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Impacts of Climate Change on Australian Marine Life

Editors: Alistair J. Hobday, Thomas A. Okey, Elvira S. Poloczanska, Thomas J. Kunz, Anthony J. Richardson
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research
report to the
Australian Greenhouse Office , Department of the Environment and Heritage
September 2006

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Key findings

Climate change impacts on marine life and marine ecosystems are likely to dramatically affect human societies and economies. Notable impacts of climate change on marine biodiversity have been observed throughout the world – principally due to the existence of long-term data series. Evidence from Australian waters is sparse, mainly due to a lack of historical long-term data collection. Importantly, little modelling has been conducted to predict future changes in Australian marine ecosystems and this remains a critical gap. This report identified six key questions that need to be addressed by future modelling and monitoring programmes:

  1. How will the distribution and abundance of marine species and communities alter with climate change?
    • Changes have already been observed in some regions, for example in the south-east.
  2. Which species are candidate indicators for climate change impacts?
    • Species that provide structural integrity of habitat, such as corals and kelp, or species that have key ecological roles, such as phytoplankton that drive food chains, would be effective sentinals of climate change impacts.
  3. Within large marine domains, where are sensitive areas or hotspots of change?
    • Preliminary analysis from this report suggests that there is regional variability in sensitivity or vulnerability to climate change impacts, with the Tasman Sea in the south-east and the east coast identified as examples of hot-spots of change.
  4. How will ocean productivity alter with climate change?
    • International studies indicate that productivity of marine systems will be affected by climate change, and this report provides evidence that Australia's already low productivity is likely to decrease further.
  5. How would reduction in non-climate related stressors increase ecosystem resilience to climate change?
    • This report recommends that a reduction in non-climate stressors such as extractive or polluting activities is likely to build ecosystem and species resilience to the impacts of climate change.
  6. To what extent will marine climate change impacts affect socially and economically important uses of Australian marine ecosystems?
    • The report provides support that climate change effects are likely to significantly affect social and economic uses of the marine environment, with Australia's fisheries and tourism industries likely to be most affected.
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