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Climate change will likely change the geographical distribution of many species. For instance as temperature rises, many species will have to shift to higher latitudes in order to remain under similar environmental conditions (Harley, 2006). These species shifts can introduce alien species to ecosystems where they had not been previously present, which can fundamentally alter these ecosystems. For instance, huge swarms of mauve stingers (Pelagia nocticula), which can devastate populations of fish, are becoming common in the waters off of Britain, where they had not been known until recent years (CNN, 2007). There are, of course, other variables that determine species distribution, and thus the shifts will not be this simple. For some species, such as the Antarctic Icefish, there may be no higher latitudes to which they can move. For these species, climate change may well lead to extinction (Pauly 2007).
Another of the most more visible effects of climate change is coral bleaching. When hermatypic corals are stressed by high water temperatures or other effectsstimuli, they expel their symbiotic zooxanthelle zooxanthellae from their tissues. This process deprives corals of the color, as well as of their primary source of nutrition. If corals are without their symbionts for too long they can perish from starvation. The impact of coral death then spreads through the reef ecosystem. Secondary effects are most obvious in fish, especially among those that feed specifically on corals, such as butterfly fish. Studies have indicated that such fish were gradually starving to death and that their decline in numbers resulted from a failure to breed in the months and years following the destruction of their reef. As it stands today, more than 30% of coral reefs throughout the world are already severely degraded and up to 60% of corals may be lost by 2030 due to temperature induced bleaching (ARC, 2007).
It is also likely that climate change will have effects on the human aspects of many fisheries. Sea level rise may threaten many coastal areas. Thermal expansion of seawater is expected to cause a rise of 0.09 to 0.37 m over the next century (IPCC, 2001). This may threaten coastal cities, and infrastructure of the fishing industry in some areas. It is also predicted that storms such as monsoons and hurricane my increase in number and intensity as a result of global warming (IPCC, 2001). Flooding and storm surges could also result in damages to fishing infrastructure in locations prone to these disasters. Terrestrial effects of global warming could effect agriculture in certain areas by the changes in timing and intensity of droughts and flooding, as well as the effect of increased carbon dioxide on the growth rates of crops and weeds. There are also likely to be effects on agriculture by sustained changes in temperature and precipitation, such as the desertification of the southwestern United States (IPCC, 2001). A decrease in agricultural yield could increase the demand for fish.
One possible method of reacting to a specific negative effect of climate change - decreasing natural phytoplankton levels and debasing the ocean food chain - is "ocean fertilization" with finely powerdered. This allows high levels of phytoplankton growth in areas deficient in this nutrient (Jones & Young, 1997). There are significant technical problems related to this approach. Also, the large-scale effectiveness of iron fertilization is extremely speculative (Chisholm, Falkowsi, & Cullen, 2002). Hence, we do not advise this method until significantly more research has been conducted.
Mitigation of Climate Change
Recommendations:
Mitigation of Climate Change:
We acknowledge that the issue of global climate change is outside the scope of Mission 2011's proposed solutions. However, this is a matter of such We acknowledge that the issue of global climate change is outside the scope of Mission 2011's proposed solutions. However, this is a matter of such global importance and potential impact that to not discuss the issue at all, even briefly, would have been negligent. Furthermore, we emphasize that slowing or stopping the progress of anthropogenic global warming is necessary. For more information on this topic we suggest visiting the website of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change at <http://www.ipcc.ch>.
Recommendations:
One possible method of reacting to a specific negative effect of climate change - decreasing natural phytoplankton levels and debasing the ocean food chain - is "ocean fertilization" with finely powerdered. This allows high levels of phytoplankton growth in areas deficient in this nutrient (Jones & Young, 1997). There are significant technical problems related to this approach. Also, the large-scale effectiveness of iron fertilization is extremely speculative (Chisholm, Falkowsi, & Cullen, 2002). Hence, we do not advise this method until significantly more research has been conducted.
Figure 2. Range of future Figure 2. Range of future temperature predictions made by different models (IPCC, 2001)
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There is a large amount of uncertainty in the future of climate change (See Figure 3). Although predictions can be made about what will happen, there is no way to know for certain how global warming will effect the oceans and fish populations. However, the climate change mustbe is an important consideration in any fisheries management plan. factor in the formulation of a plan for fishery management. It is important to be aware that climate will not change uniformly over the entire globe (See Figure 2). For instance, the effects of global warming are likely to be more pronounced in the high latitude regions. Thus, any recommendations must be tailored specifically for a given made specific to region of the world. Of course, such customizations are reliant on accurate, comprehensive data, which is often not available. Hence, we propose that a global system be set up for ocean. Due to the importance of climate change to fisheries, we propose that we should set up a system for better collecting and analyzing data on as global warming and related processes. Many types of biological, physical, and geological data are needed progresses. Many types of biological, physical, and geological data are needed to better predict the future climate of various regions. In particular, we advocate the monitoring of temperature, salinity, pH, gas solubility, biomass, species population, and current strength and direction in order to look for trends that would allow us to better predict the future climate of various regions. Also, in particular, more work has to be done to quantitatively determine how fish populations react to climate change. As these data are monitored and studied over longer time periods, trends may begin to appear which shed light on these critical questionsmore concrete trends should be discovered.
Once trends have been determined, the plan for fishery conservation would then be modified in order to counteract whatever effects were being caused by the climate change. For instance, given many of the predicted changes, ecosystems would be able to support a smaller population of fish than it currently does. Management plans must be flexible enough to respond quickly to such new information. Modifications could be made to a number of different areas, such as technological restrictions, taxes, or closed areas. Again, we emphasize that the , assuming our best predictions to be true, ecosystems would likely be able to support a smaller population of fish than they do currently. As soon as this realization comes about, restrictions must be changed to fit the reality of the situation. These changes could be made to a number of different restrictions such as technological restrictions, taxes, or closed areas. However, we propose that quotas would be most beneficial to have as direct an effect as possible on the fish populations, and thus should be used as the primary form of restriction. Quotas would allow for the most accurate control over the number of fish we are taking out of the environment, and allow the restrictions to be changed more easily when a new trend in climate change is found. The most important aspect of the plan with respect to climate change is that it has to modifiable, so that we can be constantly improving our approach as we improve our understanding of climate changes effects of global climate change.
. If we are to this approach is most likely valid for other aspects of this problem as well. Even this approach, however, requires a great improvement in our understanding of fish population dynamics in order to be carried out .
Examples
Here are some predictions for possible future effects of climate change on certain areas:
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