Saving Seabirds: New Lessons From Puffins Speaker: Dr. Stephen W. Kress

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Worldwide, about one third of all
seabird species are now globally
threatened because of effects of
invasive predatory mammals, marine
pollution, coastal development and
effects of climate change. Against
this grim background, Dr. Kress’s
presentation about the restoration
of Maine seabirds offers hope and
inspiration that people also have the
capacity to bring seabirds back to some of their historic nesting places
and to be better stewards of nesting islands and the essential forage fish
which seabirds require. The methods used to bring puffins and terns
back to Maine islands are now used worldwide and he will share a few
of these exciting restoration projects.
Dr. Kress will also discuss insights into the changing marine climate of
the Gulf of Maine as revealed by Maine seabirds. His research has shown
the connections between warm water and the plankton blooms that
nourish forage fish, seabirds and all other coastal life. He will also share the discovery of where the puffins that nest
in Maine spend their winter and how this helped to establish the first marine national monument on the east coast the ‘Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Marine Monument.’
Photo Credit: Stephen Kress