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Puffins on Canadian Island Facing Climate Challenges

The puffins on Machias Seal Island in Canada are experiencing significant changes as a result of rising ocean temperatures. This island, situated about 19 kilometers southwest of New Brunswick’s Grand Manan Island, serves as a critical sanctuary for seabirds, including around 8,600 breeding pairs of puffins.

Dr. Heather Major, a marine biology professor at the University of New Brunswick, leads a research team studying the island’s puffins to understand the impacts of Climate change. Data collection on these birds has been ongoing since 1995, revealing some concerning trends.

One of the key findings is that young puffins are now smaller when they leave the island compared to previous generations. This size reduction might help them shed heat more efficiently, but its effects on their survival and return rates as adults remain uncertain.

Another significant change is the timing of hatching. Over the past decade, puffin chicks have started to hatch later in the season, shifting from mid-June to late June. Additionally, the puffins’ characteristic bright beaks, used for carrying fish and attracting mates, have been observed to grow larger. One hypothesis suggests that larger beaks may help puffins dissipate body heat more effectively.

The survival rate of puffin chicks to the point of leaving the island averages around 55%. However, researchers have observed erratic fluctuations in these rates over the past ten years, with some years being particularly good and others extremely poor. These fluctuations appear to be linked to ocean conditions, especially temperature changes.

The Gulf of Maine, which influences the Bay of Fundy, has warmed by approximately 1.6°C since the 1980s, experiencing increasingly frequent and intense marine heat waves. These warming waters impact the availability of the puffins’ preferred food, Atlantic herring. As a result, chicks are now more likely to be fed less nutritious prey like squid and sand eels.

Efforts to track puffins’ feeding patterns using tagging technology have shown that parents are forced to travel further and dive deeper to find food. This added stress can affect the adult puffins’ health and overall survival.

With puffins already listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, ongoing climate changes pose a serious threat to their populations. Scientists like Major continue to monitor these changes, hoping to understand and mitigate the long-term effects on these beloved seabirds.

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