Climate Change Could Cause Changes in the Ocean that Haven’t Been Seen in 3 Million Years

Marine species could make drastic shifts in their historic ranges as the earth warms, changes in the ocean that haven’t been seen in 3 million years, according to a new study.

That reorganization of marine biodiversity won’t be as drastic if the world limits warming to 2°C, according to the study, which was published this week in Nature Climate Change.  But scenarios with higher than 2°C warming, especially those that see the earth warming an average of 2.2°C to 3.7°C by 2100, pose a large threat to marine species, causing many of them to migrate from their historic ranges in search of cooler waters.

In a warmer world, species could move out of the tropics — a region that, right now, is rich in marine biodiversity — and into the polar regions.  That migration poses dangers for species already living in the poles, who could be out-competed for food and space by these newcomers.  This change in ocean biodiversity could be more drastic than any seen in the last 3 million years, the study found.  That’s worrisome for ocean ecosystems, and also for the fishermen who depend on certain species of fish to be present in certain locations.

Climate Change Could Cause Changes in the Ocean that Haven’t Been Seen in 3 Million Years