Marine Climate Change Impacts: Report Card 2013

Over 150 scientists from more than 50 leading science organisations contributed to this report card, covering a wide range of topics ensuring that the information is timely, accurate and comprehensive.

Key headlines

Temperature records continue to show an overall upward trend despite short-term variability. For example, in the last decade, the average UK coastal sea-surface temperature was actually lower in 2008-2012 than in 2003-2007.
The seven lowest Arctic sea-ice extents in the satellite era were recorded between 2007 and 2013. The continuing downward trend is providing opportunities for the use of polar transit routes between Europe and Asia by commercial ships.
Changes to primary production are expected throughout the UK, with southern regions (e.g. Celtic Sea, English Channel) becoming up to 10% more productive and northern regions (e.g. central and northern North Sea) up to 20% less productive; with clear implications for fisheries.
There continue to be some challenges in identifying impacts of climate change. These are due to difficulties distinguishing between short-term variability and long-term trends, and between climate drivers and other pressures.

Knowledge Gaps and Research Prioritisation

The 33 topic reports from the 2013 full report card, along with the first UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) and Charting Progress 2, were used to highlight significant gaps in our knowledge and identify research priorities. Both the MSCC and UKMMAS contributed to this exercise.

Here we present the most urgent research priorities which we believe should be of significant interest to funders of scientific research, as well as policy makers, marine managers and industry.

Available documents:

Full Scientific Reviews

The Report Card summarises the information provided in 33 individual, peer-reviewed science reviews commissioned by MCCIP. The reviews include an executive summary, sections on what is already happening, what could happen, knowledge gaps, socio-economic impacts, confidence assessments and a full list of references.

For the direct links to the full scientific reports please see the table below:

Climate of the Marine Environment: Ocean Acidification Arctic Sea-Ice Temperature (Air and Sea) Storms and Waves Sea Level Atlantic Heat Conveyor Salinity Shelf Sea Stratification Coastal Erosion Air-sea Exchanges of Heat and Water Air-Sea Exchanges of CO2	Healthy and Biologically Diverse Marine Ecosystem: Non-native Species Fish Waterbirds Intertidal Habitats Plankton Seabirds Marine Mammals Coastal Habitats Shallow and Shelf Subtidal Habitats Deep-sea Habitats
Clean and Safe Seas: Coastal Flooding Human Health Nutrient Enrichment Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Pollution (Estuarine and Coastal) Pollution (Bathing and Shellfish)	Commercially Productive Seas: Fisheries Ports and Shipping Tourism (and Marine Recreation) Built Structures (Onshore and Coastal) Built Structures (Offshore) Aquaculture

Marine Climate Change Impacts: Report Card 2013

Over 150 scientists from more than 50 leading science organisations contributed to this report card, covering a wide range of topics ensuring that the information is timely, accurate and comprehensive.

Key headlines

Temperature records continue to show an overall upward trend despite short-term variability. For example, in the last decade, the average UK coastal sea-surface temperature was actually lower in 2008-2012 than in 2003-2007.

The seven lowest Arctic sea-ice extents in the satellite era were recorded between 2007 and 2013. The continuing downward trend is providing opportunities for the use of polar transit routes between Europe and Asia by commercial ships.

Changes to primary production are expected throughout the UK, with southern regions (e.g. Celtic Sea, English Channel) becoming up to 10% more productive and northern regions (e.g. central and northern North Sea) up to 20% less productive; with clear implications for fisheries.

There continue to be some challenges in identifying impacts of climate change. These are due to difficulties distinguishing between short-term variability and long-term trends, and between climate drivers and other pressures.

Knowledge Gaps and Research Prioritisation

The 33 topic reports from the 2013 full report card, along with the first UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) and Charting Progress 2, were used to highlight significant gaps in our knowledge and identify research priorities. Both the MSCC and UKMMAS contributed to this exercise.

Here we present the most urgent research priorities which we believe should be of significant interest to funders of scientific research, as well as policy makers, marine managers and industry.

Full Scientific Reviews