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Marine species move north

Marine species move north
Photo copyright Chichester Harbour Conservancy

According to new research rising ocean temperatures are rearranging the biological makeup of our oceans. Species are being pushed further north towards the poles by 4.4 miles every year as they seek out the climates in which they are best suited to survive. There will be undoubted implications for fishing in UK waters, including those off the West Sussex coastline, and for other climate change effects in need of mitigation.

A new, comprehensive, global study, including researchers from the Scottish Association for Marine Science, has found that the world's marine systems are reacting to climate change on a scale greater than scientists previously thought. The report will be used by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change as part of their Fifth Assessment. The project shows that complete shifts are widespread in a number of marine biological responses, including the distribution of species and phenology - the timing of nature's calendar. It also shows that these shifts are comparable to or greater than those observed on land.

Follow this link to find out more in this article about Marine Life Moving Polewards Faster Than Terrestrial Counterparts Due To Climate Change.

More information can also be found on the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) website.

Climate Change

Climate Change

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Medmerry

Medmerry

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In late 2009 the Government awarded £11 million in grants to local authorities who demonstrated the best and most innovative ideas for dealing with and adapting to coastal change. To its delight, Chichester District Council was awarded £450,000 and and became part of the Coastal Change Pathfinder Project. The project began properly in May 2010 and continued until the end of June 2011. A total... Read More»