Impact of human activities on seabirds: the case of declining Leach’s storm petrels in Atlantic Canada

Leach’s storm-petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) are long-lived seabirds that spend most of the year on the open ocean and return from overwinter grounds in the southern hemisphere to breed in large colonies in Atlantic Canada. Since the 1990s, breeding colonies have severely declined and Leach’s storm-petrels are listed as Threatened in the COSEWIC registry of species at risk. Several factors are likely to drive this decline, such as the interaction with offshore human activities. For instance, Leach’s storm petrels are attracted to offshore oil and gas platforms, mainly because of intense light emission, which involves a high risk of collision for these birds and potential exposure to toxic petroleum wastes rejected from the platforms. Moreover, the decline of breeding populations could also be driven by the stress experimented when Leach’s storm-petrels occupy their wintering grounds. Indeed, as these birds migrate across the whole Atlantic Ocean during winter, they are also likely to encounter offshore platforms and intense vessel traffic. Through the present project, we propose to investigate the interaction of Leach’s storm-petrels with offshore platforms in Atlantic Canada, their exposure to petroleum wastes, and how their migration routes and wintering grounds impact their condition and reproductive success.

Faculty Supervisor:

Glenn Crossin

Student:

Partner:

Birds Canada (ON)

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture; Arts, entertainment and recreation; Other services (except public administration); Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: