Seabirds Starve If Food Supplies Drop Beyond Threshold

One-third of the maximum amount of food available historically needs to be present in an ecosystem housing seabirds at all times, in order for the animals to be able to survive. If supplies drop below this level, then there's a large chance that a large proportion of seabird populations will decline sharply.

This is one of the most complex investigations of this type ever conducted, and was carried out by an international collaboration that included researchers at the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The team traveled all the way from the North Pole to Antarctica to survey as many species as possible.

“This study provides critical information to resource managers in Alaska and elsewhere in the US to ensure the long term sustainability of these species and to the societal and economic benefits they provide,” USGS Alaska Science Center expert Dr. John Piatt says.

The team determined that the level of available fish in the sea must never drop below one third of historic levels. If that happens, then the survival of the chicks is directly threatened.