Range map data of marine ecosystem structuring species under global climate change

Area of Science:

• Marine Ecology
• Biodiversity Conservation
• Climate Change Impacts

Background:

• Accurate marine species distribution data are vital for climate change adaptation and conservation policy.
• Existing distribution models often exclude key ecosystem-structuring species and use outdated climate scenarios.
• Global biodiversity assessments are hindered by a lack of comprehensive, up-to-date species range data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate contemporary and future geographical range maps for 980 key marine ecosystem-structuring species.
• To provide updated distribution data aligned with current international climate policy frameworks and scenarios.
• To enhance the scientific basis for marine conservation and management strategies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized advanced machine learning algorithms for species distribution modeling.
• Integrated comprehensive, quality-controlled occurrence records with high-resolution predictor variables.
• Modeled species ranges under present-day conditions (2010-2020) and future scenarios (2090-2100), including Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) 1-1.9, 3-7.0, and 5-8.5.

Main Results:

• Generated detailed range maps for 980 marine habitat-forming species (seagrasses, kelps, fucoids, cold-water corals).
• Projected species distributions across a spectrum of future climate change scenarios, from low to high emissions.
• Provided a globally consistent dataset crucial for understanding climate change impacts on marine ecosystems.

Conclusions:

• The generated datasets offer enhanced capacity for informing strategic conservation policies.
• Supports the development of effective management strategies to bolster ocean ecosystem resilience.
• Highlights the importance of including ecosystem-structuring species in global biodiversity assessments and climate change mitigation planning.