Climate

Our climate is changing, and those changes are already impacting the nation’s valuable living marine resources.  Understanding the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on marine and coastal ecosystems is critical to sustaining the nation’s living marine resources and the communities that depend on them in a changing climate.

There are strong linkages between the planet’s climate and ocean systems.  It is well known that changes in climate can have significant impacts on ocean ecosystems over multiple spatial and temporal scales (e.g., annual, decadal, multi-decadal). 

WHAT WE DO

NOAA Fisheries works with partners to

• understand past, current and future impacts of climate variability and change on marine ecosystems, and
• provide decision-makers with the information and tools to sustain living marine resources, their habitats and the communities that depend on them in a changing climate.

Activities include

• assessing past impacts of climate variability and change,
• monitoring current changes in marine ecosystem conditions,
• researching how and why marine resources are being impacted,
• projecting future climate-related risks and impacts, and
• delivering this information for science-based decision making.  

CONTACT

For more information on NOAA Fisheries efforts related to impacts of climate and ocean acidification on living marine resources please contact Roger.b.griffis@noaa.gov.

RESOURCES 

For more information on NOAA Fisheries activities on the impacts of climate variability and change on marine ecosystems can be found at the following sites Read More...