Assessing the vulnerability of marine life to climate change in the Pacific

Our changing climate poses growing challenges for the effective management of marine life, ocean ecosystems, and the human communities that depend upon them. Which species are most vulnerable to climate change and where should... [ view full abstract ]

Our changing climate poses growing challenges for the effective management of marine life, ocean ecosystems, and the human communities that depend upon them. Which species are most vulnerable to climate change and where should science and management focus efforts to reduce these risks? For the first time in the Pacific region, the Pacific Islands Vulnerability Assessment (PIVA) project is implementing a practical and efficient tool for assessing the vulnerability of 83 marine taxa to the impacts of climate change. This collaborative project utilizes expert knowledge, literature review, and climate projection models to assess the relative vulnerability of marine species. This research: 1) provides a relative climate vulnerability ranking across species; 2) identifies key attributes/factors that drive this vulnerability, and 3) identifies key data gaps in understanding and mitigating climate change impacts to living marine resources. Ultimately, this project aims to advance our understanding of the research needs and the management options to both sustain marine life and seafood security in the Pacific Ocean and beyond.