Climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems
As the planet undergoes unprecedented climate changes, coastal ecosystems stand at the frontline of ocean-land interactions and environmental changes. This overview explores the various climate-related challenges transforming coastal ecosystems and their responses to these pressures. Key climate-rel...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research: Climate |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5295/ad9f90 |
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| _version_ | 1841556347120779264 |
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| author | Ryan Guild Xiuquan Wang Pedro A Quijón |
| author_facet | Ryan Guild Xiuquan Wang Pedro A Quijón |
| author_sort | Ryan Guild |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As the planet undergoes unprecedented climate changes, coastal ecosystems stand at the frontline of ocean-land interactions and environmental changes. This overview explores the various climate-related challenges transforming coastal ecosystems and their responses to these pressures. Key climate-related stressors—including warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification, changes to freshwater availability, and shifts in circulation and disturbance patterns—pose significant threats to both the structure and function of these ecosystems. These stressors impact every level of biological organization, with modern responses manifesting as ecosystem degradation and shifts toward simpler, less biodiverse states—trends likely to intensify with ongoing emissions. Compounded by local human disturbances, these stressors risk overwhelming the adaptive capacity of coastal ecosystems, restructuring coastal food webs, and compromising the essential ecosystem services that currently underpin productivity, storm protection, and water quality in coastal zones. Future trajectories of change in coastal ecosystems will largely depend on the extent of future greenhouse gas emissions and human activities in and around coastal zones. However, critical knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding the interactions among stressors and the nature of ecological tipping points. Addressing these gaps through further research will be necessary to improve projections of future impacts and support the conservation and resilience of these valuable ecosystems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4669d402b3754b9eaefee2a514778656 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2752-5295 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research: Climate |
| spelling | doaj-art-4669d402b3754b9eaefee2a5147786562025-01-07T09:38:10ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research: Climate2752-52952025-01-013404200610.1088/2752-5295/ad9f90Climate change impacts on coastal ecosystemsRyan Guild0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2422-5303Xiuquan Wang1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3718-3416Pedro A Quijón2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7980-0654Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Prince Edward Island , St. Peters Bay, PE C0A 2A0, Canada; School of Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Prince Edward Island , Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, CanadaCanadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Prince Edward Island , St. Peters Bay, PE C0A 2A0, Canada; School of Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Prince Edward Island , Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, CanadaDepartment of Biology, University of Prince Edward Island , Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, CanadaAs the planet undergoes unprecedented climate changes, coastal ecosystems stand at the frontline of ocean-land interactions and environmental changes. This overview explores the various climate-related challenges transforming coastal ecosystems and their responses to these pressures. Key climate-related stressors—including warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification, changes to freshwater availability, and shifts in circulation and disturbance patterns—pose significant threats to both the structure and function of these ecosystems. These stressors impact every level of biological organization, with modern responses manifesting as ecosystem degradation and shifts toward simpler, less biodiverse states—trends likely to intensify with ongoing emissions. Compounded by local human disturbances, these stressors risk overwhelming the adaptive capacity of coastal ecosystems, restructuring coastal food webs, and compromising the essential ecosystem services that currently underpin productivity, storm protection, and water quality in coastal zones. Future trajectories of change in coastal ecosystems will largely depend on the extent of future greenhouse gas emissions and human activities in and around coastal zones. However, critical knowledge gaps remain, particularly regarding the interactions among stressors and the nature of ecological tipping points. Addressing these gaps through further research will be necessary to improve projections of future impacts and support the conservation and resilience of these valuable ecosystems.https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5295/ad9f90climate changeclimate stressorscoastal ecosystemsobserved impactsecosystem change |
| spellingShingle | Ryan Guild Xiuquan Wang Pedro A Quijón Climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems Environmental Research: Climate climate change climate stressors coastal ecosystems observed impacts ecosystem change |
| title | Climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems |
| title_full | Climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems |
| title_fullStr | Climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems |
| title_short | Climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems |
| title_sort | climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems |
| topic | climate change climate stressors coastal ecosystems observed impacts ecosystem change |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/2752-5295/ad9f90 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ryanguild climatechangeimpactsoncoastalecosystems AT xiuquanwang climatechangeimpactsoncoastalecosystems AT pedroaquijon climatechangeimpactsoncoastalecosystems |