A number of Iceland’s seabird species are experiencing a dramatic population decline, reports Fréttablaðið today.
The Arctic skua, great skua, Arctic tern, lesser black-back, and great black-back haven’t produced viable chicks in over a decade and have been experiencing mass mortality of chicks. In the Westman Islands, home to the world’s largest puffin population, breeding has also been unsuccessful for a number of years.
Read more: Worrying declines for Iceland's seabirds
Kristinn Haukur Skarphéðinsson, head of the Icelandic Institute of Natural History’s zoology department, believes two events are to blame for the birds’ dramatic decline: Lack of food due to warmer climates and the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010. However, he points out, this cycle has occurred in the North Atlantic before.
Read more: Nat Geo reports that Iceland‘s seabird colonies are slowly wanishing due to climate change
“We expect that the seabird colonies will continue to decline quite rapidly. Most of Iceland’s seabird populations are in dire trouble and have been for years,” Kristinn Haukur said.
A number of Iceland’s seabird species are experiencing a dramatic population decline, reports Fréttablaðið today.
The Arctic skua, great skua, Arctic tern, lesser black-back, and great black-back haven’t produced viable chicks in over a decade and have been experiencing mass mortality of chicks. In the Westman Islands, home to the world’s largest puffin population, breeding has also been unsuccessful for a number of years.
Read more: Worrying declines for Iceland's seabirds
Kristinn Haukur Skarphéðinsson, head of the Icelandic Institute of Natural History’s zoology department, believes two events are to blame for the birds’ dramatic decline: Lack of food due to warmer climates and the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010. However, he points out, this cycle has occurred in the North Atlantic before.
Read more: Nat Geo reports that Iceland‘s seabird colonies are slowly wanishing due to climate change
“We expect that the seabird colonies will continue to decline quite rapidly. Most of Iceland’s seabird populations are in dire trouble and have been for years,” Kristinn Haukur said.
