Climate change could be the main cause of seabirds dying of starvation. Per the article “Hundreds of Dead Puffins Are Mysteriously Washing Ashore In Alaska” on Huffington Post, hundreds of puffins have showed up dead on the shores of the Alaskan island of St. Paul.
Scientists and local biologists worry that the numerous deaths could be related to the downfall of ecosystems in the vast Bering Sea, which waters lap St. Paul’s shores. However, experts are still trying to figure out the cause of the deaths and what other species are being affected by these changes, but some are blaming climate change. The summer temperatures recorded this year in the Bering Sea were the warmest ever recorded in the area. As oceans warm up, masses of puffins have washed up dead in shores all over the world. The article states that “More than 2,500 dead puffins were found on the shores of Scotland. In Iceland, home to more than half the world’s puffin population, colonies have been collapsing for years.” Warming up of the oceans decreases the amount of food produced. Higher temperatures significantly affect the tiny organisms such as smaller and less fatty zooplankton, on which many fish rely on for survival. Resulting in less food/fish for seabirds. Therefore, we must agree on thing; that the mass deaths of puffins are an indication of major changes in the marine ecosystem in North Pacific regions. Nevertheless, despite evidence and results showing climate change as the cause for the mass deaths, many scientists don’t want to draw definitive conclusions.
