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Recent outbreaks of H5N1 have caused mass mortality. Interestingly, some survivors develop a permanent black iris , which serves as a visible marker of their resilience against the virus.
Warming waters are driving key prey species, like mackerel and capelin, further north. This forces gannets to fly longer distances for food, increasing their energy expenditure and decreasing breeding success. Download File Barbera & Collar - Gannet.zip
) conducted by experts such as (whose work often appears with Barbera in citations) and Nigel Collar . These researchers are known for documenting the impact of marine debris and entanglements on seabird populations. Recent outbreaks of H5N1 have caused mass mortality
Immature gannets are significantly more likely to be affected, with entanglement rates nearly 30 times higher than those of adults. This creates a "bottleneck" that threatens the future growth of the population. A Multi-Pronged Ecological Threat This forces gannets to fly longer distances for
Studies have found that in certain wintering areas, such as off the coast of Mauritania, up to 20.2% of gannets observed were entangled in marine debris.
One of the most pressing issues identified in the research is the high incidence of . Gannets often mistake brightly colored plastic, such as red fishing lines or synthetic nets, for nesting material.
Below is an article summarizing the critical ecological challenges facing the Northern Gannet , based on the themes typically found in their research.
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