Climate Change in Temperate Seas

Global climate change occurs.  The concern centres on the rate of current change.  Even if we maintain CO₂ emissions at current levels (an unlikely scenario!) CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere will increase by over 50 % in coming years. This increase will inturn cause ocean acidification as more CO₂ is dissolved into the worlds oceans.

Although there is a rapidly increasing body of information on the effects of climate change in tropical systems (i.e. coral reefs), the impacts are potentially greater in colder waters (i.e. southern Australia), yet we don't even know the basics of what's going to happen. Our research forecats future temperate habitats under projected estimates of climate change (e.g. ocean acidification, temperature) as modified by local managment (e.g. fishing & pollution). 

Research outcomes and perspectives

• Russell BD, Thompson, L. Faulkenberg, SD Connell 2009   Synergistic effects of climate change and local stressors: CO₂ and nutrient-driven change in subtidal rocky habitats.  Global Change Biology 15: 2153-2162
• Russell BD & SD Connell 2009  Eutrophication science: moving into the future. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 24: 527-528.
• Harley CDG & SD Connell in press   Shifts in abiotic variables and consequences for diversity.  In Marine Hard Bottom Communities: Vol 206. Springer-Verlag. ISBN: 978-3-540-92703-7.