How Do Polar Marine Ecosystems Respond to Rapid Climate Change?

Climate change will alter marine ecosystems; however, the complexity of the food webs, combined with chronic undersampling, constrains efforts to predict their future and to optimally manage and protect marine resources. Sustained observations at the West Antarctic Peninsula show that in this region...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2010-06, Vol.328 (5985), p.1520-1523
Main Authors: Schofield, Oscar, Ducklow, Hugh W, Martinson, Douglas G, Meredith, Michael P, Moline, Mark A, Fraser, William R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antarctic Peninsula
Antarctic Regions
Biomass
Birds
Climate Change
Cold Climate
Ecosystem
Ecosystems
Environmental impact
Fishes
Food Chain
Food chains
Foods
Global warming
Ice
Ice Cover
Mammals
Marine
Marine ecology
Marine ecosystems
Mathematical models
Networks
Observational research
Oceanography - methods
Oceans
Oceans and Seas
Phytoplankton
Population Dynamics
REVIEWS
Sea ice
Seas
Seawater
Ships
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Summary:Climate change will alter marine ecosystems; however, the complexity of the food webs, combined with chronic undersampling, constrains efforts to predict their future and to optimally manage and protect marine resources. Sustained observations at the West Antarctic Peninsula show that in this region, rapid environmental change has coincided with shifts in the food web, from its base up to apex predators. New strategies will be required to gain further insight into how the marine climate system has influenced such changes and how it will do so in the future. Robotic networks, satellites, ships, and instruments mounted on animals and ice will collect data needed to improve numerical models that can then be used to study the future of polar ecosystems as climate change progresses.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1185779