This is part of a series on the effects of climate change on oceans and fisheries, which highlights Nereus Program research in preparation for COP21 negotiations.

Climate change could affect temperatures all over the world, but what may not be immediately apparent is that climate change will affect ocean temperatures. If CO2 emission rates do not change, the average sea surface temperature is expected to increase by 2 to 3.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. This may not seem like much, but it would impact oceans in many ways, making them quite different from how they are today.

Fish extinction in the tropics

It’s nearly common knowledge now that the melting of the poles will affect humans and the environment, but there will also be drastic impacts much nearer the equator. Changes in temperatures in tropical areas are expected to occur earlier than in the rest of the world. Marine species are expected to move towards cooler areas, generally closer to the poles and into deeper waters. If C02 emissions don’t change, in what’s called the “business as usual” scenario, fish will migrate away from their current habitats 65 per cent faster, resulting in changes to biodiversity and ecosystems.