Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: The Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) Sea Area (RSA) in the northern Indian Ocean, which comprises the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the northern Arabian Sea, already experiences naturally extreme environmental conditions and incorporates one of the world’s warmest seas. There is growing evidence that climate change is already affecting the environmental conditions of the RSA, in areas including sea temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and sea level, which are set to continue changing over time. The cumulative impacts of these changes on coastal and marine ecosystems and dependent societies are less well documented, but are likely to be significant, especially in the context of other human stressors. This review represents the first regional synthesis of observed and predicted climate change impacts on marine and coastal ecosystems across the ROPME Sea Area and their implications for dependent societies. Climate-driven ecological changes include loss of coral reefs due to bleaching and the decline of fish populations, while socio-economic impacts include physical impacts from sea-level rise and cyclones, risk to commercial wild capture fisheries, disruption to desalination systems and loss of tourism. The compilation of this review is aimed to support the development of targeted adaptation actions and to direct future research within the RSA.
Source: Sustainability
DOI: 10.3390/su132413810
Authors: Susana Lincoln, Paul Buckley, Ella L. Howes, Katherine M. Maltby, John K. Pinnegar, Thamer S. Ali, Yousef Alosairi, Alanoud Al-Ragum, Alastair Baglee, Chiden Oseo Balmes, Radhouane Ben Hamadou, John A. Burt, Michel Claereboudt, Jane Glavan, Rusyan Jill Mamiit, Humood A. Naser, Omid Sedighi, Mohammad Reza Shokri, Bassam Shuhaibar, Colette C. C. Wabnitz, Will J. F. Le Quesne
Institutions: Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Natural History Museum, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Arabian Gulf University, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Willis Towers Watson (United Kingdom), Aqua Kompetanse AS (Norway), Qatar University, New York University Abu Dhabi, New York University, Sultan Qaboos University, University of Manchester, University of Bahrain, Shahid Beheshti University, University of British Columbia, Stanford University
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,052
OpenAlex ID: W4200517972