Honours Theses

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Effects of environmental conditions on egg-laying dates in Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica
(University of New Brunswick, 2019) Fana, Natalia; Major, H.L.; Whidden, S.E.
Climate change trends may have an impact on the timing of seasonal activities, and in particular the phenology of Atlantic Puffins. The purpose of this study was to investigate if changes in environmental conditions, such as Sea Surface Temperature (SST), are responsible for the observed delay in egg laying at Machias Seal Island (MSI), New Brunswick. I used monthly means for SST and egg laying dates over a period of 24 years (1995-2018) from MSI. I used general linear models in an AICc framework and found a positive relationship between egg laying dates and SST over time. I suggest continued long-term monitoring to assess future changes and the puffin’s ability to continue to adapt to those changes.