Rising Sea Temperatures Research Articles

Threat assessment for Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus) in the Salish Sea

Like many forage fish species, Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus) play a key role in nearshore marine ecosystems as an important prey source for a diverse array of predators in the northeastern Pacific. However, the primary threats to Pacific sand lance and their habitat are poorly defined due to a lack of systematic data. Crucial information needed to assess their population status is also lacking including basic knowledge of their local and regional abundance and distribution. Sand lance are currently listed as ‘not evaluated’ under the IUCN red list and they have not been assessed by US and Canadian agencies. This hampers management and policy efforts focused on their conservation. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a three-part, structured expert elicitation to assess the vulnerability of Salish Sea sand lance populations. Experts were asked to list and rank key threats to Salish Sea sand lance and/or their habitat, to further quantify the vulnerability of sand lance to identified threats using a vulnerability matrix, and to predict the population trajectory in 25 years from today. Impacts associated with climate change (e.g. sea level rise, sea temperature rise, ocean acidification, and extreme weather) consistently ranked high as threats of concern in the ranking exercise and quantified vulnerability scores. Nearly every expert predicted the population will have declined from current levels in 25 years. These results suggest sand lance face numerous threats and may be in decline under current conditions. This research provides vital information about which threats pose the greatest risk to the long-term health of sand lance populations and their habitat. Managers can use this information to prioritize which threats to address. Future research to reliably quantify population size, better understand the roles of natural and anthropogenic impacts, and to identify the most cost-effective actions to mitigate multiple threats, is recommended.

Interaction between three key species in the sea ice-reduced Arctic Barents Sea system.

Population dynamics depend on trophic interactions that are affected by climate change. The rise in sea temperature is associated with the disappearance of sea ice in the Arctic. In the Arctic part of the Barents Sea, Atlantic cod, capelin and polar cod are three fish populations that interact and are confronted with climate-induced sea ice reductions. The first is a major predator in the system, while the last two are key species in Arctic and sub-Arctic ecosystems, respectively. There are still many unknowns regarding how predicted environmental change may influence the joint dynamics of these populations. Using time series from a 32 year long survey, we developed a state-space model that jointly modelled the dynamics of cod, capelin and polar cod. Using a hindcast scenario approach, we projected the effect of reduced sea ice on these populations. We show that the impact of sea ice reduction and concomitant sea temperature increase may lead to a decrease of polar cod abundance at the benefit of capelin but not of cod which may decrease, resulting in strong changes in the food web. Our analyses show that climate change in the Arcto-boreal system can generate different species assemblages and new trophic interactions, which is the knowledge needed for effective management measures.

Insights into the discovery and intervention of metalloproteinase in marine hazardous jellyfish

The proliferation of toxic organisms caused by changes in the marine environment, coupled with the rising human activities along the coastal lines, has resulted in an increasing number of stinging incidents, posing a serious threat to public health. Here, we evaluated the systemic toxicity of the venom in jellyfish Chrysaora quinquecirrha at both cellular and animal levels, and found that jellyfish tentacle extract (TE) has strong lethality accompanied by abnormal elevation of blood biochemical indicators and pathological changes. Joint analysis of transcriptome and proteome indicated that metalloproteinases are the predominant toxins in jellyfish. Specially, two key metalloproteinases DN6695_c0_g3 and DN8184_c0_g7 were identified by mass spectrometry of the red blood cell membrane and tetracycline hydrochloride (Tch) inhibition models. Structurally, molecular docking and kinetic analysis are employed and observed that Tch could inhibit the enzyme activity by binding to the hydrophobic pocket of the catalytic center. In this study, we demonstrated that Tch impedes the metalloproteinase activity thereby reducing the lethal effect of jellyfish, which suggests a potential strategy for combating the health threat of marine toxic jellyfish.

