Australian researchers found that marine food chain collapse may soon become a possibility should climate change ensue and greenhouse gas emissions persist at its present rate.
Sean Connell, one of the researchers and a marine ecologist from the University of Adelaide, said that little is known about the effects of climate change to marine environment. He added that until now, experts ultimately depend on qualitative reviews and perspectives of possible worldwide modifications. Quantitative evaluations commonly focus on single ecosystems, single species or single stressors.
In their study, which the authors said is the first to utilize global means in foreseeing the response of marine ecosystems to increasing carbon dioxide (C02) levels, the researchers analyzed information from 632 researches associated with the impacts of CO2 on diverse marine worlds. They studied all types of marine ecosystems including kelp forests, coral reefs, open oceans and deep seas, with locations ranging from tropic and arctic regions.
Connell said that their analysis is a combination of all experiments to investigate the mixed impacts of numerous stressors on whole communities, including different standards of feedback to climate change and interaction between species.
The findings of the study showed that the scope of adaptation to acidification and warmer waters would be limited. Minimal number of species will be able to break away from the detrimental effects of rising CO2, with an anticipated enormous decline in the diversity and abundance of species all over the world. However, the situation may be different among microorganisms as possible increase in number and diversity is expected.
In terms of food web talk, main production under warmer waters is anticipated to rise from the smallest plankton. However, this does not necessarily mean that secondary production will follow, as this exudes reduced productivity under ocean acidification.
"With higher metabolic rates in the warmer water, and therefore a greater demand for food, there is a mismatch with less food available for carnivores ─ the bigger fish that fisheries industries are based around," said Associate Professor Ivan Nagelkerken, one of the study authors and an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow with the University's Environment Institute.
Habitats of coral, oysters and other habitat-forming creatures may also suffer due to acidification, as slight modifications in habitat health would have a significant impact on a wide range of species that these protect.
The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences online on Monday, Oct. 12.
Photo: Correy Harmon | Flickr
