In 2015 Christophe Barbraud of the Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé began assisting us with the analysis of the four-decade demographic database we have obtained from the Cooper Island Black Guillemot colony. Christophe is a highly respected avian demographer whose study species include the Snow Petrel, an ice-obligate Antarctic seabird, as well as a number of other seabirds. We were fortunate to have him appreciate the potential and uniqueness of our long-term databases and show an interest in our work.
Our collaboration has led to the Cooper Island Black Guillemot study being part of the recently initiated project Sentinels of the Sea Ice (SENSEI) funded by the BNP Paribas Foundation. Their Climate Initiative program funds work that will improve our understanding of climate change, inform and mobilize citizens and, ultimately, assist in political decisions and solutions. While our participation in SENSEI will not assist us with the logistics of our field season and maintaining the long-term database, it will greatly facilitate data analysis and outreach efforts.
Comprised of 13 teams of researchers from six countries, the project will assess recent and ongoing responses of ice-associated seabirds and seals to changes in Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. The “sentinel species” being studied other than the Black Guillemot are the Thick-billed Murre, Black-legged Kittiwake and Hooded Seal in the Arctic and Snow Petrel, Adélie penguin, Weddell Seal and Elephant Seal in the Antarctic. The project’s official website has background on the study species, researchers and plans – including development of an educational platform in 2018 that will promote the scientific and conservation aspects of the project and is being developed with Luc Jacquet, who directed March of the Penguins.
A BNP Paribas webpage devoted to the project provides background and why they chose to fund SENSEI as part of their effort to address climate change. The site includes a video (above ) with a great animated cartoon Black Guillemot – who seems unaware that some might find him less charismatic than the ever-popular penguin.
Last month I visited Christophe and Yan Ropert-Coudert, the project’s other Principal Investigator, at their research center in Chizé, France to discuss the role of the Cooper Island research in the project and outline strategies for analyzing our 43 years of data. Will be posting more about this exciting opportunity as our plans develop.
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