The Farallon Islands host the largest seabird breeding colony in the continental United States, including 25% percent of California’s breeding seabirds. As global climate warms, these seabirds are experiencing localized changes such as increases in air temperature, extreme heat events, and decreases in fog, which affect their nesting success due to overheating nests, rising sea levels, and other factors.
To help provide safe nesting spaces for seabirds now and into the future, scientists from Point Blue Conservation Science with partners from Oikonos and the California College of the Arts have designed “climate-smart” nesting habitat to aid in seabird nesting success by improving thermal insulation, ventilation, and durability. A 2022 grant from FIF to Point Blue Conservation Science supported the installation of 30 such nest boxes on the Farallon Islands. The grant also provided funding for staff to conduct follow-up monitoring and evaluation of the success of the climate-smart nests, and the production of a report on the study findings.
- Year of grant: 2022
- Amount: $23,000
- Grantee: Point Blue Conservation Science
Photo at top: Cassin’s auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) at night. Photo taken in 2003 on Farallon Islands. Credit: Duncan Wright, Creative Commons License.
