Journal article
Climate change-driven cooling can kill marine megafauna at their distributional limits
Nature climate change, Vol.14, pp.526-535
05/2024
Metrics
1 Record Views
Abstract
The impacts on marine species from secular warming and heatwaves are well demonstrated; however, the impacts of extreme cold events are poorly understood. Here we link the death of organisms from 81 species to an intense cold upwelling event in the Agulhas Current, and show trends of increasing frequency and intensification of upwelling in the Agulhas Current and East Australian Current. Using electronic tagging, we illustrate the potential impacts of upwelling events on the movement behaviour of bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas, including alterations of migratory patterns and maintenance of shallower dive profiles when transiting through upwelling cells. Increasing upwelling could result in ‘bait and switch’ situations, where climate change expands subtropical species’ distribution, while simultaneously exposing climate migrants to an increased risk of cold-mortality events at poleward distributional limits. This shows the potential impacts of increased cold events, an understudied aspect of climate change research, and highlights the complexities of climate change effects on marine ecosystems.
Details
- Title
- Climate change-driven cooling can kill marine megafauna at their distributional limits
- Creators
- Nicolas Lubitz - James Cook UniversityRyan Daly - South African Association for Marine Biological ResearchAmy F. Smoothey - Sydney Institute of Marine SciencePatrick Vianello - Nelson Mandela UniversityMichael J. Roberts - Nelson Mandela UniversityDavid S. Schoeman - University of the Sunshine CoastMarcus Sheaves - James Cook UniversityPaul D. Cowley - South African Institute for Aquatic BiodiversityLaurent Dagorn - University of MontpellierFabien G. Forget - Marine Biodiversity Exploitation and ConservationMarc Soria - Marine Biodiversity Exploitation and ConservationVictor M. Peddemors - Sydney Institute of Marine ScienceJohn D. Filmalter - South African Institute for Aquatic BiodiversityPaul A. Butcher - Southern Cross UniversityGreg BrettAdam Barnett - James Cook University
- Publication Details
- Nature climate change, Vol.14, pp.526-535
- Publisher
- NATURE PORTFOLIO
- Number of pages
- 21
- Grant note
- Save Our Seas Foundation African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme NSW Shark Management Program NSW Government through the NSW Department of Primary Industries Bull shark tagging research programme
- Identifiers
- 991013189013202368
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article