Journal Article

Climate Change and Distribution Shifts in Marine Fishes

Perry, Allison L, Low, Paula J, Reynolds, John D, Ellis, Jim R

2005

Overview

We show that the distributions of both exploited and nonexploited North Sea fishes have responded markedly to recent increases in sea temperature, with nearly two-thirds of species shifting in mean latitude or depth or both over 25 years. For species with northerly or southerly range margins in the North Sea, half have shown boundary shifts with warming, and all but one shifted northward. Species with shifting distributions have faster life cycles and smaller body sizes than nonshifting species. Further temperature rises are likely to have profound impacts on commercial fisheries through continued shifts in distribution and alterations in community interactions.

• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science,The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subject: Administrator Surveys / Animal, plant and microbial ecology / Animals / Applied ecology / Biological and medical sciences / Body Size / Climate / Climate change / Climate models / Climatic changes / Climatology / Company distribution practices / Dispersal / Distribution / Ecological life histories / Ecosystem / Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution / Environment / Environmental aspects / Factor Analysis / Fish / Fisheries / Fishes - anatomy & histology / Fishes - growth & development / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Global warming / latitude / Life cycles / Marine / Marine and brackish environment / Marine fish / Marine fishes / North Sea / Ocean fisheries / Ocean temperature / Physical growth / Population Density / Population Dynamics / Principals / Properties / Seas / Seawater / Species / Temperature / Temperature distribution / Time Factors