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Impacts of climate change in a global hotspot for temperate marine biodiversity and ocean warming
Citation
Wernberg, T and Russell, BD and Moore, PJ and Ling, SD and Smale, DA and Campbell, A and Coleman, MA and Steinberg, PD and Kendrick, GA and Connell, SD, Impacts of climate change in a global hotspot for temperate marine biodiversity and ocean warming, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 400, (1-2) pp. 7-16. ISSN 0022-0981 (2011) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2011 Elsevier
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2011.02.021
Abstract
Temperate Australia is a global hotspot for marine biodiversity and its waters have experienced well-above
global average rates of ocean warming. We review the observed impacts of climate change (e.g. warming,
ocean acidification, changes in storm patterns) on subtidal temperate coasts in Australia and assess how these
systems are likely to respond to further change. Observed impacts are region specific with the greatest
number of species responses attributable to climate change reported in south-eastern Australia, where recent
ocean warming has been most pronounced. Here, a decline of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) and poleward
range extension of a key herbivore (sea urchin) and other trophically important reef organisms has occurred.
Although, evidence of changes on other coastlines around Australia is limited, we suggest that this is due to a
lack of data rather than lack of change. Because of the eastwest orientation of the south coast, most of
Australia's temperate waters are found within a narrow latitudinal band, where any southward movement of
isotherms is likely to affect species across very large areas. Future increases in temperature are likely to result
in further range shifts of macroalgae and associated species, with range contractions and local extinctions to
be expected for species that have their northern limits along the southern coastline. While there is currently
no evidence of changes attributable to non-temperature related climate impacts, potentially due to a lack of
long-term observational data, experimental evidence suggests that ocean acidification will result in negative
effects on calcifying algae and animals. More importantly, recent experiments suggest the combined effects
of climate change and non-climate stressors (overharvesting, reduced water quality) will lower the resilience
of temperate marine communities to perturbations (e.g. storms, diseases, and introduced species), many of
which are also predicted to increase in frequency and/or severity. Thus climate change is likely to, both by
itself and in synergy with other stressors, impose change to southern Australian coastal species, including
important habitat-forming algae and the associated ecological functioning of temperate coasts. Management
of local and regional-scale stresses may increase the resistance of temperate marine communities to climate
stressors and as such, provides an attractive tool for building resilience in temperate systems.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | climate impacts, community ecology, global warming, macroalgae, multiple stressors, phase shift, range contraction, range extension, trophodynamics |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
Objective Division: | Environmental Policy, Climate Change and Natural Hazards |
Objective Group: | Understanding climate change |
Objective Field: | Effects of climate change on Australia (excl. social impacts) |
UTAS Author: | Ling, SD (Dr Scott Ling) |
ID Code: | 75072 |
Year Published: | 2011 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 279 |
Deposited By: | IMAS Research and Education Centre |
Deposited On: | 2012-01-06 |
Last Modified: | 2017-11-01 |
Downloads: | 20 View Download Statistics |
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