Influence of temperature on the behaviour and physiology of Atlantic salmon (Salmo Salar) on a commercial farm

Commercial Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) farms face challenges under climate change, as rising sea temperatures and higher variability in weather patterns can lead to thermal stress events, compromising fish health, and resulting in lower production efficiency. Temperature plays a critical role in influencing the physiological and behavioural response of salmon under stressful conditions and effective farm management requires a nuanced comprehension of its function to adjust farming practices and minimize further stress. Two types of biologgers, measuring external acceleration, depth, heart rate, and temperature were surgically implanted for 245 days to explore the effects of the thermal response of Atlantic salmon during a standard production cycle. Apparent heart rate scope and Arrhenius breakpoint temperature were used to estimate the optimal temperature and both methods resulted in an estimate of 12.7 °C. There was a reduction in apparent heart rate scope at temperatures below 2 °C and >19 °C suggesting proximity to limits of thermal stress. The use of biologgers facilitates direct observations in commercial operations, providing essential information for aquaculture management. These findings contribute to a holistic understanding of the effect of temperature influencing Atlantic salmon physiology and behaviour on aquaculture farms, bridging the gap between controlled laboratory studies and real-world commercial operations.

The Coral Chronicles: Climate Crisis and Its Implications on the Global Coral Reefs

The coral reefs are one of the most devastating causalities that is often overlooked as our planet grapples with the continually progressing crisis of climate change. They are often addressed as the rainforests of the sea and are hubs of biodiversity that support a one-fourth of all marine species even though they only cover less than one percent of the ocean floor. Not only are they inhabiting countless marine creatures, they are also a crucial food an income source to the millions of people worldwide. Alas! These vibrant underwater ecosystems are being pushed to the brink of collapse due the relentless onslaught of climate change. 
 Consider the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Australia, where extensive coral bleaching events are occurring due to rising sea temperatures [1]. The threat of ocean acidification has jeopardized the coral reef in the Maldives and is potentially affecting the country economically which is based on the tourism and fisheries. Likewise, Caribbean Sea is facing disease outbreak and coral bleaching. Philippines is home to some of the most diverse coral reefs in the world but, climate change, overfishing and coastal development is threatening these natural ecosystems. Apart from these, Seychelles and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean and the Coral triangle in the Southeast Asian region are also at stake due to these environmental stressors [2]. 
 In the face of these challenges, many governments, NGOs and local communities have united to conserve these global reefs. Different Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been developed to mitigate overfishing and habitat destruction and protect the coral reefs [3]. Moreover, many techniques have been developed to restore the degraded coral ecosystems and enhance their resilience, including Coral Transplantation and Artificial Reef Structures. These initiatives have created the hope that the vibrant coral reefs will eventually recover in face of the existing environmental crises. 
 However, we cannot overstate that the current situation is dire and nothing short of a global calamity. It is our moral obligation that we protect and preserve these natural wonders for future generations. If we do not take immediate action to curb the emission of greenhouse gases and fight against the climate change, we risk losing these underwater ecosystems right in front of our eyes. It is our choice and the stakes could not be higher. 

Diversity and function of fluorescent molecules in marine animals.

Fluorescence in marine animals has mainly been studied in Cnidaria but is found in many different phyla such as Annelida, Crustacea, Mollusca, and Chordata. While many fluorescent proteins and molecules have been identified, very little information is available about the biological functions of fluorescence. In this review, we focus on describing the occurrence of fluorescence in marine animals and the behavioural and physiological functions of fluorescent molecules based on experimental approaches. These biological functions of fluorescence range from prey and symbiont attraction, photoprotection, photoenhancement, stress mitigation, mimicry, and aposematism to inter- and intraspecific communication. We provide a comprehensive list of marine taxa that utilise fluorescence, including demonstrated effects on behavioural or physiological responses. We describe the numerous known functions of fluorescence in anthozoans and their underlying molecular mechanisms. We also highlight that other marine taxa should be studied regarding the functions of fluorescence. We suggest that an increase in research effort in this field could contribute to understanding the capacity of marine animals to respond to negative effects of climate change, such as rising sea temperatures and increasing intensities of solar irradiation.

