A study of 12 species of highly migratory fish predators -- including sharks, tuna, and billfish such as marlin and swordfish -- finds that most of them will encounter widespread losses of suitable habitat and redistribution from current habitats in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean (NWA) and the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) by 2100. These areas are among the fastest warming ocean regions and are projected to increase between 1-6°C (+1-10°F) by the end of the century, a sign of climate-driven changes in marine ecosystems. In some cases, these iconic, and economically and ecologically important species, could lose upwards of 70% of suitable habitat by the end of the century, and in most cases, the impacts of these climate-induced changes are already observable." The ongoing and projected effects of climate change highlight the urgent need to adaptively and proactively manage dynamic marine ecosystems," according tothe study, "Widespread habitat loss and redistribution of marine top predators in a changing ocean," published in the journal Science Advances.

 

 

The shifts in the habitat and distributions of these species "raise concerns for associated fisheries and the socioeconomic impacts of climate change on fishing communities," according to the article. The concentrated changes in species distribution also "highlight the need for adaptive management approaches that can respond to expected changes." "Our results suggest static fishery management measures will continue to lose ecological relevance and economic efficacy as species redistribute under climate change." Braun said the motivation for the research is not only to better understand the fish and marine ecosystems, but also to understand how changes affect people, their livelihoods, coastal communities, and commercial fisheries.