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The effect of global climate change on the future distribution of economically important macroalgae (seaweeds) in the northwest Atlantic
- Source :
- FACETS, Vol 3, Pp 275-286 (2018)
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Canadian Science Publishing, 2018.
-
Abstract
- An increase in greenhouse gas emissions has led to a rise in average global air and ocean temperatures. Increased sea surface temperatures can cause changes in species’ distributions, particularly those species close to their thermal tolerance limits. We use a bioclimate envelope approach to assess potential shifts in the range of marine macroalgae harvested in North American waters: rockweed ( Fucus vesiculosus Linnaeus, 1753), serrated wrack ( Fucus serratus Linnaeus, 1753), knotted wrack ( Ascophyllum nodosum (Linnaeus) Le Jolis, 1863), carrageen moss ( Chondrus crispus Stackhouse, 1797), and three kelp species ( Laminaria digitata (Hudson) J.V. Lamouroux, 1813; Saccharina latissima (Linnaeus) C.E. Lane, C. Mayes, Druehl et G.W. Saunders, 2006; and Saccharina longicruris (Bachelot de la Pylaie) Kuntze, 1891). We determined species’ thermal limits from the current sea surface temperatures associated with their geographical distributions. Future distributions were based on sea surface temperatures projected for the year ∼2100 by four atmosphere-ocean general circulation models and earth system models for regional concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. Future distributions based on RCP 8.5 indicate that the presence of all but rockweed ( F. vesiculosus) is likely to be threatened by warming waters in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. Range retractions of macroalgae will have significant ecological and economic effects including impacts on commercial fisheries and harvest rates and losses of floral and faunal biodiversity and production, and should be considered in the designation of marine protected areas.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Climate envelope
Multidisciplinary
business.industry
010604 marine biology & hydrobiology
Global warming
Climate change
Distribution (economics)
Atmospheric sciences
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
seaweeds
Sea surface temperature
climate change
global climate models
General Circulation Model
Greenhouse gas
Environmental science
lcsh:Q
lcsh:L
lcsh:Science
business
earth system models
climate envelope
lcsh:Education
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 23711671
- Volume :
- 3
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- FACETS
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....23e4a5eb091f7a7dc4423d2d0c864b9c