The challenge
Ocean warming is altering species distributions, biological cycles, and ecosystem structure. Quantifying these changes was essential to inform fisheries management and conservation strategies.
The solution
Development of long-term studies and ecological models to assess:
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Latitudinal and temporal shifts in species distributions.
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Changes in the spawning dynamics of anchovy, mackerel, and horse mackerel.
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Biomass projections and amplified trophic effects.
The results
As a result of these studies, the following findings and projections have been identified:
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Mackerel shifts its spawning area 370 km northward per 1°C increase.
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Horse mackerel advances its reproduction by 12 days per decade.
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Phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass could decrease by 6% and 11%, respectively.
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A global reduction of 5–17% in marine biomass is projected.