Mid-Atlantic Fish Habitat is Changing
Changes in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean shelf ecosystem will force ocean fish and invertebrate species to move. Fish are sensitive to water temperature, and as it becomes too warm, populations will shift to where the water temperature is optimal for them and their prey. This is occurring through multiple processes at different rates, with different species moving or recruiting into new areas. Along the Atlantic coast, generally, more species of fish will move northward and poleward, or further offshore into deeper cooler waters to where the temperature range is more habitable for them. Climate-driven shifts in marine fish species create cross-disciplinary and often contentious issues for resource managers and decision-makers. Ecosystem level changes will impact fisheries management, coastal communities and economies, as well as other regional ocean uses that contribute to the fabric of the coastal economy.
This session is intended to help Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean (MACO) members and stakeholders better understand how research examining fish species and fish habitat shifts will contribute to the body of knowledge to help fishermen, fisheries managers, ocean use planners, and coastal communities track ocean change, assess fisheries resources at risk, and ultimately safeguard the nation’s valuable marine fish stocks in this dynamic and ever changing ocean space.
The session will include presentations from:
- Vincent S. Saba: NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service(NMFS)/Princeton University Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory
- Rich J. Bell: The Nature Conservancy
- Victoria Kentner and Chris Haak: Integrated Statistics/NOAA NMFS/Monmouth University
- Emily Farr, Mike Johnson, and Mark Nelson: NOAA NMFS
- James W. Morley, East Carolina University, Coastal Studies Institute
The panel of experts will then answer questions and share their thoughts on this pressing issue in our region.
Please register for this webinar. Registration is REQUIRED due to a maximum number of participants allowed by the webinar platform. A wait list will be kept in the event that capacity is reached.
Questions: info@midatlanticocean.org
MARCO and MACO events are made possible by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.