Seabirds as Sentinels

Auklets, Puffins, Shearwaters, and the View from Destruction Island

What the fates of seabirds reveal about the changing ocean and our shared futureEvery spring, thousands of rhinoceros auklets return to Destruction Island off Washingtons coast, where they dig burrows, lay eggs, and raise their chicks. Small, gray, and adorned with a curious horn on their bill, these funny-looking birds have become an unlikely but vitally important indicator for the health of oceans and the Pacific ecosystem as a whole.

In Seabirds as Sentinels, Eric Wagner joins a team of scientists who have been tracking the lives of auklets and other seabirds to gauge the effects of climate change in the region. The North Pacificsometimes called the Blue Serengetiis one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, supporting salmon, whales, seals, and countless other species, including people. Yet its waters are changing in unprecedented ways. Mas