Australian scientists have assessed how 35 common fish species are coping with climate change, finding that most have to deal with new conditions and many are moving towards polar waters to find suitable habitats, The Guardian reports.
Research led by the University of Tasmania’s institute for marine and Antarctic studies analysed the climate sensitivity of fish found off the south-east coast of Australia. The region is one of more than a dozen global ocean ‘hotspots’ – others include off Brazil, in the Indian ocean and the North Sea – where the water is warming much faster than the global average for the world’s oceans.
The 35 species of fish and other sea life, ranked for their importance to the commercial fishing industry as well as their ecological significance, had a varied response to increasing sea temperatures and changing levels of nutrients and plankton.
Species such as abalone, blue swimmer crab, southern calamari, southern rock lobster and western king prawns will experience a high impact from changing temperatures.
Australian salmon will face similarly large changes due to altering winds and currents, while black bream will have to cope with changed freshwater flows.
Species were assessed on their distribution, how many eggs they lay and their capacity for movement.
Researchers stressed that not all of these changes would be disastrous for fish, but that most of the studied species will have to alter their habits or range of habitat in some way, with many shifting towards cooler waters near the poles to survive.
“We found a mixed bag – some positive and some negative,” said Dr Gretta Pecl, lead author of the study.
“Some species are shifting south and increasing their range, while others are already at their tolerance for temperature and as it warms, their range will shrink.
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“In Tasmania, there’s been an increase in snapper and yellow-tailed kingfish, which is great for the fishing industry. But in South Australia, there may be parts of the gulf regions unsuitable for snapper and it may decline there.
“Temperature will be the major factor and off the coast of Tasmania the rate of warming is four times the global average. For species that are highly sensitive to temperature, it will affect the rate of growth, the amount of energy it needs and its oxygen consumption. Almost no aspect will be unaffected.”
Pecl said fish species were being increasingly sighted outside their traditional ranges, such as coral trout seen in New South Wales, a manta ray off north east Tasmania and whale sharks getting as far south as Perth.
International research published in 2013 found that fish species were being pushed towards the poles at a rate of 7kms every year as they chase the climates they can survive in.
The global sea surface temperature has increased by around 0.1C per decade since the 1970s. As well as warming waters, marine creatures have to deal with increasing acidification as excess carbon dioxide is absorbed and lowers the pH level of the oceans.
The research into how fish will cope with climate change was funded by state and federal government agencies and will be shared with other countries to help them manage their fisheries. US and Canadian authorities have already adapted and applied the data.
Read the article HERE.
Research led by the University of Tasmania’s institute for marine and Antarctic studies analysed the climate sensitivity of fish found off the south-east coast of Australia. The region is one of more than a dozen global ocean ‘hotspots’ – others include off Brazil, in the Indian ocean and the North Sea – where the water is warming much faster than the global average for the world’s oceans.
The 35 species of fish and other sea life, ranked for their importance to the commercial fishing industry as well as their ecological significance, had a varied response to increasing sea temperatures and changing levels of nutrients and plankton.
Species such as abalone, blue swimmer crab, southern calamari, southern rock lobster and western king prawns will experience a high impact from changing temperatures.
Australian salmon will face similarly large changes due to altering winds and currents, while black bream will have to cope with changed freshwater flows.
Species were assessed on their distribution, how many eggs they lay and their capacity for movement.
Researchers stressed that not all of these changes would be disastrous for fish, but that most of the studied species will have to alter their habits or range of habitat in some way, with many shifting towards cooler waters near the poles to survive.
“We found a mixed bag – some positive and some negative,” said Dr Gretta Pecl, lead author of the study.
“Some species are shifting south and increasing their range, while others are already at their tolerance for temperature and as it warms, their range will shrink.
Advertisement
“In Tasmania, there’s been an increase in snapper and yellow-tailed kingfish, which is great for the fishing industry. But in South Australia, there may be parts of the gulf regions unsuitable for snapper and it may decline there.
“Temperature will be the major factor and off the coast of Tasmania the rate of warming is four times the global average. For species that are highly sensitive to temperature, it will affect the rate of growth, the amount of energy it needs and its oxygen consumption. Almost no aspect will be unaffected.”
Pecl said fish species were being increasingly sighted outside their traditional ranges, such as coral trout seen in New South Wales, a manta ray off north east Tasmania and whale sharks getting as far south as Perth.
International research published in 2013 found that fish species were being pushed towards the poles at a rate of 7kms every year as they chase the climates they can survive in.
The global sea surface temperature has increased by around 0.1C per decade since the 1970s. As well as warming waters, marine creatures have to deal with increasing acidification as excess carbon dioxide is absorbed and lowers the pH level of the oceans.
The research into how fish will cope with climate change was funded by state and federal government agencies and will be shared with other countries to help them manage their fisheries. US and Canadian authorities have already adapted and applied the data.
Read the article HERE.
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