Puffin Online

Threats to Seabirds

Invasive Mammals, Plastics, and Entanglement- Dr. Annette Fayet. Invasive mammals threaten 70% of seabird species and plastics and entanglement in fishing gear kill seabirds in even the most remote parts of the world’s oceans. But there is hope! Learn about heroic efforts to remove predators, innovative solutions to halt entanglement, and what you can do to reduce plastic waste reaching the sea.  (28 minutes)

Download the Supplemental Reading Materials.

How Ocean Climate Affects Seabirds – Dr. John Piatt. This presentation explains how historic changes in climate led to evolution of alcid (auks) diversity in the North Pacific. Yet human-caused rapid climate change is adding new stress to seabirds and the food chains that support them. (22 minutes)

Download the Supplemental Reading Materials.

Mystery of the Missing Murres – Dr. John Piatt.  Like a detective setting out to discover ‘who did it’ in a murder drama, Dr. Piatt discovers the cause behind the death of a million murres.  Hint:  It was not the Fukushima partial nuclear meltdown or the associated tsunami.  Discover who is responsible for this disaster and what murres are telling us about changes in their marine habitats. (47 minutes)

Download the Supplemental Reading Materials.

Oil Spills and Fisheries - Dr. John Piatt.  Dr. Piatt had just arrived in Alaska to work with seabirds when the Exxon Valdez ran aground on March 24, 1989.  In this presentation, he shares his personal experience with this great tragedy and how oil spills, fisheries and climate change are interacting to challenge the survival of seabirds and marine mammals. (29 minutes)

Download the Supplemental Reading Materials.

Videos by Hudson Media Empire
©2020 National Audubon Society

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