Ocean Sentry
The Ascension population has declined in numbers from several million in the middle of the last century, to just a few hundred thousand today. A team based in the University’s School of Biosciences believes the birds’ plight is closely linked to changes in populations of predatory fish such as tuna.
February, 2019
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1 February
Four penguins dead on Tassie beach
“Without adequate protection from dogs, cats and human intervention, there is a risk that Little Penguins may become extinct on mainland Tasmania.”
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1 February
Industrial fishing ushers the albatross closer to extinction, say researchers
Industrial fishing vessels that accidentally kill tens of thousands of albatrosses each year routinely ignore regulations designed to save the birds from extinction, according to research.
January, 2019
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8 January
Seabird colonies are struggling as winter sea ice levels hover near record lows
According to ornithologist George Divoky, this loss of winter sea ice could be “the final nail in the coffin” for a colony of birds already struggling with other aspects of climate change.
September, 2018
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24 September
Seabirds found with more than 250 pieces of plastic lodged in their stomachs
Scientists examining the devastating impact plastics are having on the world’s oceans have identified seabirds with more than 250 man-made objects lodged in their stomachs.
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19 September
An illegal eggs trade is threatening the seabirds of Lakshadweep
In a study published online in the journal Marine Ornithology in June this year, Mondreti and co. warn that egg poaching could potentially drive the birds nesting in Pitti to extinction.
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17 September
Here’s why there are hundreds of ancient, mummified penguins in Antarctica
The bodies of hundreds of mummified penguins in Antarctica aren’t a sign of an ancient illness that swept through the icy continent, nor are they the remains of a penguin massacre by a ravenous predator.
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11 September
Plummeting populations in a huge Alaska wildlife refuge might be caused by climate change and plastics.
The die-offs have continued into 2018, with more than 1,400 birds reported rotting on Bering Sea beaches and showing signs of starvation since May, according to the National Park Service.
August, 2018
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29 August
‘Huge’ decline in rare seabird numbers
Scotland’s population of Arctic Skuas could become extinct if the decline in numbers is not halted, according to a study by the RSPB.
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17 August
Climate change is taking a toll on Arctic seabird populations
The researchers have found evidence that the warming ocean is both directly and indirectly affecting seabird populations in Alaska.
July, 2018
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31 July
World’s biggest king penguin colony shrinks 90 percent
The planet’s largest colony of king penguins has declined by nearly 90 percent in three decades, alarmed researchers said Monday.
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17 July
LED lights reduce seabird death toll from fishing by 85 percent
Illuminating fishing nets with low-cost lights could reduce the terrible impact they have on seabirds and marine-dwellers by more than 85 per cent, new research has shown.