Climate change impacts on fish of relevance to the UK and Ireland, MCCIP Science Review 2023

• Main Author: Fox, Clive
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: MCCIP 2023
• Subjects: atlantic cod; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/af1e489e-267b-488d-8aca-566b680ecc9a; https://doi.org/10.14465/2023.reu10.fsh

KEY FACTS What is already happening? • Increases in warm-water fish species in UK waters continue to be observed, along with local declines of some cold-affinity species. • Research continues to support the hypothesis that temperature changes are affecting fish growth and age at maturation in UK waters. • New experimental studies have shown that fin-fish larvae may be sensitive to changes in ocean acidification, but different species have shown a variety of responses. • Several species of cephalopods have shown noticeable increases in abundance and geographical spread in UK waters, a change consistent with warming waters. • Recent evidence supports the hypothesis that reproductive success in Atlantic cod is negatively impacted at temperatures above 9.6°C. What could happen in the future? • Ocean temperatures are expected to continue to rise and will affect species composition and abundances, particularly in shallower areas such as the southern North Sea. • Shifts in food-webs may occur due to changes in species composition and abundances affecting predator-prey relationships. • For important commercial species, such as cod, areas such as the northern North Sea will remain suitable habitat throughout the coming century but more southern areas will become less suitable. • Such sub-regional effects will need to be taken into account in fisheries management plans and advice, and this may require changes in the spatial scales at which data are collected, reported and analysed in the coming decades.