Researchers Predict Major Reductions in Seafloor Marine Life From Climate Change by 2100

Using advance climate models, researchers from the National Oceanography Centre have predicted that by 2100, there will be major reductions in seafloor marine life due to climate change.

This is one of the first studies that quantifies future marine life loses. Researchers predicted that seafloor dwelling marine life will decline by up to 38 per cent in the North Atlantic and over five per cent globally over the next century, according to a press statement. Most of this reduction will be caused due to the loss of plants and animals that live on the surface of oceans, providing food for marine life that live below.

Researchers also found that these changes in seafloor communities are expected despite living on average four kilometers ( 2.4 miles) under the surface of the ocean. This is because their food source, the remains of surface ocean marine life that sink to the seafloor, will dwindle because of a decline in nutrient availability.

"There has been some speculation about climate change impacts on the seafloor, but we wanted to try and make numerical projections for these changes and estimate specifically where they would occur," lead author Dr. Daniel Jones said. "We were expecting some negative changes around the world, but the extent of changes, particularly in the North Atlantic, was staggering. Globally we are talking about losses of marine life weighing more than every person on the planet put together."

Researchers clarified that these projected changes won't be the same across the globe, though most areas are expected to experience negative changes. Key habitats like cold-water coral reefs, seamounts and canyons will suffer 80 percent losses in total biomass. Researchers also predict that animals will get smaller in size in the future. This will facilitate them to consumer less energy, thus, surviving for longer periods. However, this shrinkage can result is less availability of food for marine life, further decreasing their numbers.

The study was published in the scientific journal Global Change Biology.