Climate Change and Fisheries: Accounting for Climate Effects in Fisheries Management

Climate change is predicted to have widespread impacts on marine ecosystems and the resources within them. As levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increase, models suggest increased sea surface temperatures, changes in the patterns of ocean currents, rising sea levels, and altered habitats for marine fish populations. At the same time, new bio-economic approaches are providing insight into the historical, current, and possible future status of fisheries around the world. Combining these fishery models with climate change predictions provides an improved understanding of the production potential of fisheries in an altered climate, and allows the science to be communicated in relevant and important ways to stakeholders and policymakers. Speakers will discuss the links between climate change and fisheries production, and the benefits from accounting for such changes in fishery management today.