Seabird research …

Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre is managing the ‘guillemot ledge’ at Stora Karlsö on Gotland. The ledge is constructed from wood, steel and natural limestone and placed 40 meters above sea level. It has been designed to resemble the natural nesting-environment of the common guillemots (Uria aalge), and is set in the middle of a natural seabird habitat. The building is accessible from the inside to make it easy for researchers to study and observe the nesting animals, with minimal disturbance to the birds.

It is important for the continuing research that the birds thrive in the colony. On the first summer one mating couple was observed, followed by 11 couples in 2011! Since the Murre Lab was inaugurated in 2009, over 19 000 chicks have been ringed on the beach below the ledge. The rapid acceptance of the structure by the birds is very positive for coming research projects. Planned developments of the facilities include the possibility to weigh the birds automatically, register the time they spend in the colony and measure the frequency that the birds feed their chicks.

… to understand the marine environment

Birds in the Baltic Sea are highly affected by human activities such as fishing, eutrophication and pollution. By studying guillemot, a top consumer in the food web, our understanding of the important linkages between the birds and their surrounding environment will increase, as well as the knowledge of the Baltic Sea as a whole.
The project is a part of the research project Baltic Seabird and is financed by WWF through the Baltic Sea Centre. 

Ledge/sillgrisllehylla
 

The project is a part of the research project Baltic Seabird and is financed by WWF through the Baltic Sea Centre.