Scientists conducting a chinstrap census along the Antarctic Peninsula have discovered drastic declines in many colonies, with some seeing population reductions of up to 77% since they were last surveyed, about 50 years ago.
February, 2020
January, 2020
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30 January
Revenge of the albatross: seabirds expose illicit fishing
Snagged by longlines, tangled in nets, shot at by sailors, and scorned by poets as lazy or a bad omen, the world’s largest flying seabird is today a front-line agent in the fight against illegal fishing, according to a study published Monday. Read more
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17 January
Worst marine heatwave on record killed one million seabirds in North Pacific Ocean
A new study has revealed that one million common guillemots died due to the heatwave, and two thirds of them are thought to have been breeding adults. Read more
October, 2019
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1 October
Urgent action required on penguin deaths: Friends of Bicheno Penguins
“We have seen more than 200 little penguins killed in six attacks just this year. It is quite likely that there have been more that have not been reported or discovered.”
September, 2019
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13 September
5th straight year of Alaska seabird die-offs blamed on starvation linked to climate change
The deaths of more than 9,000 thousand seabirds along Alaska’s western coast this summer prompted government agencies to once again study their corpses to determine why they had died, according to a press release from the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
August, 2019
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10 August
Top threats to seabirds identified
For the study, scientists reviewed publications on threats to all 359 seabird species worldwide, identified the main drivers of seabird declines and quantified the magnitude of the impact of each threat.
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7 August
Seabirds are threatened by hazardous chemicals in plastics
An international collaboration has found that hazardous chemicals were detected in plastics eaten by seabirds. This suggests that the seabird has been threatened by these chemicals once they eat plastics.
July, 2019
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31 July
Non-lethal impacts of seabirds’ plastic ingestion
The study found that the simple presence of plastic was enough to cause negative consequences, regardless of the amount.
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30 July
Go inside a penguin rescue center with new 360 video
Native to the coast of South Africa and Namibia, African penguin numbers have declined precipitously in the last few decades, from 56,000 breeding pairs in 2001 to approximately 20,000 pairs today.
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17 July
Abrolhos Islands seabirds using plastic to build their nests, prompting calls for research
Seabirds on the Abrolhos Islands are using pieces of plastic found in the ocean and on the shoreline to build parts of their nests, prompting a call for further research into the impact of plastic on bird populations.
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11 July
Oil spill hits largest breeding population of African penguin
Experts said an unknown number of penguins had been affected on the rocky, uninhabited island, which is home to the largest breeding colony of endangered African penguins in the world.
May, 2019
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31 May
Up to 90% of northern seabird populations at risk of extinction
Up to 90 per cent of seabird populations in northern New Zealand are at risk of extinction, scientists say, with emerging threats like climate change adding extra pressure.