TY - JOUR
T1 - A review of climate change impacts on migration patterns of marine vertebrates in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems
AU - Kuletz, Katherine J.
AU - Ferguson, Steven H.
AU - Frederiksen, Morten
AU - Gallagher, Colin P.
AU - Hauser, Donna D.W.
AU - Hop, Haakon
AU - Kovacs, Kit M.
AU - Lydersen, Christian
AU - Mosbech, Anders
AU - Seitz, Andrew C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2024 Kuletz, Ferguson, Frederiksen, Gallagher, Hauser, Hop, Kovacs, Lydersen, Mosbech and Seitz.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Climate change is impacting marine ecosystems throughout the circumpolar Arctic, altering seasonal habitats and the food bases for fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals. Arctic and Subarctic regions provide resources for resident species and for species that migrate to the north from more southerly regions. Changes in northerly latitudes thus impact endemic as well as non-endemic animals. Herein, we review what is known about climate-driven changes in the migration patterns of Arctic and Subarctic marine vertebrates, including: 1) Arctic residents with seasonal movements – those fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals that complete their entire life cycle within the Arctic but exhibit seasonal movements; 2) Breeding migrants – many seabirds enter the Arctic to breed and subsequently migrate south in the fall; and 3) Summer visitors for feeding – certain species of boreal fishes, seabirds and marine mammals arrive during the northern summer to feed on abundant prey though they breed elsewhere. Migratory movements are often driven by the timing and extent of sea ice, which defines suitable habitat for some animals and limits access to open water and prey for others. Longer open-water seasons, warmer ocean temperatures, and stronger winds have resulted in earlier production blooms in spring and often, extended open-ocean plankton blooms into late summer, resulting in altered prey types and distributions. A common thread among taxa is that shifts in distribution and timing of migrating animals indicate they are traveling farther north, or shifting longitudinally, and migrations are occurring over longer seasonal time frames. Species performing multiple lifetime migrations or long-distance migrants may need to adjust migration timing or routing iteratively to match changes in marine productivity. Altered animal distributions or phenology, and reduced sea ice, affects access to animals that are critical nutritional, economical, and cultural components of Indigenous people’s lives in the Arctic. Ongoing changes challenge the resilience and adaptability of Arctic people and ecosystems, and will require adaptive research and management approaches.
AB - Climate change is impacting marine ecosystems throughout the circumpolar Arctic, altering seasonal habitats and the food bases for fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals. Arctic and Subarctic regions provide resources for resident species and for species that migrate to the north from more southerly regions. Changes in northerly latitudes thus impact endemic as well as non-endemic animals. Herein, we review what is known about climate-driven changes in the migration patterns of Arctic and Subarctic marine vertebrates, including: 1) Arctic residents with seasonal movements – those fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals that complete their entire life cycle within the Arctic but exhibit seasonal movements; 2) Breeding migrants – many seabirds enter the Arctic to breed and subsequently migrate south in the fall; and 3) Summer visitors for feeding – certain species of boreal fishes, seabirds and marine mammals arrive during the northern summer to feed on abundant prey though they breed elsewhere. Migratory movements are often driven by the timing and extent of sea ice, which defines suitable habitat for some animals and limits access to open water and prey for others. Longer open-water seasons, warmer ocean temperatures, and stronger winds have resulted in earlier production blooms in spring and often, extended open-ocean plankton blooms into late summer, resulting in altered prey types and distributions. A common thread among taxa is that shifts in distribution and timing of migrating animals indicate they are traveling farther north, or shifting longitudinally, and migrations are occurring over longer seasonal time frames. Species performing multiple lifetime migrations or long-distance migrants may need to adjust migration timing or routing iteratively to match changes in marine productivity. Altered animal distributions or phenology, and reduced sea ice, affects access to animals that are critical nutritional, economical, and cultural components of Indigenous people’s lives in the Arctic. Ongoing changes challenge the resilience and adaptability of Arctic people and ecosystems, and will require adaptive research and management approaches.
KW - Arctic
KW - distributional shift
KW - fish migrations
KW - marine mammal migrations
KW - phenology
KW - sea-ice loss
KW - seabird migrations
KW - subsistence harvest
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85208604071&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fenvs.2024.1434549
DO - 10.3389/fenvs.2024.1434549
M3 - Review
AN - SCOPUS:85208604071
SN - 2296-665X
VL - 12
JO - Frontiers in Environmental Science
JF - Frontiers in Environmental Science
M1 - 1434549
ER -