How are scientists trying to understand the impact of global climate shifts in the northern part of the world? On the coast of Alaska, they're doing it slowly - by watching the seabirds. Ocean currents, temperature changes, and weather patterns all determine kinds of food available to these birds. And by checking on what they eat, the numbers of chicks and the health of the birds, marine biologists are able to use seabirds to tell them how healthy the whole environment is. Producer Kathy Turco, a marine biologist, visits scientists who study of seabirds on the St. Lazaria Island in the Gulf of Alaska and in Prince William Sound to try a simple way for us to "see" oceanic changes that we would otherwise miss.
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| Colony view from the field camp | Seabird researchers and field crew at Shoup Bay | St.Lazarie Island | Colony at Lazarie | St.Lazarie field crew |
Links:
Alaska Global Warming
Climate Changes in Alaska due to Global Warming.
Save Our Seabird, Inc. (SOS)
Australian Seabird Rescue
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