Impacts of climate Impacts of climate change on Australian change on Australian marine life marine life Dr Martina Doblin, Senior Research Fellow University of Technology Sydney A presentation prepared for the NSW A presentation prepared for the NSW Department of Education and Department of Education and Training, August 2009 Training, August 2009
35
Embed
Impacts of climate change on Australian marine life Dr Martina Doblin, Senior Research Fellow University of Technology Sydney A presentation prepared for.
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Impacts of climate change on Impacts of climate change on Australian marine lifeAustralian marine life
Dr Martina Doblin, Senior Research FellowUniversity of Technology Sydney
A presentation prepared for the NSW Department of A presentation prepared for the NSW Department of Education and Training, August 2009 Education and Training, August 2009
What’s so special about the ocean?What’s so special about the ocean?• Life in the ocean has been Life in the ocean has been
evolving 2.7 B years longer than evolving 2.7 B years longer than on landon land
• There are about There are about 40 phyla40 phyla (major (major groups of organisms) in the ocean groups of organisms) in the ocean and at least 15 of them are found and at least 15 of them are found only in the ocean only in the ocean
• BUT, far fewer biological changes BUT, far fewer biological changes identified in the oceans and identified in the oceans and freshwater systems as a result of freshwater systems as a result of climate change climate change (<0.3% of terrestrial systems)(<0.3% of terrestrial systems)
Image source: wikipedia
Earth is 79% ocean!
What’s so special about plankton?What’s so special about plankton?
Source: Dr Lisa Drake
ASPAB 2007, Warrnambool
• Responsible for >40% of global photosynthesisResponsible for >40% of global photosynthesis• Help maintain processes that regulate global climate and cycle essential Help maintain processes that regulate global climate and cycle essential
elements (such as carbon, nitrogen and water) elements (such as carbon, nitrogen and water) • Form the base of the foodwebForm the base of the foodweb
They keep the Earth livable!They keep the Earth livable!
How does this all fit together?How does this all fit together?
Less rainLess rain
Decreased SiDecreased Si
SurfaceSurfacewarmingwarming
SummarySummary
• Evidence of:Evidence of: - surface warming - surface warming - extended autumn season - extended autumn season - altered nutrient ratios in south-eastern Australia - altered nutrient ratios in south-eastern Australia
(decreased availability of Si)(decreased availability of Si) - changes in abundance and species composition of - changes in abundance and species composition of phytoplankton phytoplankton
• Functioning of the ocean will change Functioning of the ocean will change with many cascading effectswith many cascading effects
including those on surfers, swimmers, seafood eatersincluding those on surfers, swimmers, seafood eaters
Basically, this will impact you!
Thanks
- Peter Ralph, University of Technology, Sydney- Tim Ingleton, NSW Dept. of Environment and Climate Change- David Kuo, University of Technology, Sydney research intern - Tim Pritchard, NSW Dept. of Environment and Climate Change- Monitoring teams
• Altered primary productionAltered primary production• Range shiftsRange shifts
The big questions
• Biological response to oceanographic and climate events
Biogeochemical—carbon cycling, including C export
Ecological—what are the implications of changes in the quantity and quality of food at the base of the foodweb to higher trophic levels?
Ecosystem function and goods & services
The NSW IMOS goal is to examine the physical and ecological interactions of the East Australian Current and its eddy field with coastal waters, to assess the synergistic impacts of urbanization and climate change.
Ocean observations
oceanographiccruises
Limited time series
Before IMOS, no coordinated sampling
IMOS infrastructure
Moorings Gliders Satellite remote sensing Spatial coverage poor good to excellent excellent (cloud cover)Depth resolution good excellent Poor (deep chl-a max)Temporal resolution excellent excellent (intermittent) goodLimitations chemical and biological
sensors limited at presentlimited sensors due to payload, power and space issues
need in situ optical data to tune algorithms in coastal waters
Primary producer observations
• Chl-a fluorescence• Ocean colour• CDOM• Backscatter• PAR
• Fluorescence estimates chlorophyll-a without pigment extraction (Lorenzen 1966)—highly sensitive and used over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales to be a universal indicator of phytoplankton biomass
• Fluorescence yield is variable and dependent on light, cellular nutrient status, temperature, confounded by CDOMcan introduce significant errors
• Other parameters needed forinterpreting fluorescence
Biooptical dataANFOG
CDOM distribution
Backscatter distribution
• Bloom 2/3 along transect• Some CDOM/particulate interference
at start of transect
Photosynthetic rates
Maria Island: Maria Island: chlorophyll chlorophyll a a 1997 – 2006*1997 – 2006*
• Decline in spring Decline in spring biomass biomass
• Slower growth of Slower growth of spring bloomspring bloom
*The data were acquired using the GES-DISC Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure (Giovanni) as part of the NASA's Goddard Earth Sciences (GES) Data and Information Services Center (DISC)."
ASPAB 2007, Warrnambool
Implications and future researchImplications and future research• Implications include: Implications include:
- temporal mismatch between trophic levels causing a - temporal mismatch between trophic levels causing a change in synchrony of primary, secondary and change in synchrony of primary, secondary and tertiary production tertiary production - changing species composition alters food quality for - changing species composition alters food quality for higher trophic levels, potentially leading to less fish higher trophic levels, potentially leading to less fish production production
• Challenge is to not only describe patterns, but to make Challenge is to not only describe patterns, but to make predictions and test hypotheses about cascading foodweb predictions and test hypotheses about cascading foodweb effectseffects