About this Research Topic
The status of regional ecosystems is subject to the influence of local changes in various factors as well as interactions with adjacent local marine ecosystems and modifications by basin-scale processes. In recent decades, changes attributable to the influence of global warming have become more apparent, including extreme events in the atmosphere and the ocean that threaten marine ecosystems. Regional and large-scale climate forcing impacts a range of physical and ecological characteristics including temperature, stratification, ocean circulation, upwelling, biogeochemical properties, and primary and secondary production. These characteristics, in turn, can impact the distribution, composition, and productivity of fisheries resources. Human adaptation strategies that anticipate and address marine ecosystem changes are essential to ensure sustainable ecosystem services. Thus, it is important for policymakers to have information on the recent and future projected states of regional marine ecosystems.
The goal of this Research Topic is to understand the following subjects:
1. The responses of individuals and populations of marine species to natural climate variability, anthropogenic climate change and other drivers of global change in marine systems.
2. The interactions of individuals and populations of marine species with marine ecosystems and how they are affected by natural climate variability, anthropogenic climate change and other drivers of global change in marine systems.
3. The interactions between human systems, individuals and populations of marine species and how these interactions influence ecosystem functions.
For this Research Topic, we encourage submissions on elucidating mechanisms of ecosystem responses to natural and anthropogenic forcing across the spectrum of time and space scales, as well as monitoring, retrospectively analyzing, and forecasting ecosystem variability. Papers that feature variability in each regional ecosystem and link them to basin and global scales are particularly welcomed. Anticipated changes in marine ecosystems include changing water temperature and upwelling intensity, increased occurrence of hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and ocean acidification, as well as broader impacts from pollutants and contaminants, coastal development, and fishing. In addition, we encourage authors to identify strategic options to forestall, mitigate, or adapt to ecosystem change in their submission. Examination of ecological interactions among regional marine ecosystems and relationships between regional and basin-scale ecosystem variability will provide a better understanding of marine ecosystem structure and function in the face of climate change.
The goal of this Research Topic is to understand the following subjects:
1. The responses of individuals and populations of marine species to natural climate variability, anthropogenic climate change and other drivers of global change in marine systems.
2. The interactions of individuals and populations of marine species with marine ecosystems and how they are affected by natural climate variability, anthropogenic climate change and other drivers of global change in marine systems.
3. The interactions between human systems, individuals and populations of marine species and how these interactions influence ecosystem functions.
For this Research Topic, we encourage submissions on elucidating mechanisms of ecosystem responses to natural and anthropogenic forcing across the spectrum of time and space scales, as well as monitoring, retrospectively analyzing, and forecasting ecosystem variability. Papers that feature variability in each regional ecosystem and link them to basin and global scales are particularly welcomed. Anticipated changes in marine ecosystems include changing water temperature and upwelling intensity, increased occurrence of hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and ocean acidification, as well as broader impacts from pollutants and contaminants, coastal development, and fishing. In addition, we encourage authors to identify strategic options to forestall, mitigate, or adapt to ecosystem change in their submission. Examination of ecological interactions among regional marine ecosystems and relationships between regional and basin-scale ecosystem variability will provide a better understanding of marine ecosystem structure and function in the face of climate change.
Keywords: Ecological responses, Climate changes, Marine environments, Fisheries resources, Global warming, Extreme events
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
