A new study from the University of Southampton sheds light on the impact climate change is having on marine environments in a relatively recent global phenomenon known as “tropicalization.”
In the ocean, tropical species are moving from the equator towards the poles as sea temperatures rise. Meanwhile, temperate species are receding as it gets too warm, they face increased competition for habitat, and new predators arrive on the scene, among other factors.
This mass movement of marine life, termed tropicalization, is changing the ecological landscape of our oceans and leading to a cascade of consequences for ecosystems, biodiversity, and potentially the global economy.
The publication of the study coincides with the start of COP28, where global policymakers congregate and make pledges to tackle the impact of global warming. Researchers say we need to better understand the consequences of tropicalization to predict its development, respond to its effects and aid conservation efforts to protect biodiversity around the world.
In recent years, climate change has altered the physical factors that affect species dispersal, such as ocean currents in areas that separate tropical/subtropical and temperate regions. These warm-water boundary currents are heating faster than the global seawater average, facilitating the poleward movement of species, and reinforcing the retraction of temperate species.
2023-11-29 03:41:03
Article from phys.org