Seabirds and Climate Change

2010-2011

In a new project with collaborators from Pacific Rim Conservation and Oregon State University, supported by Region 1 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, scientists from Farallon Institute will prepare an update of the Pacific Region Seabird Conservation Plan to address the effects of climate change on Pacific seabird species.  This update will provide a synthesis of available information on existing and potential effects of climate change on seabirds and seabird habitats, such as impacts of sea level rise, changes in air and sea temperature, changes in circulation and currents and upwelling, and seabird food webs for the California Current System (Washington, Oregon, and California) and Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Islands.  Sections will include: (1) a review Global and Regional Climate Models (GCM and RCM) for possible application to the USFWS regions of interest, (2) an overview of observed trends in relevant climatic (atmospheric and oceanographic) parameters, (3) a chapter on observed or probable responses of California Current System seabirds, (4) a chapter on observed or probable responses of Hawaii/U.S. Pacific Islands seabirds, and (5) recommended management actions to mitigate climate change impacts for 58 species listed in the original conservation plan.  The draft report will be completed by 31 March 2011.