ESF Works to Identify the Impact of Climate Change in European Marine Waters

The Marine Board of the European Science Foundation (ESF) has recently established a Working Group that will summarise current observations and identify possible future impacts of climate change in European marine waters. The Group will identify future needs for marine monitoring and R&D at both European and regional scales.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that effects of climate change (such as changes in water temperature, storm intensity, wave height, ocean currents and sea level) influence physical, chemical and biological features of marine waters,” said Catharina J.M. Philippart, chair of the Working Group “Long-term field observations of rising seawater temperatures and associated modifications of the marine foodweb underline the potential impact of such effects on the functioning of marine systems.”

As a consequence, Philippart believes, continuing climate change will have profound implications for future environmental monitoring as well as for protection and conservation strategies in marine and coastal environments.

The nature and strength of any impact may depend on the specific characteristics of the marine system it acts upon. In addition to an overview of the general effects of climate change on marine systems the Working Group will therefore, describe observed and predicted area-specific impacts of climate change on the regional seas of Europe.

The Working Group will produce a strategic position paper, planned for publication in summer 2006.