Across 115 degrees of latitude, spanning most of North and South America, higher ocean temperatures correlate with more intense predation by fish and shifts in invertebrate prey communities, according to a study published today (June 9) in Science. The results demonstrate one way that warmer ocean temperatures caused by climate change could affect marine ecosystems.
Few studies have looked at both predation intensity and effects on prey communities, and none have done so over such a large geographic scale, says Gail Ashton, a study coauthor and marine biologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. “Applying [this analysis] over such a large geography range is a massive step in our knowledge and understanding,” she says, adding that “the only way we were able to do this is through a massive collaboration.”
The study involved researchers at 57 institutions and took place at 36 nearshore sites in 11 countries along both coasts ...
