Climate change, fisheries, and aquaculture: trends and consequences for Canadian marine biodiversity 1This manuscript is a companion paper to Vander Zwaag et al. (doi:10.1139/a2012-013) and Hutchings et al. (doi:10.1139/er-2012-0049) also appearing in this issue. These three papers comprise an edited version of a February 2012 Royal Society of Canada Expert Panel Report.

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 220-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Hutchings ◽  
Isabelle M. Côté ◽  
Julian J. Dodson ◽  
Ian A. Fleming ◽  
S. Jennings ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Marked Change ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Projected Changes

Climate change, fishing, and aquaculture have affected and will continue to influence Canadian marine biodiversity, albeit at different spatial scales. The Arctic is notably affected by reduced quality and quantity of sea ice caused by global warming, and by concomitant and forecasted changes in ocean productivity, species ecology, and human activity. The Atlantic has been especially impacted by severe overfishing and human-induced alterations to food webs. Climate change, fishing, and aquaculture have all affected, to varying degrees, biodiversity on Canada’s Pacific coast. Past and projected trends in key biodiversity stressors reveal marked change. Oceanographic trends include increasing surface water temperatures, reduced salinity, increased acidity, and, in some areas, reduced oxygen. Reductions in Canada’s fishery catches (those in 2009 were half those of the late 1980s), followed by reductions in fishing pressure, are associated with dramatic changes in the species composition of commercial catches in the Atlantic (formerly groundfish, now predominantly invertebrates and pelagic fish) and the Pacific (formerly salmon, now predominantly groundfish). Aquaculture, dominated by the farming of Atlantic salmon, grew rapidly from the early 1980s until 2002 and has since stabilized. Climate change is forecast to affect marine biodiversity by shifting species distributions, changing species community composition, decoupling the timing of species’ resource requirements and resource availability, and reducing habitat quality. Harvest-related reductions in fish abundance, many by 80% or more, coupled with fishing-induced changes to food webs, are impairing the capacity of species to recover or even persist. Open-sea aquaculture net pens affect biodiversity by (i) habitat alteration resulting from organic wastes, chemical inputs, and use of nonnative species; (ii) exchange of pathogens between farmed and wild species; and (iii) interbreeding between wild fish and farmed escapees. Physical and biological changes in the oceans, along with direct anthropogenic impacts, are modifying Canadian marine biodiversity with implications for food security and the social and economic well-being of coastal communities. To assess the consequences of changes in biodiversity for Canada’s oceans and society, it is necessary to understand the current state of marine biodiversity and how it might be affected by projected changes in climate and human uses.

Is Canada fulfilling its obligations to sustain marine biodiversity? A summary review, conclusions, and recommendations 1This manuscript is a companion paper to Hutchings et al. (doi:10.1139/a2012-011) and VanderZwaag et al. (doi:10.1139/a2012-013) also appearing in this issue. These three papers comprise an edited version of a February 2012 Royal Society of Canada Expert Panel Report.

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Hutchings ◽  
Isabelle M. Côté ◽  
Julian J. Dodson ◽  
Ian A. Fleming ◽  
S. Jennings ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
New Research ◽  
Research Initiatives ◽  
Developed Nations

Canada has made numerous national and international commitments to sustain marine biodiversity. Given current and potential threats to biodiversity from climate change, fisheries, and aquaculture, we provide a summary review of Canada’s progress in fulfilling its obligations to protect, conserve, recover, and responsibly exploit marine biodiversity. We conclude that Canada has made little substantive progress, when compared to most developed nations, in meeting its biodiversity commitments. Much of Canada’s policy and rhetoric has not been operationalised, leaving many of the country’s national and international obligations unfulfilled in some key areas, such as the establishment of marine protected areas and incorporation of the precautionary approach to fisheries management. We conclude that regulatory conflict within Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the absolute discretion exercised by the national Minister of Fisheries and Oceans contribute significantly to an unduly slow rate of policy and statute implementation. We recommend new approaches and measures to sustain Canadian marine biodiversity and new research initiatives to support scientific advice to decision-makers. Many recommendations focus on management actions required to meet existing commitments to biodiversity conservation. Overall, we conclude that the most effective strategy is to protect existing biological diversity and to rebuild depleted populations and species to restore natural diversity. By improving and protecting the biodiversity in Canada’s oceans, such a strategy will restore the natural resilience of Canada’s ocean ecosystems to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change and other anthropogenic activities with consequent long-term benefits for food security and social and economic well-being.

