With the ReFER II project we seek to improve our understanding of how the Bering Sea ecosystem functions, and how upper trophic level predators may respond to long-term climate changes and global warming. In order to do this, we are assessing the relationships between climate, diet, physiology and reproduction in several species of seabirds.

We are particularly interested in comparing how piscivorous (fish-eating) seabirds and planktivorous (plankton-eating) seabirds fare under varying temperature and food availability conditions. Thus we are comparing birds on 3 islands (St. Paul, St. George and Buldir) that have distinctly different oceanographic conditions in the surrounding waters.

This is a 3 year project (2003-2005) funded by the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB)
web design ~ z.m.benowitz-fredericks, 2005