Relative vulnerability assessment of Indian marine fishes to climate change using impact and adaptation attributes

• Main Authors: Zacharia, P U, Dineshbabu, A P, Thomas, Sujitha, Kizhakudan, Shoba Joe, Vivekanandan, E, Pillai, S Lakshmi, Sivadas, M, Ghosh, Shubhadeep, Ganga, U, Rajesh, K M, Nair, Rekha J, Najmudeen, T M, Koya, Mohammed, Chellappan, Anulekshmi, Dash, Gyanaranjan, Divipala, Indira, Akhilesh, K V, Muktha, M, Dash, Swatipriyanka Sen
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: ICAR - Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute 2016
• Subjects: Climate change; CMFRI; CMFRI Special Publications; Indian; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/11297/; http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/11297/1/CMFRI%20SP%20125_Relative%20vulnerability%20assessment%20of%20Indian%20marine%20fishes%20to%20climate%20change_Red.pdf

India occupies sixth position globally in marine capture fish production. An estimated 1.0 million people are directly involved with fishing in India and 4.0 million people depend for their livelihood on the marine fisheries resources. The Indian marine fisheries sector is currently faced by several issues like over-capitalization, over-exploitation and climate change. The impacts of climate change on marine fisheries are amply visible in the Indian EEZ. The features associated with climate change like rise in sea surface temperature, change in season and intensity of monsoon, variation in current pattern, ocean acidification etc. are likely to make changes in the community structure and phenology of marine fishes. Such impacts have brought perceptible changes in the fishery of some species, forcing fisherfolk to make changes in fishing operations. Fishes are poikilothermic–their body temperature varies with the surrounding environmental thermal conditions. While most poikilothermic organisms are capable of functioning over a wide range of temperatures, the metabolic costs of this are likely to be high. Some fishes are also affected by climate change during embryonic development and in fishes exhibiting temperature- dependent sex determination, differences in temperature as low as 1-2°C can significantly alter the sex ratio of populations. Phenological changes also abound. Spawning activity has shifted in some species to comparatively cooler months, and hatching success decreases at higher temperatures. It has been predicted that pelagic fishes, which generally spawn year round, and have higher generation turnover, will adapt faster than their benthic counterparts. Adaptation at different rates will cause shifts in the current ecological balance, resulting in loss of biodiversity. Some species may also suffer changes in their distributional range. Thus, it has become exceedingly clear that the varied risks posed by global warming and climate change present a significant danger to the health and survival of the denizens of the marine world, necessitating timely action and global cooperation to avert such a disaster.