Marine Heatwave Impacts on Seabird Welfare and Breeding

Marine heatwaves driven by climate change are reducing prey fish availability for seabirds at critical breeding periods. The welfare consequences for chicks and adults are significant.

Key Facts

Marine heatwaves have become more frequent and intense since 2000
Sandeels and sprats that seabirds depend on move deeper or relocate during warm water events
Puffin chick weights have declined significantly in years following marine heatwaves
Mass starvation of Arctic tern and kittiwake chicks has been documented in heatwave years
Some seabird colonies have shown near-zero breeding success in extreme heatwave years
Climate projections suggest marine heatwaves will increase 5-fold by 2050

Welfare Considerations

Marine heatwave welfare impacts are severe for seabird chicks. Starvation over days to weeks causes progressive weakness, hypothermia, and death in chicks that cannot thermoregulate or beg effectively. Adult birds attempting to provision starving chicks travel greater distances, experience elevated energy expenditure, and may themselves suffer nutritional stress. Climate change is creating welfare crises at colony scale that cannot be addressed through local management alone.

What You Can Do

Support organisations monitoring and researching seabird welfare during marine heatwaves
Advocate for climate action as the most fundamental seabird welfare intervention
Donate to RSPB and BTO seabird monitoring programmes tracking climate change impacts