Social consequences of climate change in the Arctic towns

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Klyuchnikova ◽  
Larisa Riabova ◽  
Vladimir Masloboev
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Murmansk Region

<p>Climate change in the Arctic is noticeable and affecting the well-being of the population. The health and emotional state, food and water availability, livelihoods are on the threat. The towns are particularly sensitive to climate change. Their population and infrastructure density is exceptionally high, and temperature fluctuations, as well as extreme weather events, have an exceptionally strong impact on air and water quality, health and other components of human well-being. At the same time, urban communities in the Arctic, especially in industrial development zones, represent a little-studied area in this case.</p><p>The report presents the interdisciplinary study results concerning the climate change consequences for the population of Russian Arctic industrial developed areas. The study carried out in Murmansk Region which is a highly industrial and highly urbanized region that is completely included in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. Qualitative methods were used; in-depth (more than 50 questions) interviews were conducted with residents of several towns in the region. The study showed corresponds between the subjective perceptions of climate change by urban residents of the Murmansk Region with objective data on meteorological parameters changes. The surveyed urban residents feel changes in health and environmental management practices, and many respondents associate these changes with climate fluctuations. Such a phenomenon as the destruction of infrastructure (residential, public and industrial buildings, roads, energy infrastructure) due to climate change has not been identified. Concerns have been raised about the potential impact of climate warming on the ability to have a decent job due to reduced employment in some industries (such as energy).</p><p>The results obtained contribute to a better understanding of the social consequences of climate change in the Russian Arctic. This is important for adaptation actions development.</p><p> </p>

scholarly journals Nitrogen Fixation in a Changing Arctic Ocean: An Overlooked Source of Nitrogen?

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa W. von Friesen ◽  
Lasse Riemann
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest ocean on Earth, yet estimated to play a substantial role as a global carbon sink. As climate change is rapidly changing fundamental components of the Arctic, it is of local and global importance to understand and predict consequences for its carbon dynamics. Primary production in the Arctic Ocean is often nitrogen-limited, and this is predicted to increase in some regions. It is therefore of critical interest that biological nitrogen fixation, a process where some bacteria and archaea termed diazotrophs convert nitrogen gas to bioavailable ammonia, has now been detected in the Arctic Ocean. Several studies report diverse and active diazotrophs on various temporal and spatial scales across the Arctic Ocean. Their ecology and biogeochemical impact remain poorly known, and nitrogen fixation is so far absent from models of primary production in the Arctic Ocean. The composition of the diazotroph community appears distinct from other oceans – challenging paradigms of function and regulation of nitrogen fixation. There is evidence of both symbiotic cyanobacterial nitrogen fixation and heterotrophic diazotrophy, but large regions are not yet sampled, and the sparse quantitative data hamper conclusive insights. Hence, it remains to be determined to what extent nitrogen fixation represents a hitherto overlooked source of new nitrogen to consider when predicting future productivity of the Arctic Ocean. Here, we discuss current knowledge on diazotroph distribution, composition, and activity in pelagic and sea ice-associated environments of the Arctic Ocean. Based on this, we identify gaps and outline pertinent research questions in the context of a climate change-influenced Arctic Ocean – with the aim of guiding and encouraging future research on nitrogen fixation in this region.

scholarly journals Multi-model ensemble projections of climate change effects on global marine biodiversity

2014 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 741-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda C. Jones ◽  
William W. L. Cheung
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Change Scenario ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Distribution Shifts ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract Species distribution models (SDMs) are important tools to explore the effects of future global changes in biodiversity. Previous studies show that variability is introduced into projected distributions through alternative datasets and modelling procedures. However, a multi-model approach to assess biogeographic shifts at the global scale is still rarely applied, particularly in the marine environment. Here, we apply three commonly used SDMs (AquaMaps, Maxent, and the Dynamic Bioclimate Envelope Model) to assess the global patterns of change in species richness, invasion, and extinction intensity in the world oceans. We make species-specific projections of distribution shift using each SDM, subsequently aggregating them to calculate indices of change across a set of 802 species of exploited marine fish and invertebrates. Results indicate an average poleward latitudinal shift across species and SDMs at a rate of 15.5 and 25.6 km decade−1 for a low and high emissions climate change scenario, respectively. Predicted distribution shifts resulted in hotspots of local invasion intensity in high latitude regions, while local extinctions were concentrated near the equator. Specifically, between 10°N and 10°S, we predicted that, on average, 6.5 species would become locally extinct per 0.5° latitude under the climate change emissions scenario Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5. Average invasions were predicted to be 2.0 species per 0.5° latitude in the Arctic Ocean and 1.5 species per 0.5° latitude in the Southern Ocean. These averaged global hotspots of invasion and local extinction intensity are robust to the different SDM used and coincide with high levels of agreement.

