This analysis is intended to provide insight into the current status of both natural adaptations to climate change and ocean acidification in marine systems, and human-assisted adaptation with relevance to livelihoods or industries dependent on living marine resources (i.e., fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism). Image: “Diver” by Jan, CC BY-ND 2.0.
Climate change and human activity have pressing impacts on the state of our ocean, threatening the integrity of marine ecosystems themselves as well as the services they provide to human communities. Given the inevitable current and future effects of climate change, adaptation by both physical and human systems is crucial. As defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), adaptation refers to “the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects.”
In a new article “Adaptation strategies to climate change in marine systems“, CORU Director William Cheung (UBC) and Fellow Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor (UBC) explore drivers, timelines, costs, and limitations of marine adaptation strategies.