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The piping plover is an iconic shorebird that breeds and nests along the Atlantic Coast, the Great Lakes and the Great Plains.

Ultimately, this will affect subsistence hunters who rely on caribou for nutritional, cultural and economic reasons. But as temperatures increase and wildfires burn hotter and longer in Alaska, it could considerably change the caribou’s habitat and winter food sources. Photo by USFWS.Ĭaribou are always on the move - it’s not uncommon for them to travel long distances in search of adequate food. Delayed breeding seasons, low birth rates and chick survival are all affecting the reproductive ability of these birds. Adult puffins are compensating by feeding their young butterfish, but young puffins are unable to swallow these large fish and many are dying of starvation. As the sea warms, the fish are moving into deeper waters or further north, making it harder for puffins to catch a meal and feed their young. In the Gulf of Maine, puffins are having difficulty finding their major food sources of white hake and herring. These colorful-billed birds that look like miniature penguins are experiencing population declines in the United States and elsewhere. These factors may result in current nesting and foraging sites becoming unsuitable for federally threatened and endangered turtle species - especially loggerhead sea turtles. Various populations of sea turtle species and their nesting sites are vulnerable to sea-level rise, increased storminess and changing temperatures - all impacts of climate change. This gives them few options as temperatures continue to rise. Unfortunately, pikas are strongly tied to rocky-talus habitat that is limited and patchily distributed. Populations within some areas are migrating to higher elevations likely to avoid reduced snowpacks and warmer summer temperatures. Geological Survey has found that pika populations are now disappearing from numerous areas that span from the Sierra Nevadas to the Rocky Mountains. Photo by National Park Service.Ībout the size and shape of a hamster, the American pika typically lives at high elevations where cool, moist conditions prevail. Snowshoe hares are critical players in forest ecosystems. This increased vulnerability might cause declines in hare populations that could lead to implications for other species. With climate change, snow in some areas is melting earlier than the hares have grown accustomed to, leaving stark white hares exposed in snow-less landscapes. To help hide from predators, this North American rabbit has evolved to turn white in winter to blend in with the snow. So while salmon might currently be on the menu, climate change is expected to impact major commercial and recreational fishing industries in the coming years.

Higher temperatures have also led a harmful salmon parasite to invade Alaska’s Yukon River.

Changing stream flows and warming waters in the Pacific Northwest are already impacting some salmon species and populations. Salmon require cold, fast-flowing streams and rivers to spawn. Tens of thousands of these parasites can gather on a single moose to feed on its blood - weakening the animal’s immune system and often ending in death, especially the calves. That’s because milder winters and less snow can lead to higher numbers of winter ticks. Rising temperatures and booming parasite populations are expected to cause this cold-weather species that calls the northern United States and Canada home to move farther north. Future generations shouldn’t just see these animals in history books - we owe it to them to protect these creatures and their habitats. If we don’t act on climate now, this list is just the tip of the iceberg of what we can expect in years to come. Here are 9 species that are already being affected by climate change. These changes are not only having a dramatic impact on diverse ecosystems but also on the wildlife that call these places home.

We are already seeing its effects with rising seas, catastrophic wildfires and water shortages. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time.