scholarly journals Are Arctic Ocean ecosystems exceptionally vulnerable to global emissions of mercury? A call for emphasised research on methylation and the consequences of climate change

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Macdonald ◽  
L. L. Loseto
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Deposition Process ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Marine Biota ◽  
Mercury Deposition ◽  
Photochemical Process ◽  
The Arctic Ocean ◽  
Emission Controls

Environmental context. Mercury is a global contaminant that has entered Arctic food webs in sufficient quantity to put at risk the health of top predators and humans that consume them. Recent research has discovered a photochemical process unique to the Arctic that leads to mercury deposition on frozen surfaces after polar sunrise, but the connection between mercury deposition and entry into food webs remains tenuous and poorly understood. We propose here that the Arctic Ocean’s sensitivity to the global mercury cycle depends far more on neglected post-deposition processes that lead to methylation within the ice–ocean system, and the vulnerability of these processes to changes occurring in the cryosphere. Abstract. Emissions, atmospheric transport and deposition have formed the emphasis of recent research to understand Hg trends in Arctic marine biota, with the expressed objective of predicting how biotic trends might respond to emission controls. To answer the question of whether the Arctic Ocean might be especially vulnerable to global mercury (Hg) contamination and how biota might respond to emission controls requires a distinction between the supply of Hg from source regions and the processes within the Arctic Ocean that sequester and convert mercury to monomethyl Hg (MeHg). Atmospheric Mercury Depletion Events (AMDEs) provide a unique Hg deposition process in the Arctic; however, AMDEs have yet to be linked quantitatively with Hg uptake in marine food webs. The difficulty in implicating AMDEs or emissions to biotic trends lie in the ocean where several poorly understood processes lead to MeHg production and biomagnification. We propose that sensitivity of the Arctic Ocean’s ecosystem to Hg lies not so much in the deposition process as in methylation processes within the ocean, Hg inputs from large drainage basins, and the vulnerability these to climate change. Future research needs to be better balanced across the entire Hg cycle.

scholarly journals Sustaining Canadian marine biodiversity: Policy and statutory progress

FACETS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 264-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Hutchings ◽  
Julia K. Baum ◽  
Susanna D. Fuller ◽  
Josh Laughren ◽  
David L. VanderZwaag
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Discretionary Power ◽  
Sustainable Fisheries ◽  
Fisheries Policy ◽  
Biodiversity Policy ◽  
Fisheries Act

A 2012 Expert Panel Report on marine biodiversity by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) concluded that Canada faced significant challenges in achieving sustainable fisheries, regulating aquaculture, and accounting for climate change. Relative to many countries, progress by Canada in fulfilling international obligations to sustain biodiversity was deemed poor. To track progress by Canada since 2012, the RSC struck a committee to track policy and statutory developments on matters pertaining to marine biodiversity and to identify policy challenges, and leading options for implementation that lie ahead. The report by the Policy Briefing Committee is presented here. It concluded that Canada has made moderate to good progress in some areas, such as prioritization of oceans stewardship and strengthening of the evidentiary use of science in decision-making. Key statutes were strengthened through amendments, including requirements to rebuild depleted fisheries ( Fisheries Act) and new means of creating marine protected areas ( Oceans Act) that allowed Canada to exceed its international obligation to protect 10% of coastal and marine areas by 2020. Public release of mandate letters has strengthened ministerial accountability. However, little or no progress has been made in reducing regulatory conflict with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), decreasing ministerial discretion under the Fisheries Act, clarifying the role of science in sustainable fisheries policy, and accounting for climate change. Five future policy challenges are identified: (1) Ensure climate change impacts and projections are incorporated into ocean-related decision making and planning processes; (2) Resolve DFO’s regulatory conflict to conserve and exploit biodiversity; (3) Limit ministerial discretionary power in fisheries management decisions; (4) Clarify ambiguities in how the Precautionary Approach is applied in sustainable fisheries policy; and (5) Advance and implement marine spatial planning. Since 2012, there has been progress in recovering and sustaining the health of Canada’s oceans. Failure to further strengthen biodiversity conservation threatens the capacity of Canada’s oceans to provide ecosystem services that contribute to the resilience of marine life and the well-being of humankind. Unprecedented and enduring changes in the ocean caused by climate change have made the achievement of meaningful progress all the more urgent.

