Impact of climate change on marine species
Global climate change is altering the conditions of the marine environment by increasing temperature, decreasing pH (acidification), and altering nutrient availability through changes to currents and upwelling patterns. Marine species will not all be affected by these changes to the same extent, and some will be much more sensitive than others. For those species unable to relocate, already at the outer limits of their habitat preferences or for those with a limited ranges, the future is unclear. Establishing exactly how changes in the physical ocean processes will impact upon life within the ocean is difficult to determine, in part due to a scarcity of long term marine monitoring programs and the highly complex nature of marine ecosystems.
Impacts to marine species and ecosystems may be categorised by:
Changes to the range or distribution of species
During the 1980s it became clear that something unusual was happening. Fish that were otherwise considered rare or unknown in Tasmania waters were being caught or observed more and more often. Around Tasmania, several dozen species have demonstrated changes in their abundance and/or range. Learn more >>
Changes to the timing of life cycle events (phenology) and ability to cope with environmental changes (physiology) in response to climate variations
As a result of climate change, some environmental conditions are changing much faster than the time it took for species to evolve to their preferred conditions. This makes it difficult for species to adapt fast enough to survive. For example, corals become ‘bleached’ when temperatures reach their upper thermal tolerance i.e. become too high. Learn more >>
Changes to the structure and dynamics of communities
Species don't occur in isolation. Our marine ecosystems are incredibly complex with many connections between species and with the habitats in which they reside. Changes in the distribution, abundance or timing of life history events in one species can have cascading effects through the ecosystem. Learn more >>
