California’s Most Important Sea Creatures Are at Risk
A new study has revealed troubling news for California’s commercial fishing industry. Scientists from universities and government agencies joined forces to study how climate change could affect 34 of the state’s most important sea creatures. These are animals that people fish for food and that also help many people make a living.
These include the California spiny lobster, pink shrimp, Pismo clams, Pacific bonito, Pacific herring, red abalone, and Dungeness crab. Scientists ranked each one based on how vulnerable they are to climate change. That means they looked at how badly each animal might be affected by warming oceans, changes in water movement, and less oxygen in the water.
What the scientists found was alarming. Many of the animals most at risk are also the ones that are most valuable to California’s fishing industry. These are creatures that not only bring in a lot of money but are also a big part of local culture and diets.
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The Dungeness crab is among the most susceptible creatures. This crab generates more than $80 million annually for California and is highly sought-after by seafood enthusiasts. However, the crab is endangered due to a phenomenon known as ocean acidification. This occurs when the ocean’s water becomes more acidic due to an excess of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It may be more difficult for the crab to survive in this more acidic environment if its hard shell, or exoskeleton, is harmed.
Another sea creature in trouble is the Pacific herring. These fish used to be found in large numbers in places like the San Francisco Bay. But starting around 2015, their numbers began to drop fast. Scientists say this may have been due to too much fishing and ocean conditions that weren’t good for herring. Their population has never really come back.
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Red abalone is also high on the danger list. This is a type of shellfish that lives in kelp forests. But the kelp forests are disappearing. A few years ago, a disease wiped out many starfish, which normally eat purple sea urchins. Without the starfish, the sea urchin population exploded and started eating all the kelp. With less kelp, the red abalone lost their main food source. This led to a big drop in their numbers, and the state had to shut down red abalone fishing five years ago.
California’s Waters Are Changing Fast
The waters off California’s coast are known for being very productive. That means they normally have cool water filled with nutrients, which makes a great home for many kinds of sea life. This happens because of something called upwelling, which brings deep, cold water to the surface. But scientists say climate change could mess this up. Warmer water, less oxygen, and different currents could change everything.
In total, the study found that five of the 34 species are expected to go through major changes in just 20 years. And if you look ahead 60 years, half of the species will likely face serious challenges. This impacts not only the animals but also the people who rely on them.
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Fishermen say it’s getting harder to make a living. In recent years, several important fishing seasons have been cut short or canceled. For example, the commercial and recreational king salmon seasons have been canceled for two years in a row. This happened because of a drought that reduced the salmon population. The Dungeness crab season has also been shortened in some years to protect whales that might get caught in fishing gear.
People who fish for a living have been speaking up for years, asking for more research and support. They hope studies like this one will help everyone understand how serious the problem is.
