=\"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/profiles\/sebastien-descamps\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"4734\">S\u00e9bastien Descamps<\/a>, Norsk Polarinstitutt<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new long-term study of breeding black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) in the Arctic has examined &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/2026\/04\/environmental-stress-affects-all-kittiwakes-but-not-to-the-same-degree\/\">Les videre<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \u00abEnvironmental stress affects all kittiwakes \u2013 but not to the same degree\u00bb<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,3],"tags":[201,48,45,451,107],"class_list":{"0":"post-15310","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"category-uncategorized-no","9":"tag-breeding-success","10":"tag-climate-change","11":"tag-klimaendring-en","12":"tag-personality","13":"tag-survival"},"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-crop-sd-scaled.jpg",2048,1534,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-crop-sd-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-crop-sd-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-crop-sd-768x575.jpg",768,575,true],"large":["https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-crop-sd-1024x767.jpg",1024,767,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-crop-sd-1536x1150.jpg",1536,1150,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-crop-sd-2048x1534.jpg",2048,1534,true],"default":["https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-crop-sd-1200x700.jpg",1200,700,true],"square":["https:\/\/seapop.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feltarbeider-sjekker-krykkjereir-crop-sd-400x400.jpg",400,400,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Erlend Lorentzen","author_link":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/author\/erlend\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A new long-term study of breeding black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) in the Arctic has examined &hellip; Les videre \u00abEnvironmental stress affects all kittiwakes \u2013 but not to the same degree\u00bb","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15310"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15328,"href":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15310\/revisions\/15328"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seapop.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}