Antarctic crabeater seals, which feed on krill. Photo courtesy of www.NewScientist.com
The Environmental News Network recently reported the findings from a comprehensive study of the complex food networks of the Southern Ocean. The result? Food webs in this highly productive ocean area are being impacted by climate change and greenhouse gasses.
One of their specific findings was that big areas in the Southern Ocean are absorbing large amounts of CO2, which in turn makes waters more acidic. This increased acidity “makes it more difficult for animals that create their own shells and some algae to gather carbonate ions from the seawater”, making it harder for them to survive. Such primary producers and invertebrates are key components of many food webs, and therefore as they decline so too may the larger invertebrates, fish, and even marine mammals that rely on them.
You can read more in the full Environmental News Network article, here.
In our efforts to continue conserving endangered marine species and the habitats upon which they rely, PDXWildlife plans to conduct research and outreach projects addressing how human consumption of fragile fish stocks affects the stability and productivity of marine food webs and ecosystems. Keep checking back with us for more information!