Four Million Murres Die Because of Warming Seas

Paul Demkovich, asteinmann, and I were recently up north (Paul and I in Newfoundland/Nova Scotia, asteinmann in Alaska) and we observed thousands of Common Murres (see some of our pictures below).  I recently came across an article on the CNN website which detailed the “worst single-species mortality rate in modern history….”  The article detailed the death of an estimated 4 Million Common Murres between 2014-16.

Scientists have been monitoring the Common Murre population on several islands off the Alaskan coast for many years so they were able to use data to track a sharp decline.  The decline was correlated to an Arctic heat wave that occurred between 2014 and 2016.  The heat did not affect the Murres directly but caused a sharp decline in the number of Pacific Cod, which is the main food source for the birds.

Unfortunately, as the temperatures dropped back down again, the was not a corresponding increase in the Murre population.  Scientists do not fully understand why the Murres’ numbers have not gone back up.

I found this article illuminating on how warmer ocean waters can negatively affect large numbers of birds (and other animals).  Let’s hope we see the Common Murre populations there come back up soon.  In the mean time please enjoy these shots of Common Murres from our collection.

Here’s a shot off of Common Murres taken by asteinmann off of Kenai Fjords NP in Alaska.  It was taken the year after the heat wave abated.

Paul Demkovich took a closeup of a Murre while visiting the colony on St. Mary’s, Newfoundland.

I’ll throw in a BIF shot of mine taken off of Gull Island off the coast of Nova Scotia.

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