Mechanisms by which heat waves affect seabirds and marine ecosystems

Large numbers of dead seabirds have been appearing on beaches across much of Alaska since 2015. Although seabird die-offs are known to occur sporadically in Alaska (e.g., in 1970, 1989, 1993, 1997/1998, and 2004), these recent die-offs differ from past events in their frequency, duration, geographic range, and number of different species involved.