During the six-day study, researchers surveyed the island, counting burrows and recording whether they were occupied by Atlantic puffins or rabbits.
Because the island has no natural predators, it provides a safe habitat for seabirds including murres, fulmars, terns, and gulls.
Thousands of seals breed on the island during autumn and winter, while around 250 species of migratory birds use the Isle of May as an important stopover.
Mark Newell, the UKCEH field manager on the Isle of May, warned that increasingly frequent extreme weather events could threaten the breeding success of puffins and other seabirds.
“We believe puffin populations have recently faced a series of extreme weather events, including marine heatwaves and severe storms, which have affected their survival during three of the past five winters,” he said.
“The concern for puffins and other seabirds is that climate scientists are predicting extreme weather events will become more frequent and severe.”
Source: www.bbc.co.uk