Population genomic analysis of the greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) in the Mediterranean and the Northeast Atlantic, based on SNPs, microsatellites, and mitochondrial DNA sequences

The greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) has attracted considerable economic interest since the 1990s because it possesses traits that distinguish it as a promising candidate in aquaculture. However, the challenges of its successful rearing, combined with the need to develop proper management practices, underline the importance of research into the genetic diversity of both wild and farmed stocks. We aimed to decipher the genetic structure of S. dumerili in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Northeast Atlantic using three types of genetic markers (mitochondrial control region sequences, microsatellites, and single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs) to evaluate the population genetic structure of the species. The results were compared to those of previous studies of the species focusing on the Central Mediterranean and confirmed the presence of two divergent mtDNA haplogroups distributed without any detectable geographical structuring within the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. However, population analyses of the genetic structure of the species using either 10 microsatellites or a set of 1,051 SNP markers suggest that the species forms three genetically distinct groups, one in the Mediterranean and two in the Atlantic. The latter has so far not been reported in the Northeast Atlantic, and that this differentiation refers to samples from the Canary Islands is surprising. Fifteen candidate outlier SNP loci were identified in the data set, one located within the tead1a/TEF-1A gene, which has been associated with temperature acclimation of the medaka. This work enriches our knowledge of the genetic diversity of wild populations of the greater amberjack in the Mediterranean and the Northeast Atlantic and attempts to investigate signs of local adaptation toward a better understanding of the species distribution patterns. Future studies should be conducted to investigate the genomic regions associated with temperature acclimation in marine organisms that have to adapt to the ongoing climate change pressures, such as sea temperature rise, in order to survive.

Raised water temperature enhances benthopelagic links via intensified bioturbation and benthos-mediated nutrient cycling

Sediment reworking by benthic infauna, namely bioturbation, is of pivotal importance in expansive soft-sediment environments such as the Wadden Sea. Bioturbating fauna facilitate ecosystem functions such as bentho-pelagic coupling and sediment nutrient remineralization capacities. Yet, these benthic fauna are expected to be profoundly affected by current observed rising sea temperatures. In order to predict future changes in ecosystem functioning in soft-sediment environments like the Wadden Sea, knowledge on the underlying processes such as sediment reworking, is crucial. Here, we tested how temperature affects bioturbation and its associated ecosystem processes, such as benthic nutrient fluxes and sediment oxygen consumption, using luminophore tracers and sediment incubation cores. We used a controlled mesocosm experiment set-up with key Wadden Sea benthos species: the burrowing polychaetes Arenicola marina and Hediste diversicolor, the bivalve Cerastoderma edule, and the tube-building polychaete Lanice conchilega. The highest bioturbation rates were observed from A. marina, reaching up to 375 cm2yr−1; followed by H. diversicolor, with 124 cm2yr−1 being the peak bioturbation rate for the ragworm. Additionally, the sediment reworking activity of A. marina facilitated nearly double the amount of silicate efflux compared to any other species. Arenicola marina and H. diversicolor accordingly facilitated stronger nutrient effluxes under a warmer temperature than L. conchilega and C. edule. The oxygen uptake of A. marina and H. diversicolor within the sediment incubation cores was correspondingly enhanced with a higher temperature. Thus, increases in sea temperatures may initially be beneficial to ecosystem functioning in the Wadden Sea as faunal bioturbation is definitely expedited, leading to a tighter coupling between the sediment and overlying water column. The enhanced bioturbation activity, oxygen consumption, and facilitated nutrient effluxes from these invertebrates themselves, will aid in the ongoing high levels of primary productivity and organic matter production.

