Atlantic Puffin Welfare and Climate Change

Atlantic puffins face growing welfare threats from climate-driven changes to prey fish distribution affecting breeding success.

Key Facts

UK puffin population declined by 10% between 1986 and 2019 with some colonies losing 30-40%
Puffins feed almost exclusively on sandeels which are moving northward as seas warm
Failed breeding seasons where chicks starve have increased in frequency in southern colonies
Puffins at colonies with adequate prey maintain good body condition and breeding success
Climate change is among the most significant long-term welfare threats facing British seabirds

Welfare Considerations

Puffin welfare at the individual level is directly affected by prey availability. Chicks that receive inadequate sandeels during development experience starvation, slowed growth and weakened immune function. Adults that cannot find adequate food face body condition decline affecting survival probability. The warming of the North Sea is shifting sandeel distribution in ways that increase foraging distance for many breeding colonies. Individual welfare harms from climate change are diffuse and invisible compared to direct persecution but represent a massive cumulative welfare impact across millions of individuals.

What You Can Do

Support climate action to reduce the ocean warming threatening sandeel distribution
Engage with seabird monitoring organisations tracking puffin welfare indicators
Visit puffin colonies through responsible wildlife tourism supporting conservation funding
Advocate for marine protected areas preserving key puffin foraging grounds near breeding colonies