Study: Global Warming Threatens Gannets

British scientists have determined global warming is a major threat to the gannet, a bird species known for stable populations and breeding success.

University of Leeds scientist Keith Hamer and colleagues determined diminishing fish stocks partly caused by rising sea temperatures are forcing the birds to search farther for food to give to their young.

This leaves the chick alone and vulnerable to attack — mainly from other gannets seeking prime nesting space, which is fiercely contested within colonies, said Hamer.

Hamer’s team determined gannets have been forced to travel as far as the Norwegian coast to find food — a round trip of approximately 625 miles. They compensate by flying faster to make sure they don’t leave their nests for too long, but our research shows they’ve hit their limit, said Hamer. They just physically can’t increase their speed any further.

There’s only time for each gannet pairing to raise one chick each year, so with an increasing number losing their chicks and their nesting sites, we may start to see a decline in overall numbers, he added.

The study appeared in the May 24 issue of the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.