Abstract
We rely on healthy seas to supply us with a wide range of ecosystem goods and services, including food, social well-being and income generated from employment.
Climate change has been shown to be associated with increases in temperature, summer storm activity and acidity of our seas. The sea surface temperature in the North Sea is estimated to have risen from between 0.2oC to 0.6oC per decade since the 1980s. Such changes can affect the timing of spring and autumn blooms of plankton, which in turn can influence the abundance of important fish like the sandeel (e.g.Ammodytes marinus) and seabird populations. The effects of increased acidity in our seas are not yet fully understood.
Devising management measures that can reconcile conservation needs with sustainable livelihoods, especially in coastal communities who are socially and economically dependent on the marine environment for food and income, remains an under researched but key challenge for Scotland.
Climate change has been shown to be associated with increases in temperature, summer storm activity and acidity of our seas. The sea surface temperature in the North Sea is estimated to have risen from between 0.2oC to 0.6oC per decade since the 1980s. Such changes can affect the timing of spring and autumn blooms of plankton, which in turn can influence the abundance of important fish like the sandeel (e.g.Ammodytes marinus) and seabird populations. The effects of increased acidity in our seas are not yet fully understood.
Devising management measures that can reconcile conservation needs with sustainable livelihoods, especially in coastal communities who are socially and economically dependent on the marine environment for food and income, remains an under researched but key challenge for Scotland.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Changing Nature of Scotland |
| Editors | Susan J Marrs, Simon Foster, Catriona Hendrie, Edward C. Mackey, Des B. A. Thompson |
| Publisher | TSO (The Stationery Office) |
| Pages | 153-166 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780114973599 |
| Publication status | Published - 6 Oct 2011 |
