As the Arctic becomes boreal: ongoing shifts in a high-Arctic seabird community

The Arctic is currently experiencing the most rapid warming on Earth. Arctic species communities are expected to be restructured with species adapted to warmer conditions spreading poleward and, if already present, becoming more abundant. We tested this prediction using long-term monitoring data (2009-2018) from nine of the most common seabird species breeding in the High Arctic Svalbard archipelago. This region is characterized by rapidly warming ocean temperatures, declining sea-ice concentrations and an increasing influence of Atlantic waters. Concurrent with these environmental changes, we found a shift in the Svalbard seabird community, with an increase in abundance of boreal species (defined here as species breeding commonly in temperate environments) and a decline in Arctic species (species breeding predominantly in the Arctic). Combined with previous observations from lower trophic levels, our results confirmed that part of the Arctic fauna is moving from an arctic to a boreal (or north temperate) state, a process referred to as a borealization. Spatial variations exist among colonies for some species, indicating that local conditions may affect the trajectories of specific populations and potentially counterbalance the consequences of large-scale climate warming.

Automated summary

The Arctic is undergoing rapid warming, resulting in the reshuffling of seabird species communities and their poleward expansion. Analysis of long-term monitoring data from Svalbard archipelago showed an increase in temperate species and a decline in Arctic species, confirming the shift towards a temperate state in the Arctic fauna.