Climate change impacts on ocean ecosystems

The video is of a talk by Ove Hoegh-Guldberg one of Australia's foremost Oceanographers, who specialises in coral reaf ecosystems. The talk was part of a symposium on Oceans and Living Marine Ecosystems.

The symposium was summarised as follows:

Rapidly rising greenhouse gas concentrations are driving ocean systems toward conditions not seen for millions of years, with an associated risk of fundamental and irreversible ecological transformation. Changes in biological function in the ocean caused by anthropogenic climate change go far beyond death, extinctions and habitat loss: fundamental processes are being altered, community assemblages are being reorganized and ecological surprises are likely. This session will bring together experts from around the world to outline the most up to date science on how anthropogenic climate change is altering the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems.

Primary Messages:

1. There is a large body of empirical evidence indicating that anthropogenic climate change is substantially impacting ocean ecosystems. The evidence comes from many taxa, locations and habitats.

2. Changes in biological function in the ocean caused by anthropogenic climate change go far beyond death, extinctions and habitat loss: fundamental processes are being altered, community assemblages are being reorganized and ecological surprises are likely.

3. These changes will have significant consequences for people.

Ove Hoegh-Guldberg NCSE talk from John Bruno on Vimeo.