Climate change impacts

Climate change has many different impacts and consequences in aquatic systems. These can range from those on industries through to issues associated with biodiversity and human health.

The MC³ works with MCCIP to provide a "one-stop shop" for expertise and advice on marine climate change impacts, which are often overlooked in national and international assessments. The current areas of marine climate change impact research are:

Ocean acidification

Much of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels will eventually be absorbed into the ocean, increasing its acidity. In the long term, the growth and development of marine organisms could be affected. MC³ scientists have begun to work on the consequences of acidification for commercial species using state-of-the-art experimental facilities. In addition, we have installed monitoring equipment on our research vessel Cefas Endeavour and we are engaged in modelling the impact on benthic communities, as part of the UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme.

Changes to commercial fisheries

Fish communities around the UK are changing. We have documented increased abundance of warm-water fish (e.g. red mullet and seabass) in recent decades. Our research on cod-climate interactions and on changing fish distribution patterns indicates that marked changes are already underway and that these could have dramatic consequences for commercial fisheries.

MC³ scientists are engaged in a wide variety of research projects that make use of our unique and historic datasets, looking at past changes and modelling fish and fishery distribution patterns in the future.

Freshwater and estuarine environments

These environments, and the fish that live in them, are often sensitive to changes in meteorological conditions and to increasing demands on water resources. Models for southern England predict warmer, wetter winters and drier summers, with an increase in extreme weather events (e.g. frequent flash flooding).

MC3 scientists use models to examine the consequences of such changes on fish populations and disease transmission. Our work has shown that temperature changes may affect the ability of eels to successfully migrate to the Sargasso Sea where they breed.

Risks to human health

Higher seawater temperatures may allow the proliferation of some pathogens currently restricted to warmer regions. An example is two species of bacteria, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus, which can cause acute gastroenteritis and wound infections. Increasing seawater temperatures in UK coastal waters where seafood is often harvested may increase the public's risk of exposure to these pathogens.

Non-native species

Future temperature increases may allow new species to become established in our marine and freshwater environments, replacing or displacing native species. These biological invasions pose a threat to our biodiversity and industry, including fisheries. We are leading Defra and EU-funded work on predicting the risks and impacts associated with the establishment of non-native fishes, and how this might be impacted by climate change.

For more information, contact marine.climate@cefas.co.uk.