Climate change expected to shrink fish, warmer oceans will starve them of oxygen
Fish are expected to be up to a quarter smaller by 2050 than they are currently as a result of global warming and the expected changes to the marine ecosystem from climate change, according to research published online in the journal Nature Climate Change on Sept. 30.
The scientists argue that failure to control greenhouse gas emissions will have a greater impact on marine ecosystems than previously thought.
"Our study shows that climate change can lead to a substantial decrease in the maximum body weight of fish. We need to look more closely at the biological response in the future."
Fisheries scientists at the University of British Columbia have used computer modeling to study the effect of climate change on over 600 species of fish from oceans all around the world, using data from one of the higher emissions scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or IPCC.
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Although the changes to actual ocean temperatures that the study projected will be quite small, statistically speaking, the effects on the body size of the fish are "unexpectedly large" according to the published results. Rising ocean temperatures will result in an increase in the body temperature of the fish who live in them. This rise in temperature will result in an increase in the metabolic rate of the fish.
"Rising temperatures directly increase the metabolic rate of the fish's body function," said Cheung "This leads to an increase in oxygen demand for normal body activities. So the fish will run out of oxygen for growth at a smaller body size."
Video at the link: http://www.examiner.com/article/climate-change-expected-to-shrink-fish-warmer-oceans-will-starve-them-of-oxygen
Video describes how carbon emissions get into the water.
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