Climate change is hitting Alaska hard, and its seabirds are paying the price. 😢🐦
The common murre, a stunning black-and-white seabird that calls northern waters home, has been disappearing from Alaska's skies over the past decade. What's going on?
A groundbreaking study published in Science this Thursday reveals the shocking truth. Between 2014 and 2016, a record-breaking marine heat wave swept through the northeast Pacific Ocean. This wasn't just a hot spell—it was a game-changer.
The heat wave triggered a catastrophic collapse of the common murre population, wiping out four million birds. That's about half of the species in the region! 😱
Even more troubling is what's happened since. The population hasn't bounced back. Scientists think this could mean that the food web—the network of who eats whom in the ocean—has changed in a big way. The ecosystem might be stuck in a worrying new normal.
This isn't just about birds. It's a wake-up call about how climate change is reshaping our world in unexpected ways. 🌍🔥
For young people and future generations, the stakes have never been higher. It's time to pay attention and take action!
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
