Due to the global rise in temperatures, plankton populations in the Pacific Northwest have moved to the bottom in search of cooler waters, followed by fish that feed on microscopic organisms. But the consequences go beyond this suggests a new study, seagulls inhabit the West Coast have begun to eat their young and eggs due to lack of marine livelihood.
In addition to its authors, other scientists have warned of increasing this behavior. “There is no doubt that climate change has a negative impact on the species around the world,” US media has assured Meade Krosby, a scientist at the University of Washington. “We know that ocean water is heating up, so we can expect more cannibalism” he continued.
The phenomenon has been appreciated in several species. In the Arctic, polar bears are finding it increasingly difficult to hunt seals and other marine mammals, which have been observed feeding on other individuals plantígrados smaller or young.
In the case of lobsters the problem was the excessive population growth. In 2013, there was a boom of individuals due to the abundance of food, caused in turn by rising ocean temperatures. As a result, congeners began to engulf each other.
Cannibalism has been observed in a thousand 300 species throughout history, including man. It occurs mainly due to shortage of food, so that the animals return to their normal habits once it regenerates. However, experts warn about the possible consequences of irreversible change.
Source: CienciaXplora
