More than 70% of the most biodiverse-rich areas of Earth's oceans are at risk of being lost to marine life as a result of the rate of future warming.
The locations with the highest levels of marine biodiversity are most vulnerable to 21st century climate change, according to research by Dr. Stuart Brown from the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute.
The species living in these biodiverse regions are not well-equipped to deal with large temperature changes.
The researchers were able to map global exposure to future climate change by using a new technique to compare past and future extreme rates of warming.
In many cases this will require moving distances beyond the oceanic regions that these species evolved in and are adapted to, at rates of movement rarely seen for marine life.
The results of our study show that areas of high marine biodiversity are disproportionately exposed to future warming, which provides important new information for protecting marine biodiversity under climate change.
Most of the world's reef-building coral species are found in the most vulnerable marine communities. The vulnerable regions are home to some of the world's most famous marine mammals.
The spatial pattern of exposure to past and future fast rates of ocean warming has been unclear.
The results of our study show that areas of high marine biodiversity are disproportionately exposed to future warming.
Climate change resilience should be a priority. Improving fisheries management, assisting the movement of species, and the expansion of climate-smart marine protected areas are possible.
The research published in Global Change Biology shows that even under a relatively conservative scenario of future climate change, the hotspots of marine biodiversity are highly vulnerable.
More information: Stuart C. Brown et al, Faster ocean warming threatens richest areas of marine biodiversity, Global Change Biology (2022). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16328 Journal information: Global Change Biology
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