Contrasting phenological and demographic responses of Atlantic Puffin ( Fratercula arctica ) and Razorbill ( Alca torda ) to climate change in the Gulf of Maine

• Published in: Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene
• Main Authors: Major, Heather L., Durham, Sarah E., Fana, Natalia, Rivers, Joy E., Diamond, Antony W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: University of California Press 2021
• Subjects: Atmospheric Science; Geology; Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology; Ecology; Environmental Engineering; Oceanography; Alca torda; Atlantic puffin; fratercula; Fratercula arctica; Razorbill; Seal Island
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00033; https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article-pdf/doi/10.1525/elementa.2021.00033/483012/elementa.2021.00033.pdf

The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than most of the world’s ocean and is also the southern-most limit for nesting, cold-adapted Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) and Razorbill (Alca torda). Beginning in 1995, the Atlantic Laboratory for Avian Research has collected annual data on phenology, productivity, and fledgling body condition for puffins and Razorbills nesting at Machias Seal Island. Here, we aimed to quantify changes in these measures of breeding performance and assess whether they are related to environmental conditions. As predicted, we found that all measures of breeding performance (except puffin fledge date) have changed between 1995 and 2020, and in many cases, puffins and Razorbills are responding differently. Specifically, hatch date has retreated for puffins (occurring approximately 1 week later in 2011–2020 than in 1995–2004) and advanced for Razorbills (occurring approximately 1 week earlier in 2011–2020 than in 1995–2004). We found that environmental conditions were important predictors for measures of breeding performance, but importance of environmental conditions differ both between the species and among the measures of breeding performance. As the climate continues to warm, we expect continued changes in breeding performance of puffins and Razorbills. Further research is needed to understand the reasons for differences between the 2 species and the impacts of continued warming.