Abstract
A Marine Climate Impacts Workshop was held from 29 April to 3 May 2012 at the US National Center of Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara. This workshop was the culmination of a series of six meetings over the past three years, which had brought together 25 experts in climate change ecology, analysis of large datasets, palaeontology, marine ecology and physical oceanography. Aims of these workshops were to produce a global synthesis of climate impacts on marine biota, to identify sensitive habitats and taxa, to inform the current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) process, and to strengthen research into ecological impacts of climate change.
Highlights
Marine ecosystems cover 71 per cent of the Earth’s surface, yet our knowledge of their response to climate change is a mere drop in the ocean compared with terrestrial systems [1,2]
Specific questions included: (i) Are marine species and communities responding to climate change as anticipated? (ii) How do rates of responses compare to terrestrial systems? (iii) Which taxonomic groups and biomes are most sensitive? and (iv) How can we improve the design and execution of climate change ecology studies to strengthen the robustness of conclusions?
The National Center of Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) format has been extremely effective, in part because participants came from a range of career stages, from PhD students to fully tenured Professors
Summary
Marine ecosystems cover 71 per cent of the Earth’s surface, yet our knowledge of their response to climate change is a mere drop in the ocean compared with terrestrial systems [1,2]. In the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report in 2007, less than 1 per cent of the synthesis information on impacts of climate change on natural systems came from marine life [1,3]. The need for better coverage of marine systems is compelling, given the ecosystem services provided by the world’s oceans and the imminent fifth IPCC assessment report. Specific questions included: (i) Are marine species and communities responding to climate change as anticipated? Specific questions included: (i) Are marine species and communities responding to climate change as anticipated? (ii) How do rates of responses compare to terrestrial systems? (iii) Which taxonomic groups and biomes are most sensitive? and (iv) How can we improve the design and execution of climate change ecology studies to strengthen the robustness of conclusions?
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