A concerning new report has revealed how rising ocean temperatures are disrupting the migrations of vital marine species.
What’s happening?
Inside Climate News reported that dozens of biologists gathered for a workshop convened by the United Nations in Edinburgh, Scotland, to discuss the impact of warming global temperatures on migratory species. More than a fifth of migratory species are facing extinction, and none are untouched by worsening climate conditions.
Baleen whales are particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in ocean temperatures as they travel thousands of miles each year. They gorge for months in the krill-rich waters of the poles before swimming to warmer waters to breed. To survive and reproduce, they must store enough fat to make the trip and rear calves. Krill feed and multiply on the algae that grow on the underside of sea ice. Warming seas create a cascading effect of negative outcomes. Melting sea ice means less krill, which means the whales will have to travel further to feed, if at all.
Sharks are another species being pushed out of their normal ranges in search of food, showing up in strange places.
“There’s just not enough food around,” observed Ari Friedlaender, an ecologist and professor at the University of California, per Inside Climate News.
Why are whales and sharks so important?
Whales and sharks are vital to the overall health of the ocean’s ecosystem. Migratory whales fertilize the oceans they traverse with nutrient-dense waste and sequester huge amounts of carbon over their long lives.
Sharks are equally vital guardians of the seas as apex predators. They safeguard vital habitats like coral reefs and seagrass by controlling the populations of the creatures that graze on them. Both species trap large amounts of carbon that stays with them, and when they perish, they sink to the ocean floor and are consumed by the bottom-dwelling creatures.
What’s being done to protect migratory marine megafauna?
The report’s findings outlined some key goals. One is to conduct further research to better understand the situation, inform and engage the public, and develop more effective conservation strategies.
Static marine protected areas aren’t as effective for species that migrate thousands of miles, so a more flexible approach is needed. For example, adjusting shipping lanes and targeted fishing restrictions in key feeding areas could prove effective.
Sharks and whales have protected the seas for millions of years, and with just a little help, they could do so for millions more.
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