Marine

We don’t yet know whether water temperature affects where jellyfish are found. Data on their distribution will help determine whether their range is changing and how climate change may impact their distribution.

All marine snails (molluscs), are under increasing stress due to ocean acidification which can weaken their calcium carbonate shells and reduce body condition. This makes them more prone to disease, predation and low reproduction. Increasing water temperature as a result of climate change will likely affect their abundance and cause a southward shift in their distribution.

Increases in water temperature are likely to result in unfavourable growing conditions for cool water algae species, causing a loss of seaweed in some areas.

Climate change may reduce the productivity of the Southern Ocean, impacting the distribution and availability of whale food sources. Changes to ocean circulation patters and temperate could affect the timing and location of migration and breeding. Competition with humans and other whales for food sources and increasing interaction with tourist vessels and commercial shipping, may stress population recovery for whales. Wales may alter their feeding behaviour and migration in response to changes in ocean currents, temperatures and stress caused by increasing human interaction.