Australian scientists from Charles Sturt University have discovered that the increase in frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones due to climate change will have a devastating impact on seabird populations. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Contact Earth and Environment (CEE).
The authors’ conclusions are based on analysis of the impact of Hurricane Ilsa, which hit Bedout Island off the coast of Australia in April 2023. The storm wiped out more than 80% of the birds nesting on this land.
The team used data from aerial and ground surveys to estimate the number of losses of the island’s three main bird species – the brown booby, the lesser frigatebird and the endemic blue-faced booby.
According to experts, Ilsa wiped out 90% of these species. At least 20 thousand birds fell victim to the hurricane.
The researchers warned that this level of loss in the island’s seabird population, combined with an increase in the frequency of hurricanes, could lead to the extinction of the entire population. This is because many seabirds are long-lived, have long breeding seasons and produce very few offspring per year.
Previous climatologists learnedTyphoons have become even more dangerous due to global warming.