Changing Management To Manage Change: New Approaches from Natural and Social Science

Social and policy discussions of climate change are rapidly progressing and will continue to do so in the next few years.  Recent scientific syntheses and other publications have effectively and clearly laid out the impacts of climate change on the physical properties and processes in the ocean.  However, these reports have not yet adequately addressed the biological and ecological effects of climate change on marine organisms and ecosystems; nor on the effectiveness of alternative management approaches on marine resources in the face of climate change.  New science addressing this is emerging quickly.  A synthesis is underway examining the physical, chemical, and biological/ecological changes to Earth’s oceans that are happening in response to anthropogenic climate change over the next century. Connecting oceans to climate change can help foster understanding of oceans and their ecosystems, how they function, what goods and services they provide to society, and what human interventions can do to alleviate negative impacts or reduce their likelihood.  This talk will focus on (1) individual and cumulative biophysical impacts--such as ocean acidification, changes in upwelling patterns, shifting species ranges, and warming waters, (2) consequences for humans as reflected in changes in ecosystem services--how these changes could impact society’s dependence on the ocean for transportation, food, recreation, nutrient cycling, waste processing, protection from natural hazards, and other ecosystem services; and (3) the state of understanding of potential solutions, such as ecosystem-based adaptation, marine spatial planning, market-based approaches, and geo-engineering. The synthesis of existing knowledge will form the basis of broad communication efforts to raise awareness and understanding of climate change effects on the ocean; and the work is targeted at policy-relevant entities such as the IPCC and NOAA.