Blog Post 8:: Tufted Puffin

Tufted Puffin on Tatoosh Island
Photo by Peter Hodum

I chose the Tufted Puffin as they're really unique and cute. I was actually surprised that we had any real Puffin populations in the state as I hadn't ever seen any. The Tufted Puffin is recognized as endangered by the State and Federal government. Their Washington state populations have been on a 8.9% decline in recent years and it is expected that at that rate they would be gone in 40 years. In the 1900's there were 44 nesting colonies in the state with an estimated population of 25,000 individuals on the outer coast of the Olympic Peninsula. In 2009 only 19 nesting colonies were in use and the Peninsula's outer coast population only reached 2,958. This decline is not only limited to the populations within Washington state but is part of a larger issue facing the entire Northern Pacific Tufted Puffin population. Puffins nest on ocean cliffs where they can then hunt for food in the ocean below. This means that the Washington state populations are primarily limited to the western coast of the peninsula though there are some in the middle of the Salish sea near the Strait of Juan de Fuca were ocean like conditions are still experienced. Washington is in the middle to lower region of the Tufted Puffin's larger range with some populations going as far south as California and others found throughout Alaska's coastline. Tufted Puffins are pelagic during the winter season were they rarely come to land and fish in the open ocean by diving for small fish. By the time spring and summer come around the Puffins make nests along the ocean on cliffs and the sides of small islands to breed and raise their young. Tufted Puffins also search a very large distance (100km) to find nesting materials as well as prey so they aren't dependent on any one species in particular but more the overall health of the area.

Comparison of historic and current colonies

It isn't currently clear what is primarily causing the decrease in Tufted Puffin populations in the state and in the entire northern Pacific region though there are some possibilities. The reduction in prey quantities is believed to be a factor from over fishing and ocean acidification is a main idea. Additionally, the rising temperatures and changing weather patterns experienced in usually cold and windy coastal climates caused by climate change is believed to be quite damaging to Puffin populations in a number of ways. The final identified cause to their declining populations is from human activity like oil spills which greatly hurt Puffins and disruption of breeding areas. Climate change is directly effecting the southern populations found in California and Oregon as spring and summer temperatures increase it becomes too hot for the Puffins which are acclimated for temperate to sub-arctic conditions. However, climate change is hurting the entire Northern Pacific's Tufted Puffin populations by decreasing the productivity of ocean life and in turn reducing the amount of available pray for the birds. Due to their pelagic behavior in winter they require a very strong population of small to medium sized fish throughout the entire Northern Pacific. They are also extremely susceptible to discarded fishing nets since they dive rather deep into the water to catch their prey it is easy for them to become entangled in them. Also any oil spills that reach Northern Pacific waters are devastating to Puffins. Oil spills decimate their food sources and poison many Puffins themselves due to their pelagic behavior; in 1991 the Tenyo Maru oil spill killed 9% of the states Tufted Puffins. There currently isn't any active action or recovery plans in place to restore Tufted Puffin populations. This is primarily due to the fact that they are mainly in decline from climate change and an overall decrease in the health of the Northern Pacific ecosystems. However the populations on Tatoosh Island are being closely monitored.

Sources::
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/research/projects/seabird/tufted_puffin_status/
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/endangered/species/tufted_puffin.pdf
http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01642/