Most marine species are fleeing to colder waters

May 31. (EUROPE PRESS) –

Most of the fish stocks in the sea are responding to global warming relocating to cooler waters closer to the north and south poles.

By analyzing the breadth of current global data on changes in marine fish in recent years, researchers from the University of Glasgow have revealed how fish populations in Earth’s oceans are responding to rising sea temperatures.

The latest study has identified that, in response to warming oceans, many populations of marine fish are moving toward the Earth’s poles or into deeper waters, all in an attempt to stay cool.

For marine life like fish, the surrounding water temperature affects critical functions like metabolism, growth, and reproduction. Furthermore, marine species often have a very narrow habitable temperature range, making even small differences in the water impossible to handle. As a result, changes in marine life caused by global warming have been up to seven times faster than the responses of animals on land.

Over the last century, global warming has had substantial impacts on marine ecosystems, with fish species disappearing altogether in some places. In some cases, marine fish can adapt and change aspects of their biology to adapt to warmer conditions. In many cases, however, a change in geographic range may be the only means of coping with rapid warming.

As the current effects of global warming on marine ecosystems are projected to increase, and sea temperatures are forecast to continue to rise, our ability to predict fish relocation will be vital to protecting global ecosystems and maintaining food security. .

This latest study examined data on 115 species spanning all major ocean regions, with a total of 595 marine fish population responses to rising sea temperatures, the first time such a comprehensive global analysis has been carried out.

Carolin Dahms, lead author of the study, said it’s a statement: “We observe a surprising trend [donde] Species that live in areas that are warming the fastest also show the most rapid changes in their geographic distributions.”

“It is possible that the rate of warming in some regions is too fast for fish to adapt, so relocation may be their best survival strategy. At the same time, we see that their ability to do so is also affected by other factors, such as fishing, with commercially exploited species moving more slowly.

Professor Shaun Killen, lead author of the study, said: “While relocation to cooler waters may allow these species to persist in the short term, It remains to be seen how these changes will affect food webs and ecosystems.”

“If the prey of these species don’t move as well, or if these species become an invasive disturbance in their new location, there could be serious consequences in the future.”

Furthermore, the study found that how we measure and report these climate responses is also important. While the current literature is biased towards commercially important northern species, further investigation of some of the most rapidly changing ecosystems, such as in the Global South, will be needed in the future to improve our understanding of how our oceans will change.

The study is published in Global Change Biology.