ArCeph · Tracking impacts of climate change in the Arctic marine ecosystems through cephalopod diversity and life histories

Tracking impacts of climate change in the Arctic marine ecosystems through cephalopod diversity and life histories

Climate change and particularly warming of the ocean is impacting global ecosystems but nowhere changes are occurring as rapid as in the polar areas. These changes affect the Arctic marine ecosystems from the surface to the deep seafloor, and from microorganisms, to commercially exploited fishes to charismatic megafauna. Countering climate change effects is stated as one of the key goals of both global development, in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and of regional development, e.g. EU strategy of managing the Arctic. To accomplish this, the study of structure and functioning of Arctic marine ecosystems are among the priorities of current Arctic science. In the Arctic, one of the dominant but severely understudied invertebrate taxa are the cephalopods. Cephalopoda (Phylum Mollusca) are opportunistic marine molluscs with a single reproductive cycle and typically a short lifespan. They occur from shallow waters to the deep seas, are pivotal components in marine food webs and have life history and physiological characteristics that make them potential winners of climate change. Their opportunistic nature is underpinned by expansions beyond their centre of distribution. This altogether makes cephalopods mirrors of ecosystem change due to climate change. In the Arctic regions, however, they are severely understudied. By implementing traditional and novel methodologies, the EU-funded ArCeph Action investigates the biodiversity, the historical background and the ecological role of cephalopods in the Arctic and their ontogenetic and temporary changes in the climate change context. The Action addresses this matter via 3 scientific work packages that focus on the following research hypotheses: Hypothesis 1) diversity and distribution of current Arctic cephalopod populations shifts due to climate changes; Hypothesis 2) environmental conditions experienced during the life of individual cephalopods can be documented and used to assess the climate change impact on life histories, where comparing historical with new specimens will highlight climate change impact; and Hypothesis 3) the role of cephalopods in the Arctic food web is even more pivotal then we currently understand, and this would be tested with innovative food web modelling methods.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз