<
https://theconversation.com/warming-oceans-may-force-new-zealands-sperm-and-blue-whales-to-shift-to-cooler-southern-waters-188522>
"The world’s oceans are absorbing more than 90% of the excess heat and energy
generated by rising greenhouse gas emissions.
But, as the oceans keep warming, rising sea temperatures generate unprecedented
cascading effects that include the melting of polar ice, rising seas, marine
heatwaves and ocean acidification.
This in turn has profound impacts on marine biodiversity and the lives and
livelihoods of coastal communities, especially in island nations such as New
Zealand.
In our latest research, we focused on great whales – sperm and blue whales in
particular. They are crucial for maintaining healthy marine ecosystems, but
have limited options to respond to climate change: either adapt, die, or move
to stay within optimal habitats.
We used mathematical models to predict how they are likely to respond to
warming seas by the end of the century. Our results show a clear southward
shift for both species, mostly driven by rising temperatures at the sea
surface."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
