New research has determined that due to climate change, seabird populations on the Great Barrier Reef and surrounding waters is facing dramatic declines. The research has been compiled by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. It addresses the impact of climate change on seabirds, and obtained by The Australian under freedom of information laws. According to a report in The Australian, tens of thousands of seabirds are failing to breed because warmer water from more frequent and intense El Nino events means there is insufficient food to raise their young. Warm water near the surface forces fish, plankton and other prey into deeper water, where it cannot be reached by seabirds. “Recent analyses at key sites have revealed significant declines in populations of some of the most common seabird species, which raises concerns regarding the threatening processes acting on these populations,” said the report, prepared by C and R Consulting. … “The declining trend was consistent throughout the region and was not simply a consequence of inter-seasonal migration between islands,” the report said.

Global warming causing dramatic decline in Great Barrier Reef’s seabirds