Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Assessing Intertidal Populations of the Invasive European Green Crab
Published on: September 16, 2020
Climate-driven range expansion of a critically endangered top predator in northeast Atlantic waters
Russell B Wynn1, Simon A Josey, Adrian P Martin
1National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK. rbw1@noc.soton.ac.uk
Abstract:
Global climate change is driving rapid distribution shifts in marine ecosystems; these are well established for lower trophic levels, but are harder to quantify for migratory top predators. By analysing a 25-year sightings-based dataset, we found evidence for rapid northwards range expansion of the critically endangered Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus in northeast Atlantic waters. A 0.6 degrees C sea surface temperature increase in the mid-1990s is interpreted as an underlying controlling factor, while simultaneous northward shifts of plankton and prey fish species suggests a strong bottom-up control. Our results have important conservation implications and provide new evidence for climate-driven regime shift in Atlantic ecosystems.
Related Concept Videos
Population Growth
Global Climate Change
Conservation of Declining Populations
Threats to Biodiversity
Conservation of Small Populations
Limits to Natural Selection

