Study Shows Widespread Climate Changes Underway in B.C's Oceans Affecting Fisheries, Deep Sea-Diversity and Coastal Habitats
(firmenpresse) - VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 08/07/12 -- A newly-released report by WWF and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) reveals that the effects of climate change are reducing fish habitat on B.C.'s coast, threatening the province's lucrative groundfish and shellfish fisheries.
The study is the first regional synthesis of its kind to document observed and expected impacts of a changing global climate on B.C's marine ecosystems and to identify which parts are most vulnerable to climate change.
It reports that the Pacific Coast's deep sea diversity is threatened and B.C. is losing two to three metres of deepwater habitat every year from oxygen depletion. "These oxygen depleted conditions are displacing fish and likely suffocating other sedentary species," said Frank Whitney, an emeritus scientist at DFO's Institute for Ocean Sciences, whose research contributed to the report. "This ought to be a significant concern to the groundfish fishery," added Whitney.
Ocean acidification, likened to "osteoporosis of the sea" by the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, is another threat the report identifies. Increased intrusions of acidic water from deeper oceans are further expected to affect deep sea biodiversity such as deep sea corals, as well as more coastal species such as shellfish.
"Ocean acidification is already affecting commercial shellfish operations that now have to modify the pH of the ocean water they use to be able to raise shellfish in their tanks. We think that wild shellfish populations are also likely being affected by acidic water and may be not be successfully reproducing in some parts of the coast," said Dr. Tom Okey, an Adjunct Associate Professor at University of Victoria's School of Environmental Studies, who was the lead author of the report.
"Unlike Canada, other ocean countries such as Australia are actively building measures to monitor and reduce vulnerability to climate change in their marine plans and fisheries management," said Sabine Jessen, National Manager of Oceans and Great Freshwater Lakes Program at CPAWS.
"Given the changes that are becoming apparent, it is critical that we are proactive here in B.C. and start looking at ways to reduce vulnerability of species and habitats from the impacts of climate change," said Hussein Alidina, WWF's senior officer for marine science and planning and co-author of the report.
Alidina says one action needed is to identify and protect "refugia" - areas that are sheltered or least-affected by changing ocean conditions where fish and other species can take refuge from climate change impacts as they adjust to changing conditions. These refugia should be part of BC's network of marine protected areas.
Key Findings:
The full report and Executive Summary are available at: .
Contacts:
Media Contacts:
WWF, Vancouver, BC
Hussein Alidina
Senior Officer Marine Science & Planning
604-694-6654 or 778-229-6944 (mobile)
WWF
Weiwei Su
Communications Specialist
416 209 9033
CPAWS-BC
Sabine Jessen
National Manager, Oceans and Great Freshwater Lakes Program
+61 4 9962 6689
DFO, Sidney, BC
Frank Whitney
Emeritus Scientists, Institute of Ocean Sciences
250 652-5536
University of Victoria School of Environmental Studies
Tom Okey
Adjunct, Associate Professor
250-208-0677
Themen in dieser Pressemitteilung:
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 07.08.2012 - 12:42 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 1140171
Anzahl Zeichen: 0
contact information:
Contact person:
Town:
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Phone:
Kategorie:
Regulations and Law
Anmerkungen:
Diese Pressemitteilung wurde bisher 235 mal aufgerufen.
Die Pressemitteilung mit dem Titel:
"Study Shows Widespread Climate Changes Underway in B.C's Oceans Affecting Fisheries, Deep Sea-Diversity and Coastal Habitats
"
steht unter der journalistisch-redaktionellen Verantwortung von
WWF-Canada and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (Nachricht senden)
Beachten Sie bitte die weiteren Informationen zum Haftungsauschluß (gemäß TMG - TeleMedianGesetz) und dem Datenschutz (gemäß der DSGVO).
