Recently, a team of more than 80 marine scientists issued a climate change report card on the status of the marine ecosystems surrounding Australia. The effort, which details pressures faced by marine life, was funded by the Australian government and undertaken to inform decision making. The insights are sobering.
Warming waters and stronger currents are causing fish and invertebrates to move southward, and a number of temperate fish are on the decline. Ocean acidification, which is linked to rising CO2 in Earth’s atmosphere, is exacting a toll on species that rely on calcium to form their shells. This is bad news for corals, shellfish, and plankton – the tiny animals at the base of the ocean’s food web.
Rising temperatures, increased storms, and acidification threaten coral reef communities. When reefs are lost, so are reef-dependent fish.
Sea-level rise and an uptick in storm activity have dealt a blow to seagrass– with temperatures pushing some temperate species near extinction. This is a major concern given the importance of sea grass in coastal areas. Plants oxygenate the water, stabilize the shoreline, and provide habitat for green turtles, dugongs, and an array of fish.
Scorching beaches have shifted the mating habitat preferred by sea turtles, sea birds, and marine mammals. And an increase in fires, which can lead to loss of colonial nesting species, is a growing concern.
Broad ecological assessments are essential to understanding and adapting to climate change. But it will take the global community to alleviate pressure on climate change hot spots, like southeast Australia.
Web Link
http://www.oceanclimatechange.org.au/content/index.php/2012/home/
Photo, taken on December 15, 2011, courtesy of Wendy Harman via Flickr.