Heat is on to save marine ecosystems

WARMING MAY CAUSE FISH TO ABANDON SHIP

CLIMATE-RELATED heatwaves could cause ocean species to leave Irish waters and disrupt vital ecosystems we rely on for food, say Fairseas Ireland.

New research has found all of Ireland’s inshore waters will be under pressure because of global warming by the end of the century.

But by “being smart” about where they designate marine protected areas, the State could better support those that will be more resilient to the crisis.

Ecologists, researchers and data scientists from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory found over half of Irish waters host such climate change sanctuaries.

Most are in offshore regions and overlap sites previously identified as ‘Areas of interest’ for MPA designation by Fair Seas.

Dr Donal Griffin, a coordinator at the coalition of leading environmental NGOs and networks said: “The marine heatwaves that struck Ireland and across the world last summer are a stark reminder of the effects of climate change.

Sea

“Rising sea temperatures may cause fish and other species typically found in Irish waters to move out of our marine area to cooler northern latitudes.

“Marine Protected Areas provide a huge opportunity for us to preserve our biodiversity for future generations and we need to be smart about where they are located.

“The team at Plymouth Marine Laboratory used state-of-the-art climate modelling to identify the areas of Ireland’s ocean that are most resilient to climate change.

“This report will help Ireland choose the areas that will benefit biodiversity the most in the face of ever worsening impacts of climate change.”

Professor Ana Queiros, Principal Investigator at PML and lead author of the study, added: “Climate-driven changes to habitat conditions are already leading to an unprecedented re-distribution pace for marine species in our coasts and seas.

“The data made available... builds on our work in Ireland and in other areas of the world, as part of a wider global effort.”