Knowra Climate change and fisheries Climate change and fisheries Climate change alters aquatic ecosystems through warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and shifting circulation, changing the distribution, productivity, and availability of species targeted by fisheries.
Ocean warming : The long-term rise in ocean temperatures caused primarily by increased greenhouse gases. Warmer waters shift species ranges and alter growth, reproduction, and survival.
Fisheries productivity : The rate at which fish populations produce biomass available to fisheries. Climate-driven changes in growth, survival, and habitat alter potential catches.
Climate adaptation : Adjustments to human or natural systems that reduce harm or make use of climate-related opportunities. Fisheries adaptation includes changing rules, livelihoods, and infrastructure as conditions shift.
Northeast Atlantic mackerel : A migratory fish stock harvested across the Northeast Atlantic, including waters around Iceland and the British Isles. Its changing distribution has complicated access and international allocation disputes.
Climate attribution : The analysis of how much climate change influenced a particular event or observed trend. Separating climate effects from fishing pressure and natural variability remains essential for stock assessments.
Ocean acidification : The decline in seawater pH as oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Acidification can impair shell formation and food webs that support fisheries.
Fisheries management : The regulation of fishing to sustain fish populations and the benefits they provide. Moving stocks complicate quotas, seasons, and cooperation across jurisdictions.
Ecosystem-based fisheries management : Fisheries management that accounts for ecological interactions and the wider ecosystem, not only individual stocks. It incorporates climate-driven changes in habitats, food webs, and species interactions.
Bering Sea pollock : A commercially important North Pacific fish harvested extensively in the Bering Sea. Warming and marine heatwaves have altered its habitat and ecosystem conditions.
Climate tipping point : A threshold beyond which a small additional change can trigger a large, persistent shift in a system. Abrupt ecosystem shifts could make fisheries changes difficult to reverse or forecast.
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