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Shift in tuna catches due to ocean warming
Alberto Monllor-Hurtado1, Maria Grazia Pennino2,3,4, José Luis Sanchez-Lizaso1
1Department of Marine Science and Applied Biology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Plos One
|June 8, 2017
Summary
Ocean warming is causing tropical tuna populations to shift towards cooler, higher latitudes. This global shift in tuna distribution impacts fisheries, with declining catches in tropical areas.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Climate Change Science
- Fisheries Management
Background:
- Ocean warming is altering marine ecosystems globally.
- Fisheries are impacted by shifts in species distribution due to changing sea temperatures.
- Tuna populations, sensitive to temperature and widely distributed, serve as key indicators of climate change effects on fisheries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the global-scale shift in tuna catches within subtropical latitudes.
- To analyze changes in tropical tuna distribution in response to ocean warming.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of longliner catch data from 1965 to 2011.
- Focus on subtropical regions in the Atlantic, western Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
- Statistical trend analysis of tropical tuna percentage in catches.
Main Results:
- A significant increasing trend in the percentage of tropical tuna in catches was observed in subtropical regions.
- This trend suggests a poleward movement of tropical tuna populations.
- Tropical tuna catches decreased in tropical areas of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, indicating populations did not increase at higher latitudes.
Conclusions:
- Ocean warming is driving tropical tuna populations towards higher latitudes.
- Fisheries management must adapt to these climate-driven shifts in fish distribution.
- Declining tropical tuna catches in traditional fishing grounds highlight the impact of climate change.
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