Scientists have discovered that marine heat waves are having a devastating impact on populations of seabirds in Alaska after examining population numbers.
What’s happening?
In 2014, scientists at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge knew something was wrong when they started noticing thousands of common murres washing up on beaches in Alaska.
A decade later, a study led by these scientists has documented the devastating effect that marine heat waves have had on the population of these birds along the coast of Alaska.
As the University of Washington detailed, data was collected from surveys of the bird colonies between 2008 and 2022 to determine the impact that a marine heat wave that occurred between 2014 and 2016 had on population numbers.
It was found that this heat wave, known as “The Blob,” resulted in the deaths of between 50 to 75% of the birds, depending on the colony in question.
The study, which was led by biologist Heather Renner and published in Science, estimated that approximately 4 million birds died in total, which is around half the population.
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Examination of the bird carcasses revealed the heat waves had caused changes in the populations of the fish they feed on, leading the birds to die of starvation.
Worryingly, there has been no sign of the bird populations recovering in the years since.
“Whether the warming comes from a heat wave, El Niño, Arctic sea ice loss or other forces, the message is clear: Warmer water means massive ecosystem change and widespread impacts on seabirds,” said Julia Parrish, a UW professor and author on the study.
Why is this discovery important?
As this study demonstrates, marine heat waves are having a devastating impact on our oceans and the life within them.
In some areas, heat waves can cause oxygen levels to deplete, resulting in dead zones that are unable to support life. Warming also impacts ocean flora and fauna in other ways.
For example, one study found that warming waters impacted a fish’s memory, which could have implications on their ability to find food and shelter, affecting their chances of survival.
Warming waters are also impacting the behavior and migration patterns of some marine species, which can put them at risk, as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources shared.
With the frequency of marine heat waves increasing as global temperatures continue to rise, understanding how these heat waves impact ecosystems can help guide marine ecosystem management and conservation efforts.
Can anything be done to stop marine heat waves?
One of the best ways we can help prevent marine heat waves is to limit pollution. By reducing our reliance on dirty energy and lowering red meat consumption, among other things, we can help reduce the amount of harmful planet-warming gases we put into the atmosphere.
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