Climate velocity reveals increasing exposure of deep-ocean biodiversity to future warming

Isaac Brito-Morales; David S Schoeman; Jorge García Molinos; Michael T Burrows; Carissa J Klein; Nur Arafeh-Dalmau; Kristin Kaschner; Cristina Garilao; Kathleen Kesner-Reyes; Anthony J Richardson

doi:10.1038/s41558-020-0773-5

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Climate velocity reveals increasing exposure of deep-ocean biodiversity to future warming

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Climate velocity reveals increasing exposure of deep-ocean biodiversity to future warming

Isaac Brito-Morales, David S Schoeman, Jorge García Molinos, Michael T Burrows, Carissa J Klein, Nur Arafeh-Dalmau, Kristin Kaschner, Cristina Garilao, Kathleen Kesner-Reyes and Anthony J Richardson

Nature Climate Change, Vol.10(6), pp.576-581

2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0773-5

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Abstract

Slower warming in the deep ocean encourages a perception that its biodiversity is less exposed to climate change than that of surface waters. We challenge this notion by analysing climate velocity, which provides expectations for species’ range shifts. We find that contemporary (1955–2005) climate velocities are faster in the deep ocean than at the surface. Moreover, projected climate velocities in the future (2050–2100) are faster for all depth layers, except at the surface, under the most aggressive GHG mitigation pathway considered (representative concentration pathway, RCP 2.6). This suggests that while mitigation could limit climate change threats for surface biodiversity, deep-ocean biodiversity faces an unavoidable escalation in climate velocities, most prominently in the mesopelagic (200–1,000 m). To optimize opportunities for climate adaptation among deep-ocean communities, future open-ocean protected areas must be designed to retain species moving at different speeds at different depths under climate change while managing non-climate threats, such as fishing and mining.

Details

Title: Climate velocity reveals increasing exposure of deep-ocean biodiversity to future warming
Authors: Isaac Brito-Morales (Author) - University of Queensland
David S Schoeman (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science and Engineering - Legacy
Jorge García Molinos (Author) - Hokkaido University
Michael T Burrows (Author) - Scottish Association For Marine Science
Carissa J Klein (Author) - University of Queensland
Nur Arafeh-Dalmau (Author) - University of Queensland
Kristin Kaschner (Author) - University of Freiburg
Cristina Garilao (Author) - GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Kathleen Kesner-Reyes (Author) - International Rice Research Institute
Anthony J Richardson (Author) - University of Queensland
Publication details: Nature Climate Change, Vol.10(6), pp.576-581
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
DOI: 10.1038/s41558-020-0773-5
ISSN: 1758-6798
Organisation Unit: School of Science, Technology and Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science and Engineering - Legacy
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99482306902621
Output Type: Journal article

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