Science Source

The Impact of Climate Change on the World’s Marine Ecosystems

Reviews recent studies indicating that rapidly rising greenhouse gas concentrations are driving ocean systems toward conditions not seen for millions of years, with an associated risk of fundamental and irreversible ecological transformation
States the impacts of anthropogenic climate change so far include decreased ocean productivity, altered food web dynamics, reduced abundance of habitat-forming species, shifting species distributions, and a greater incidence of disease
States that although there is considerable uncertainty about the spatial and temporal details, climate change is clearly and fundamentally altering ocean ecosystems and that further change will continue to create enormous challenges and costs for societies worldwide, particularly those in developing countries