Bird Study Group: Effects of Climate Change & Pollutants on Arctic Seabirds

From Heart Rate to Heat Stress: Monitoring the direct and indirect effects of climate change and pollutants to Arctic seabirds

Join McMaster University’s Assistant Professor Emily Choy (she/her) for an evening talk about the effects of climate change and pollutants on arctic seabirds.

Seabirds are considered sentinels of ecosystem health and marine contaminants. For example, thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) and black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) have experienced population declines believed to be due to changing oceanographic conditions. My research focuses on the direct (e.g., heat stress) and indirect (e.g. changes in food supply) effects of climate change and contaminants on Arctic seabirds. In addition to my Arctic work, I will highlight some of my local research on tree swallows and European starlings to monitor climate change and contaminants in the greater Hamilton area in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Social time starts at 7:00 PM, talk begins at 7:30 PM.