Atlantic puffins face significant welfare and conservation threats from climate change, which is disrupting prey availability and colony productivity. Understanding these threats guides effective conservation response.
Puffin chick starvation during poor sand eel years represents acute welfare suffering - chicks deteriorate over days as parents are unable to find adequate prey. The welfare of individual chicks and adults is directly linked to the health of marine ecosystems, particularly forage fish populations. Conservation interventions that protect prey availability - through sustainable fisheries management and MPA designation - directly benefit puffin welfare at individual and population levels. Island predator eradication programmes that restore breeding colony safety represent another high-impact welfare intervention.