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Gliding into the Future

October 10, 2013

A snow petrel floats over ice and water in Antarctica. With the southernmost breeding range of any bird on Earth, snow petrels are superbly adapted to their extreme environment. But are they adaptable enough? WHOI ecologist Stephanie Jenouvrier recently found that Antarctic seabirds may be vulnerable to changes in their icy ecosystems caused by climate change. Jenouvrier’s research employs long-term field studies, climate projections, and computer models to project birds’ future populations. (Photo by Peter Kimball, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)