Fishery-induced evolution provides insights into adaptive responses of marine species to climate change

Climate change challenges marine species with seawater that is warmer, with less oxygen and lower pH. To date, most climate-change studies have focused on organisms’ acclimation or shifts in distribution; relatively little is known about the capacity of marine species to respond through evolution. We propose that important insights can be gained from recent studies of fishery-induced evolution (FIE), which show that increased adult mortality from fishing leads to rapid changes in growth and reproduction schedules. These changes consistently involve evolution of “faster” life histories: earlier maturation at smaller sizes and shorter life spans. In the ocean, coupled effects of higher temperatures and reduced oxygen also differentially affect larger or older individuals, so expected evolutionar y consequences of climate change are qualitatively similar to those of FIE. This general pattern will apply to large numbers of marine species and has important implications for conservation and management.