A Comprehensive Review of Climatic Threats and Adaptation of Marine Biodiversity

Oceans play a vital role in socioeconomic and environmental development by supporting activities such as tourism, recreation, and food provision while providing important ecosystem services. However, concerns have been raised about the threat that climate change poses to the functions of oceans. This study examines the impacts, threats, and adaptation strategies of climate change and marine biodiversity. Using bibliometric and secondary data analysis, this study determines that climate change leads to rising sea temperatures, marine heatwaves, acidification, and increasing sea levels. These factors undermine the significance of ocean ecosystem services. This study also identifies the significant risks posed by climate change to marine species diversity and distribution, primarily through habitat degradation and shifts in species ranges. Scholarly focus on these challenges has grown over time, focusing on adaptation strategies and building resilience to mitigate adverse impacts. This study critically evaluates various adaptation measures, including nature-based and human-based solutions such as habitat restoration, policy and legislative frameworks, and their potential to protect marine ecosystems. It provides detailed discussions on the effectiveness of adaptation strategies such as marine protected areas (MPAs), mangrove and coral reef restoration, and species range shifts. This review also emphasises the significance of indigenous knowledge systems and community participation in marine conservation efforts to achieve holistic and sustainable management. It highlights the need for enhanced international cooperation and a transdisciplinary approach to address the complex interplay between climate change and marine biodiversity. Additionally, this study suggests that funding for research gaps and conservation can be secured through tourism revenue and other climate funding mechanisms.

Adverse human health effects of climate change: an update.

The world is currently facing a process of climate change, which may adversely impact human health in many different ways. The safety of food, water and urban environments is endangered by the consequences of climate change. Sea level and temperature rise, along with more frequent and longer heat waves, represent only a few of the effects of climate change. The increased risk of extreme climate events (e.g., cyclones, droughts and floods) is another serious public health issue. These adverse effects are enhanced in areas and countries not having the capacity to effectively deal with climate change. We primarily aimed at summarizing the impacts of climate change on public health. A further aim was to identify the most concerning consequences of this phenomenon and the vulnerability factors that amplify the negative effects of climate change. PubMed and other literature databases were used as literature sources for this narrative review based on the search terms 'climate change' and 'diseases categories' up to January 2024, in order to assess the most recent and relevant scientific evidence about the relation between climate change and public health, identify knowledge gaps and priorities for future research. We also screened the websites of major agencies devoted to human health protection and environmental health. Climate change appears to induce a broad spectrum of generally adverse effects on public health. It may increase the risk of infectious diseases, psychiatric disorders, cancer and other diseases. Currently, we are not effectively counteracting this phenomenon, since pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions have been increasing alongside temperatures. A host of measures are required in order to prevent and fight climate change and related health effects. These include the adoption of a holistic approach and the collaboration of different kinds of expertise in order to design more effective strategies. Special attention should be paid to those who live in disadvantaged countries, and those who are more vulnerable to the adverse health consequences of climate change.

Coastal Morphodynamics and Climate Change: A Review of Recent Advances

The shape of the coast and the processes that mold it change together as a complex system. There is constant feedback among the multiple components of the system, and when climate changes, all facets of the system change. Abrupt shifts to different states can also take place when certain tipping points are crossed. The coupling of rapid warming in the Arctic with melting sea ice is one example of positive feedback. Climate changes, particularly rising sea temperatures, are causing an increasing frequency of tropical storms and “compound events” such as storm surges combined with torrential rains. These events are superimposed on progressive rises in relative sea level and are anticipated to push many coastal morphodynamic systems to tipping points beyond which return to preexisting conditions is unlikely. Complex systems modeling results and long-term sets of observations from diverse cases help to anticipate future coastal threats. Innovative engineering solutions are needed to adapt to changes in coastal landscapes and environmental risks. New understandings of cascading climate-change-related physical, ecological, socioeconomic effects, and multi-faceted morphodynamic systems are continually contributing to the imperative search for resilience. Recent contributions, summarized here, are based on theory, observations, numerically modeled results, regional case studies, and global projections.

Emerging challenges in maintaining marine food-fish availability and food safety.

