Climate change doesn’t just mean that the global mean surface temperature is increasing. Because oceans absorb heat, they too increase their temperature. The upper layers are affected first, but as warming increases, lower and lower depths also increase in temperature.
We know that climate change is altering coral reef ecosystems, but how will these changes impact on communities that depend on them for their livelihood?
Some species may be able to adapt to the changing ‘ocean climate’, but when changes happen rapidly enough that evolutionary processes aren’t keeping up, that’s when the real problems start to seep in.
If your a Pacific Islander, climate change is likely to be a huge problem. It all comes down to reliance on local resources, and in many cases these resources come from local marine waters.