Marine bio-resources and climate change

Abstract

Marine biological resources (finfish and invertebrates) respond to changes in climate. Human activities also affect the abundance, size, and distribution of marine bio-resources and have done so since prehistoric times. Intensive fishing since the 1950s has depleted many large predatory fish species and altered the size and reproductive rates of other species. The impacts from climate change will occur in addition to these human pressures. The warmer conditions that result from climate change are expected to alter the distributions of most marine fish and invertebrate populations, shifting them towards the poles. This suggests that developing countries in low-latitude tropical regions are likely to suffer reduced potential fish catches. Developed countries at higher latitudes are likely to experience increased potential fish catches. Ultimately, however, the global abundance of marine bio-resources will depend (1) on reducing human pressures, such as intensive fishing, and (2) on the impacts of climate change on marine primary production.