Towards integrated knowledge of climate change in Arctic marine systems: a systematic literature review of multidisciplinary research

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Falardeau ◽  
Elena M. Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Climate change affects Arctic marine ecosystems, the ecosystem services they provide, and the human well-being that relies on these services. The impacts of climate change in the Arctic and elsewhere involve cascading effects and feedbacks that flow across social-ecological systems (SES), such as when sea ice loss alters food security through changes in the distribution of marine animals. These cascades and feedbacks across social and ecological systems can exacerbate the effects of climate change or lead to surprising outcomes. Identifying where cascades and feedbacks may occur in SES can help anticipate, or even prevent unexpected outcomes of climate change, and lead to improved policy responses. Here, we perform a systematic literature review of multidisciplinary Arctic research to determine the state of knowledge of the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. Then, in a case study corresponding to Inuit regions, we use network analysis to integrate research into a SES perspective and identify which linkages have been most versus least studied, and whether some potential cascades and feedbacks have been overlooked. Finally, we propose ways forward to advance knowledge of changing Arctic marine SES, including transdisciplinary approaches involving multiple disciplines and the collaboration of Indigenous and local knowledge holders.

4. Polar marine biology

2020 ◽  
pp. 71-86
Author(s):  
Philip V. Mladenov
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Marine Biology ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Light Levels ◽  
The Arctic Ocean ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
The Impact

Flourishing marine biological systems are present in the extreme environments of the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions of the planet. Both these regions are characterized by constantly cold sea temperatures, ice-covered oceans, and extreme seasonal fluctuations in light levels, but ‘Polar marine biology’ explains how they have evolved strikingly different and unique marine ecosystems. The Arctic Ocean is largely landlocked while the Southern Ocean surrounds the Antarctic continental land mass and is in open contact with the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. The impact of human-induced climate change is also discussed, which will affect the Arctic and Antarctic food webs in profound ways.

scholarly journals Impact of Future Climate and Vegetation on the Hydrology of an Arctic Headwater Basin at the Tundra–Taiga Transition

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian A. Krogh ◽  
John W. Pomeroy
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Blowing Snow ◽  
Projected Changes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The rapidly warming Arctic is experiencing permafrost degradation and shrub expansion. Future climate projections show a clear increase in mean annual temperature and increasing precipitation in the Arctic; however, the impact of these changes on hydrological cycling in Arctic headwater basins is poorly understood. This study investigates the impact of climate change, as represented by simulations using a high-resolution atmospheric model under a pseudo-global-warming configuration, and projected changes in vegetation, using a spatially distributed and physically based Arctic hydrological model, on a small headwater basin at the tundra–taiga transition in northwestern Canada. Climate projections under the RCP8.5 emission scenario show a 6.1°C warming, a 38% increase in annual precipitation, and a 19 W m−2 increase in all-wave annual irradiance over the twenty-first century. Hydrological modeling results suggest a shift in hydrological processes with maximum peak snow accumulation increasing by 70%, snow-cover duration shortening by 26 days, active layer deepening by 0.25 m, evapotranspiration increasing by 18%, and sublimation decreasing by 9%. This results in an intensification of the hydrological regime by doubling discharge volume, a 130% increase in spring runoff, and earlier and larger peak streamflow. Most hydrological changes were found to be driven by climate change; however, increasing vegetation cover and density reduced blowing snow redistribution and sublimation, and increased evaporation from intercepted rainfall. This study provides the first detailed investigation of projected changes in climate and vegetation on the hydrology of an Arctic headwater basin, and so it is expected to help inform larger-scale climate impact studies in the Arctic.

scholarly journals Climate-Driven Shifts in Marine Species Ranges: Scaling from Organisms to Communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin L. Pinsky ◽  
Rebecca L. Selden ◽  
Zoë J. Kitchel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Additional Research ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Species Ranges ◽  
Changing Climate

The geographic distributions of marine species are changing rapidly, with leading range edges following climate poleward, deeper, and in other directions and trailing range edges often contracting in similar directions. These shifts have their roots in fine-scale interactions between organisms and their environment—including mosaics and gradients of temperature and oxygen—mediated by physiology, behavior, evolution, dispersal, and species interactions. These shifts reassemble food webs and can have dramatic consequences. Compared with species on land, marine species are more sensitive to changing climate but have a greater capacity for colonization. These differences suggest that species cope with climate change at different spatial scales in the two realms and that range shifts across wide spatial scales are a key mechanism at sea. Additional research is needed to understand how processes interact to promote or constrain range shifts, how the dominant responses vary among species, and how the emergent communities of the future ocean will function.

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