Journal Article

An assessment of marine, estuarine, and riverine habitat vulnerability to climate change in the Northeast U.S

Borsuk, Frank A., Farr, Emily R., Meaney, Christopher, Hare, Jonathan A., Packer, David B., Lettrich, Matthew D., Vogt, Bruce, Mercaldo-Allen, Renee, Brady, Damian C., Johnson, Michael R., Stevenson, David K., Nelson, Mark W., Hawkes, James P., Colarusso, Phil, Cashman, Matthew J., Grabowski, Jonathan H., Morrison, Wendy E., Howson, Ursula A., Auster, Peter J.

2021

Overview

Climate change is impacting the function and distribution of habitats used by marine, coastal, and diadromous species. These impacts often exacerbate the anthropogenic stressors that habitats face, particularly in the coastal environment. We conducted a climate vulnerability assessment of 52 marine, estuarine, and riverine habitats in the Northeast U.S. to develop an ecosystem-scale understanding of the impact of climate change on these habitats. The trait-based assessment considers the overall vulnerability of a habitat to climate change to be a function of two main components, sensitivity and exposure, and relies on a process of expert elicitation. The climate vulnerability ranks ranged from low to very high, with living habitats identified as the most vulnerable. Over half of the habitats examined in this study are expected to be impacted negatively by climate change, while four habitats are expected to have positive effects. Coastal habitats were also identified as highly vulnerable, in part due to the influence of non-climate anthropogenic stressors. The results of this assessment provide regional managers and scientists with a tool to inform habitat conservation, restoration, and research priorities, fisheries and protected species management, and coastal and ocean planning.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Acidification / Anthropogenic factors / Aquatic habitats / Biology and Life Sciences / Climate Change / Climatic changes / Coastal ecology / Coastal effects / Coastal environments / Coastal management / Conservation / Conservation of Natural Resources - methods / Earth Sciences / Ecology and Environmental Sciences / Ecosystem / Ecosystems / Environmental impact / Environmental protection / Environmental restoration / Estuaries / Evaluation / Fish / Fisheries / Fisheries management / Habitats / Human influences / Influence / Invertebrates / Laboratories / Marine mammals / Methods / New England / Protected species / Sea level / Wetlands / Wildlife conservation