A local seabird biologist says the seabird population off Newfoundland and Labrador is remarkably resilient despite a number of serious environmental, biological and man-made hazards they’ve encountered in recent years.
Dr. Bill Montevecchi spoke to St. John’s Rotary on Friday to discuss seabird survival and resilience.
Local seabird colonies have been hit hard by the bird flu, warming oceans, oil pollution and even man-made light that confuses their ability to navigate by the stars, but through it all, they’ve managed to survive.
He cites the spread of avian flu in seabird colonies in 2022 as an example. When he and his students conducted their research in 2023, they expected the worst, but were pleasantly surprised.
“We had studies on their reproductive success in 2023…the birds did great,” he told VOCM Open Line with Paddy Daly.
The results were better than the long-term average and better than what’s needed to keep the population going, says Montevecchi.
“Probably the most striking characteristic is actually resilience and survival, you know, nature just abhors a vacuum.”