Fish and Cold Waters
by Niina Heikkinn and ClimateWire Oct. 15, 2015
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Soruce: Scientific American
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Summary: Researchers say that if Young East Coast fish move to cooler waters it could make changes for regional stock assessments. Researchers focused on the adult fish, but that only gives them part of the answer to their question on how climate change and fishing affects different species. Spawning will frequently occur in different habitats. According to Harvey Walsh, a biologist at NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Rhode Island, little was known on how fish development was affected by the changes in the environment. In the last 40 years, the occurrence and distribution of fish larvae has had changed along the East Coast and Walsh and his colleagues at NOAA are finding evidence to prove that statement. What makes this study more complicated is that fish not only change when they spawn, but climate change can be part of the reason that's altering the direction of the currents. The researchers compared the data collected of Marine Resources Monitoring Assessment from, 1977-1987, with data set form Ecosystem Monitoring Program, 1999-2008/present day. Their results showed that 43% of the larval taxa and 50% of the adult taxa shifted their distribution between those time periods. Most of the species moved to the north side of the continent, some moved closer to the shore, and others moved into the deeper waters. If the fish move their habitats, then this could affect fisheries by the amount of fishing that would be allowed.
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Reflection: While reading this article I was wondering that if fish move to other places where they don't belong can realy affect the ecosystem. For example, they can chane the weather, cause econominal problems for humans, and etc. There has also been evidence that fish are spawning too early. Timing is important, because if they spawn too early then theybmight end up in habitats that are less wellsuited for their survival.
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