Pelagicos

08/20/2026

Congratulations to Kinsey, who defended her MS thesis proposal: Characterizing Plastic-Associated Inflammation in ʻUaʻu Kani (Wedge-tailed Shearwater) Chicks: Integration of Proteomics, Histology, and Condition Metrics. Big Thanks to Chris Capaldo and Jessica Jacob.

08/18/2026

https://spacedaily.com/t-s***m-whale-stomach-new-squid-family-mobydickia/

A squid preserved since the 1955–56 whaling season has been recognised as Mobydickia poseidonii, the only known member of a newly described oceanic squid family.

08/18/2026

Everyone can lend a helping hand. Remember: no permits are needed to save and transport a seabird to a rehab facility

After Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lala, you may encounter native birds that have been displaced, injured or grounded by severe weather. If you find a bird that needs help, call Hawai‘i Wildlife Center at 808-884-5000. Do not give the bird food or water. Using a towel, gently place it in a ventilated box and keep it somewhere dark, cool and quiet until it can be brought to an approved drop-off location.

HWC is currently experiencing intermittent phone outages. If you can’t reach us, please leave a message with your contact information and we’ll return your call as soon as possible.

On O‘ahu: HWC’s partner, Feather and Fur Animal Hospital is open 24 hours for native bird drop-off. The team at Hui Manu o Kū are also working hard to reunite uninjured Manu o Kū youngsters with their parents.

Please save and share so others know what to do if they encounter a native bird after the storm.

hawaiiwildlifecenter.org

08/15/2026

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/displaced-by-el-nio-south-american-seabirds-flock-panama-2026-08-14/

Flocks of seabirds native to the cold, nutrient-rich waters off Peru and Chile are appearing far outside their usual range in ‌Panama Bay as a powerful El Niño warms the eastern Pacific and disrupts marine food supplies.

08/13/2026

El Niño is strengthening, with >90% chance of a very strong event during fall and winter 2026-27. In July, SST anomalies exceeded +2.0°C in the eastern equatorial Pacific, with a value of +1.7°C in the Niño-3 region.

08/13/2026

El Niño just arrived in June 2026, but its effects are already visible from space: warmer sea surface temperatures, higher sea surface height, and less chlorophyll – and thus phytoplankton – in the ocean.

This green pigment is found in phytoplankton, which form the base of the marine food web. Less phytoplankton means less food for fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.

This map shows chlorophyll concentrations in the ocean as observed by NASA’s PACE satellite in June 2026, as El Niño was strengthening. This is the first El Niño since the satellite’s launch, and scientists hope to use PACE data to better understand how El Niño’s impact on life in the ocean.

Learn more: https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/el-nino-alters-marine-life-in-the-pacific/

08/12/2026

Emmylou and Julie necropsied a Hawaiian petrel and a Juan Fernandez petrel. It was a great opportunity to contrast their size and check their diagnostic identification markings.

08/12/2026

Many seabird species, including shearwaters and albatross, are responding to the developing warm-water event in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

A die-off of seabirds has some experts thinking an El Niño weather pattern is to blame, a look at data centers and pollution, and more climate news.

08/10/2026

Alyssa's first thesis chapter has been published: Geolocator devices did not affect chick growth or adult return rates in Wedge-tailed Shearwaters despite interannual variation in chick development. Read all about it here: https://journal.afonet.org/vol97/iss3/art3/

08/03/2026

First wedge-tailed shearwater chicks at the Freeman Seabird Preserve have hatched this week. This fall, HPU students will monitor their growth and development weekly, as part of the Seabird Ecology and Conservation class.