Study shows 90% of marine species at risk of extinction by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are not curbed

Bob Yirka is a research scientist at Phys.org.

If greenhouse gas emissions aren't curbed, about 90 percent of all marine life will be at risk of extinction by the year 2200. The group outlines their study of thousands of marine species in a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The world's climate is affected by greenhouse gas emissions. In the case of CO 2 emissions, they make water more acidic by raising the temperature of the atmosphere and by holding in heat. Despite warnings from scientists around the world, emissions continue to be pumped into the atmosphere. The researchers looked at the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the ocean.

Estimating the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on marine life in the future was part of the work. The top 100 meters of the world's oceans are home to 25,000 species. In a worst case scenario, they found that 90 percent of all marine life will disappear. The risk of extinction would be reduced by 98% if emissions are cut to the extent outlined by the Paris Climate Agreement.

The researchers found that larger top predators are more at risk than smaller ones. Small, short-lived species are included in the lowest risk group. Earth has not seen a die-off as bad as these projections.

More information: Daniel G. Boyce et al, A climate risk index for marine life, Nature Climate Change (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-022-01437-y Journal information: Nature Climate Change

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