July 23 @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm EDT

Photo by Dr. Stephen Kress.

Worldwide, about one third of all seabird species are globally threatened because of invasive predatory mammals, marine pollution, and effects of climate change. Against this grim background, Dr. Stephen Kress will share his refreshing success story about the restoration of Atlantic Puffins and other seabirds to coastal islands of Maine. This inspiring story demonstrates that people have the capacity to return seabirds to historic nesting islands and proactively help them find secure nesting places. Dr. Kress will provide examples of how methods developed for bringing puffins back to Maine are helping to create new colonies of endangered seabirds worldwide. During this presentation he will also discuss how puffins and terns are providing fresh insight into the changing marine climate of the Gulf of Maine and how seabirds serve as indicators of the health fisheries.

STEPHEN KRESS is the founder of National Audubon Society’s Project Puffin. He previously served as Vice-President for Bird Conservation for the National Audubon Society and Director of the Hog Island Audubon Camp in Bremen, Maine. Hundreds of professional seabird biologists trace their interest in seabirds to Project Puffin and many innovative seabird conservation methods that he developed in Maine are now standard practice worldwide. Dr. Kress received his Ph.D. from Cornell University and his Master’s and undergraduate degrees from Ohio State University. He is co-author with Derrick Z. Jackson of Project Puffin: The Improbable Quest to Bring a Beloved Seabird back to Egg Rock and the recently published ‘The Puffin Plan’. He is author of many studies of the effects of climate change on forage fish and seabird management. This presentation is part of the 50-year anniversary of Project Puffin.