Researchers have found new evidence that global warming is affecting the size of commercial fish species, documenting for the first time that juvenile fish are getting bigger, as well as confirming that adult fish are getting smaller as sea temperatures rise.
Juvenile fish grew more quickly and reached their maximum size at a younger age
3 February 2021 • 6:00pm
Fishing boats at Tarbert Harbour in the west of Scotland last month
Credit: Jeff J Mitchell /Getty Images Europe
A piece of battered cod and a generous helping of chips is one of Britain s best-loved meals.
But our favourite fish are shrinking due to warmer seas - and it could lead to less of it making its way to our plates.
Scientists at the University of Aberdeen examined four key commercial fish species - cod, haddock, whiting and saithe - and found that full-grown fish were reaching smaller sizes in both the North Sea and the West of Scotland.
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Researchers have found new evidence that global warming is affecting the size of commercial fish species, documenting for the first time that juvenile fish are getting bigger, as well as confirming that adult fish are getting smaller as sea temperatures rise. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society s
Journal of Applied Ecology.
The researchers from the University of Aberdeen looked at four of the most important commercial fish species in the North Sea and the West of Scotland: cod, haddock, whiting and saithe. They found that juvenile fish in the North Sea and on the West of Scotland have been getting bigger while adult fish have been getting smaller. These changes in body size correlated with rising sea temperatures in both regions.
Abstract
Explosive volcanic submarine activity is expected to affect seagrass communities due to sudden and dramatic changes in the physical and chemical features of sea water and sediments, with possibly large ecosystem effects. However, seagrass response to the harsh environmental conditions that arise due to explosive volcanism is as yet unexplored as it is not easy to predict when and where an eruption will occur. Here, we investigate the uptake of hydrothermal carbon within the seagrass Posidonia oceanica by the analysis of Δ13C and growth rates in tissue laid down before and after an exceptional and massive hydrothermal gas release in the Aeolian Islands (Italy, Mediterranean Sea). Hydrothermal submarine activity was recorded by P. oceanica, which showed a large and persistent 13C-depletion in both scales and rhizomes in the site close to the eruption. Both increased CO2 availability and reduced carbon demand, as a consequence of stressful environmental conditions (e.g. light
Professor Dame Georgina Mace, 1953-2020
22 September 2020
It is with great sadness that we share news of the death of Professor Dame Georgina Mace.
Dame Georgina’s notable work on biodiversity loss and ecosystem change led to the well-known development of criteria for listing species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species and was a coordinating lead author for biodiversity in the widely regarded Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
Professor Sir Duncan Wingham, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Executive Chair commented:
Dame Georgina was a very much respected member of the NERC community and served as a NERC council member from 2011-2018. During her time on council I personally found her to be a truly supportive champion of NERC and a genuine friend to those who worked alongside her. On behalf of NERC I offer our condolences to Dame Georgina’s family