Marine & Aquatic

Wild Seabird Climate Change Welfare Impacts

Climate change is altering seabird prey availability and breeding success, creating population-level welfare impacts.

Key Facts

Sandeel population shifts northward have reduced food availability for kittiwakes and other seabirds
Chick starvation rates have increased dramatically in Arctic-breeding seabirds since the 1990s
Sea surface temperature changes affect fish depth and distribution reducing foraging efficiency
Climate change interacts with other pressures including bycatch and colony disturbance

Welfare Considerations

Seabird chicks starving due to climate-driven prey shifts suffer prolonged hunger and death. Adult seabirds face increasingly challenging foraging conditions. These welfare impacts are occurring across species and regions simultaneously, representing a climate-driven welfare emergency at sea.

What You Can Do

Support climate action as a seabird welfare priority
Donate to seabird monitoring and conservation organisations
Reduce your carbon footprint to contribute to long-term seabird welfare