The marine finfish and crustaceans contribute immensely to human nutrition. Harvesting marine food-fish to meet the global demand has become a challenge due to reduction of the fishery areas and food safety hazards associated with increased pre-harvest and post-harvest contaminations. The causes of low fish availability and contaminations were reviewed following the published literature from 2000 to 2023. The marine fish yields are stressed due to spread of contaminants triggered by rising sea temperatures, transport of microorganisms by marine vessels across the oceans, anthropogenic activities leading to increase in the toxic microorganisms, and the entry of toxic chemicals and antibiotic residues into the seawater through rivers or directly. Processing adds pyrogenic chemicals to foods. The hazardous materials may accumulate in the food-fish, beyond tolerance limits permitted for human foods. While the research and control measures focus on minimizing the hazards due to pathogenic microorganisms and chemicals in market fish, there is less discussion on the unhealthy changes occurring in the oceans affecting the quantity and quality of food-fish, and the origins of microbial and chemical contaminations. This review examines the factors affecting availability of wild food-fish and increased contaminations. It aims to bridge the knowledge gaps between the spread of hazardous agents in the marine environment, and their effects on the food-fish. Meeting the future human food security and safety through marine fish and fish products may need marine cage farming, introduction of genetically modified high yielding food-fish, and cultured contaminant free finless fish muscles as options.

Identification of Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and attention model.

Coral reefs play important roles in the marine ecosystem, from providing shelter to aquatic lives to being a source of income to others. However, they are in danger from outbreaks of species like the Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) and the widespread coral bleaching from rising sea temperatures. The identification of COTS for detecting outbreaks is a challenging task and is often done through snorkelling and diving activities with limited range, where strong currents result in poor image capture, damage of capturing equipment, and are of high risks. This paper proposes a novel approach for the automatic detection of COTS based Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with an enhanced attention module. Different pre-trained CNN models, namely, VGG19 and MobileNetV2 have been applied to our dataset with the aim of detecting and classifying COTS using transfer learning. The architecture of the pre-trained models was optimised using ADAM optimisers and an accuracy of 87.1% was achieved for VGG19 and 80.2% for the MobileNetV2. The attention model was developed and added to the CNN to determine which features in the starfish were influencing the classification. The enhanced model attained an accuracy of 92.6% while explaining the causal features in COTS. The mean average precision of the enhanced VGG-19 with the addition of the attention model was 95% showing an increase of 2% compared to only the enhanced VGG-19 model.

Climate Change, Fish Production, and Maritime Piracy

Abstract Contemporary social science has produced little research on connections between climate change and crime. Nonetheless, much prior research suggests that economic insecurity may affect individual calculations of the cost and benefit of engaging in criminal behavior, and climate change is likely to have important economic consequences for professions like fishing that depend directly on the environment. In this paper, we test the possibility that climate change affects participation in maritime piracy, depending on the specific ways that it impacts regional fish production. Our analysis is based on piracy in East Africa and the South China Sea. These two regions are strategic in that both areas have experienced a large amount of piracy; however, rising sea temperatures have been associated with declines in fish production in East Africa but increases in the South China Sea. We treat sea surface temperature as an instrument for fish output and find that in East Africa higher sea surface temperature is associated with declining fish production, which in turn increases the risk of piracy, whereas in the South China Sea higher sea surface temperature is associated with increasing fish production, which in turn decreases the risk of piracy. Our results also show that decreases in fish production bring about a larger number of successful piracy attacks in East Africa and that increases in fish production are associated with fewer successful attacks in the South China Sea. We discuss the theoretical and policy implications of the findings and point out that as climate change continues, its impact on specific crimes will likely be complex, with increases and decreases depending on context. Significance Statement There is little evidence on the effect of climate change on criminal behavior. This study seeks to quantify the impact of a specific type of climate change—rising sea temperature—on maritime piracy, a type of crime that is linked exclusively to the ocean. The risk of piracy attacks and the probability of successful attacks are higher with declines in fish production in East Africa and lower with increases in fish production in the South China Sea. These results suggest that climate change does affect maritime piracy rates and that its effect depends on the specific situational context and the rational choices that changing sea temperatures generate.

