Yachting Art Magazine

Global warming is profoundly altering the balance of the oceans and now poses a direct threat to certain species of seabirds. According to a study published in the scientific journal "Nature Climate Change", species such as albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters are having to gradually shift their ranges and travel ever greater distances to find conditions conducive to their survival and reproduction.

Climate change is disrupting the migration patterns of seabirds

Led by researchers based in Chile and the United Kingdom, this study examined more than 120 species belonging to the order Procellariiformes, which includes several large seabirds such as albatrosses, petrels and certain species of shearwaters.

The scientists compared the historical movements of these birds with recent changes in ocean temperatures and climatic conditions.

The main finding is worrying: faced with global warming, these species do not appear capable of adapting quickly enough through physical or physiological changes. They respond mainly by altering their geographical range.

In other words, seabirds are forced to seek out new habitats compatible with their biological needs.

Habitats that are increasingly distant

According to the study’s authors, the acceleration of climate change now exceeds the natural adaptive capacities of many marine species.

Surviving birds must undertake increasingly long migrations in order to find areas where temperatures, food resources and breeding conditions remain favourable.

This development represents a major challenge for many species whose dispersal capabilities remain limited.

Some species can travel thousands of kilometres over the oceans, but not all possess the same flying abilities or energy reserves.

The further away suitable habitats become, the greater the risk of exhaustion, reduced breeding success or mortality.

Albatrosses and petrels particularly affected

Among the species studied are several iconic birds of the Southern and tropical oceans, notably albatrosses and various species of petrels.

These seabirds are heavily dependent on ocean conditions for food. Changes in temperature directly influence the distribution of the fish, squid and plankton on which they depend.

The shift in food resources therefore forces these birds to alter their migratory routes and foraging areas.

This situation could also have significant consequences for reproduction. Some historic breeding colonies could gradually become unsuitable if food resources move too far from nesting sites.

Several species threatened with extinction

The study also highlights that certain species could be particularly vulnerable under the most pessimistic climate scenarios.

Among the most threatened birds are the Galápagos petrel, the Jouanin’s petrel, the Newell’s shearwater and the Elliot’s albatross.

For these species, already weakened by other environmental pressures — plastic pollution, overfishing, invasive species or habitat destruction — climate change could significantly accelerate the risk of extinction.

Researchers believe that the combination of ocean warming and the inability to reach new suitable habitats now constitutes one of the main threats to certain seabird populations.

Rapidly changing oceans

Global warming is profoundly altering marine ecosystems worldwide. Rising ocean temperatures are disrupting food chains, ocean currents and the availability of resources on which many species depend.

Seabirds are, in fact, important indicators of the health of the oceans. Changes in their behaviour often provide a measure of the environmental transformations taking place.

Scientists regularly warn that the most specialised species, or those dependent on specific climatic conditions, are likely to be the most vulnerable to future upheavals.

A major challenge for global marine biodiversity

This new study highlights the growing importance of policies to preserve marine ecosystems and the migratory corridors used by seabirds.

The protection of breeding sites, the mitigation of human pressures on the oceans and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions now appear to be essential levers for limiting the consequences of climate change on marine biodiversity.

As the oceans continue to warm, the ever-longer journeys forced upon certain species provide a concrete illustration of the scale of the environmental changes already underway on a global scale.