Tuesday May 17, 2022
Mirage News —
Warming of the oceans due to climate change will mean fewer productive fish species to catch in the future, according to a new study. As temperatures warm, changing predator-prey interactions will prevent species from keeping up with conditions where they could thrive, the researchers found.
The U.S. National Science Foundation-funded results, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, present a mixed picture of ocean health. “The impact of a warming ocean on marine ecosystems will be complex and difficult to predict,” said Mike Sieracki, a program director in NSF’s Division of Ocean Sciences. “This study helps us know what to look for as the ocean changes so we can best manage our resources.”
Not only will large species and commercially important fisheries shift out of their historical ranges as climate warms, but they will likely not be as abundant even in their new geographic ranges. A cod fisher in the Atlantic, for example, might still find fish 200 years from now, but in significantly fewer numbers.