Elevated temperature linked to signs associated with sea star wasting disease in a keystone European species, Asterias rubens

Sea star wasting disease (SSWD) refers to a suite of gross signs affecting Asteroidea species. These include epidermal lesions, everted viscera, arm autotomy, and ultimately, full body disintegration leading to mortality. The common sea star Asterias rubens is a keystone species in the coastal Northeast Atlantic and may be susceptible to the disease. While the precise aetiology of SSWD remains poorly understood, environmental instability, including rising sea temperatures, has been linked to SSWD outbreaks. To investigate this connection, an experiment was conducted to quantify disease sign expression in A. rubens under elevated temperature. We exposed sea stars to either elevated temperature (18°C) or a control treatment (12°C) for a 14 d period. We quantified the presence of disease signs associated with SSWD, the progression of signs, and survival of individuals. Elevated temperature induced a greater number of signs consistent with SSWD and also resulted in mortality for some of those animals. Furthermore, larger individuals were more likely to show increased signs of disease. Our results provide evidence that signs associated with SSWD increase with elevated temperature.

A Study on Changes in the Characteristics of Typhoons around the Korean Peninsula for Coastal Disaster Prevention

It has been more than 30 years since the term climate change began to become popular, but recently, rapid accelerated phenomena are appearing in the form of extreme weather all over the world. It is showing a distinctly different phenomenon from previous years, with heavy rain falling in the Death Valley desert in the U.S., and temperatures rising more than 40 degrees in Europe. In the Korean Peninsula, super typhoons with very strong wind speeds have become a major disaster risk for many years, and the supply of more energy due to the rise in sea temperature increases the possibility of super typhoons, requiring a proactive response. Unlike the method using numerical analysis, this study analyzed past typhoon data to study changes in typhoon characteristics for coastal disaster prevention. Existing studies have targeted all typhoons that have occurred, but in this study, a specific area was set up in the southern ocean of the Korean Peninsula and then a study was conducted. The subjects of the study were typhoons that occurred over the past 40 years from 1980 to the present, and it was confirmed that the maximum wind speed of typhoons affecting the Korean Peninsula increased slightly. The wind speed of typhoons in the specific area is about 80% of the maximum wind speed in their lifetime, and a correlation with ENSO could not be confirmed.

Warming signals in temperate reef communities following more than a decade of ecological stability.

Ecosystem structure and function are increasingly threatened by changing climate, with profound effects observed globally in recent decades. Based on standardized visual censuses of reef biodiversity, we describe 27 years of community-level change for fishes, mobile macroinvertebrates and macroalgae in the Tasmanian ocean-warming hotspot. Significant ecological change was observed across 94 reef sites (5-10 m depth range) spanning four coastal regions between three periods (1992-95, 2006-07, 2017-19), which occurred against a background of pronounced sea temperature rise (+0.80°C on average). Overall, fish biomass increased, macroinvertebrate species richness and abundance decreased and macroalgal cover decreased, particularly during the most recent decade. While reef communities were relatively stable and warming was slight between the 1990s and mid-2000s (+0.12°C mean temperature rise), increased abundances of warm affinity fishes and invertebrates accompanied warming during the most recent decade (+0.68°C rise). However, significant rises in the community temperature index (CTI) were only found for fishes, invertebrates and macroalgae in some regions. Coastal warming was associated with increased fish biomass of non-targeted species in fished zones but had little effect on reef communities within marine reserves. Higher abundances of larger fishes and lobsters inside reserves appeared to negate impacts of 'thermophilization'.

