The effects of climate change in the Galápagos Islands are posing a severe threat to one of the world’s rarest seabirds, a decade-long historical study led by a University of Queensland researcher has revealed.
The unique flightless cormorant, Phalacrocorax harrisi, is found only on the coasts of two Islands in the Galápagos archipelago and relies on cold, nutrient-rich water provided by the Equatorial Undercurrent.
These heavy, flightless, diving birds evolved from a light, flying ancestor due to the absence of predators and abundance of in-shore sea food in the isolated Galápagos region.
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