Marine Wildlife

Wild Puffin Atlantic Climate Vulnerability

Atlantic puffins are facing population declines linked to climate change affecting prey availability. Colony monitoring reveals the welfare impacts.

Key Facts

UK puffin population declined by 18% between 1986 and 2019
Climate change is reducing sandeels through warming North Sea temperatures
Puffin chicks are fed predominantly on sandeels during the breeding season
Some colonies including Skomer have maintained stable populations while others decline
HPAI has caused additional mortality in recent years

Welfare Considerations

Puffin chick starvation due to sandeel scarcity causes significant welfare harm - chicks that are not adequately provisioned die in burrows from starvation. Adults that fail to raise chicks after weeks of investment experience reproductive failure. Climate-driven prey availability decline represents a major and growing welfare and conservation crisis.

What You Can Do

Support Marine Conservation Society campaigns for sandeel protection
Monitor puffin sightings via RSPB and Seabird Monitoring Programme
Reduce personal carbon footprint to address the root cause of ocean warming