Foreseeing the future of Posidonia oceanica meadows by accounting for the past evolution of the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract The current warming of the Mediterranean Sea has been forecast to lead to the shrinkage of seagrass meadows. We agree that rising sea temperatures most likely will have immediate negative effects on them because present-day asexually reproducing clones of Posidonia oceanica were likely selected as a form of resistance under suboptimal conditions during the colder temperatures of the last glaciation. However, since the evolution of P. oceanica has happened under tropical/subtropical conditions for tens of millions of years, some kind of evolutionary resilience to high temperatures is to be expected. We suggest that the ability of P. oceanica plants to reproduce sexually when water temperature is >27°C might lead in the future to the selection of warm-loving plants (as warm-sensitive clones decline), with an associated increase in genetic variability in the species gene pool. Predictions focused exclusively on the future decline of cold-selected (warm-sensitive) clones may result in short-sighted forecasts because the deep history of the taxon is overlooked. We suggest that an evolutionary-based approach should be more often considered when analysing the present declines of animal and plant species. We provide some additional examples of cases in which this could be done.

The Big Seaweed Search: Evaluating a citizen science project for a difficult to identify group of organisms

Abstract The Big Seaweed Search invites people to survey UK seashores for 14 conspicuous seaweeds. The science investigates: (i) impact of sea temperature rise; (ii) spread of non‐native species; and (iii) impact of ocean acidification. Survey data submitted between June 2016 and May 2020 were analysed to evaluate and explore project directions in relation to citizen science project development. Of the 378 surveys submitted, 1,414 people participated, contributing 1,531 person hours. Surveys were undertaken around the UK, with the highest proportion (46.7%) in the south west and the lowest (3.7%) in the north east. After data verification, 1,007 (54%) records were accepted. Fucus serratus had the highest number of entries correctly identified (66%) and Undaria pinnatifida the lowest (5%), inferring that at least some seaweeds can be difficult to identify, although the overall misidentification rate was relatively low (c. 15%). Apart from Alaria esculenta, U. pinnatifida and Saccharina latissima, the large brown seaweeds were abundant on at least some shores. Non‐natives Sargassum muticum and Asparagopsis armata, were band‐forming but in low numbers. Coralline algae, whilst band‐forming on some shores, were most commonly patchy or sparse in abundance. Revisits, i.e. repeat surveys, at the same site with an interval of at least 1 year, are relatively low, with 18 sites revisited once and three sites revisited twice. Currently, data are insufficient to determine whether any changes in abundance could be detected. This study highlights areas where project developments can enhance data quality and quantity, e.g. better identification resources, training programmes for dedicated volunteers, and an annual focus week of activities. The project framed around climate change impacts, aims to raise awareness of the ecological importance of, and threats faced by, this understudied habitat and introduce conservation concepts including the need to protect common species showing signs of decline.

Effect of submarine permafrost degradation on the vertical ground motions and vertical response spectrum of a single-degree-of-freedom system in polar ocean

Owing to global warming, the rise in sea temperature is causing degradation of submarine permafrost, which has an impact on the seismic responses of submarine strata. Based on the revised dynamics of nearly saturated frozen porous media, a simplified model of the vertical seismic responses of submarine permafrost is established considering the degradation of its upper layer, and an analytical solution is obtained using the Laplace transform method. The governing equation of a single-degree-of-freedom system on the seafloor is further proposed, and the vertical response spectrum is obtained using the numerical inverse transformation method. The numerical results show that the vertical ground motions of the seafloor agree well with those of saturated and nearly saturated soil layers with a free surface on land and under deep-water conditions. Parametric studies show that saturation strongly affects the vertical ground motions of the seafloor, and this effect is closely related to the water depth ratio. In addition, the structural stratum parameters, including the active layer thickness ratio, permafrost thickness, and temperature, have significant effects on the vertical ground motions of the seafloor and the vertical response spectrum of the submarine lumped parameter system. Therefore, attention should be paid to the impact of submarine permafrost degradation on the vertical seismic responses of oil and gas exploitation systems in polar oceans.