Hundreds of puffin carcasses have washed up on the shores of Alaska’s St. Paul Island due to the effects of climate change.
Scientists concluded the birds died of starvation, and though only 350 dead birds were found between October 2016 and January 2017, they estimated somewhere between 3,150 and 8,500 may have succumbed.
A report released this week warned that the deaths are part of a bigger problem as climate change wreaks havoc on marine ecosystems.
The journal in PLOS ONE was written by a team of scientists from the University of Washington and the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Ecosystem Conservation Office.
“Collected specimens were severely emaciated, suggesting starvation as the ultimate cause of mortality,” The University of Washington’s Timothy Jones wrote.
“Whether seabirds are resilient to these changes will ultimately govern their long-term viability in an increasingly variable climate.”
Global warming has reduced the amount of sea ice and caused fewer forage fish, crustaceans and other prey animals in the area.
“There was no fat there, the musculature was literally disintegrating,” co-author Julia Parrish told AFP.
“The puffins are one among several signals recorded that connect the physics of the system — how cold or warm it is — to the biology of the system.
“They just happen to be a very visible, graphic signal because it’s really hard to avoid hundreds or thousands of birds dying and washing up at your feet.”
Most of the dead birds had been moulting, a time in which they are flightless and need more energy than usual – leading to their starvation.
What do you think of this story? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Gordon Ramsay Ditches Vegan Hate and Backs Flora’s Plant-Based Butter in New ‘Skip the Cow’ Campaign
- Totally Vegan Buzz Team
- 28th January 2025
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, once infamous for his digs at vegans, has taken a sharp turn in the kitchen. Ramsay has teamed up with Flora, the famous UK-based spread brand, as its global ambassador, marking a bold new chapter in Flora’s “Skip the Cow” campaign. Flora, established in 1964, has long been a household name …
The Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Places in Latin America
- Totally Vegan Buzz Team
- 27th January 2025
Latin America is experiencing an extraordinary rise in plant-based dining options. A new study, spearheaded by Veganuary in partnership with the food discovery platform HappyCow, reveals that Latin America now boasts over 10,000 vegan, vegetarian, and vegan-friendly restaurants—an impressive 21.6% jump compared to last year. Brazil takes the crown as the number one country, with …
Continue reading “The Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Places in Latin America”
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. [wpViralQuiz id=27203]
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. [wpViralQuiz id=33494]
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. [wpViralQuiz id=31281] Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God