Marine Wildlife

Marine Wildlife: Atlantic Puffin Climate Adaptation

Atlantic puffins are adapting to climate-driven changes in prey availability and distribution, with welfare implications for current and future populations.

Key Facts

Puffins are long-lived birds with strong site fidelity, returning to the same burrows for decades
Climate-driven changes in the North Sea are shifting sand eel distribution northward
Some UK colonies show improved breeding success in recent years while others decline
Puffins can switch prey species when sand eels are scarce but at reduced chick provisioning efficiency
Burrow flooding from storm surges and sea level rise threatens low-lying colonies

Welfare Considerations

Atlantic puffin welfare faces both immediate and long-term climate-driven challenges. Chick starvation when sand eels are scarce causes welfare harm at the individual level while population decline reduces the social buffer that colony-living provides. Adapting to prey shifts requires flexibility that not all colonies can achieve. Climate change mitigation remains the primary welfare intervention for this iconic seabird.

What You Can Do

Support climate action as the primary long-term welfare intervention for puffins
Submit puffin count data to seabird monitoring schemes
Donate to RSPB and Seabird Research Group puffin monitoring programmes
Visit puffin colonies respectfully maintaining safe approach distances
Learn about the link between climate change and seabird welfare