Sousa, A. et al (2021): Climate change vulnerability of cetaceans in Macaronesia

A. Sousa et al. assessed the climate change vulnerability of cetaceans in Macaronesia, identifying high risks for several species and emphasizing the need for conservation and further research.

Objectives

Assess vulnerability of cetaceans to climate change within Macaronesia region (Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands). By using a trait-based assessment approach, the research sought to:
- Identify species of cetaceans that are at risk as a result of changes caused by climate.
- Biological sensitivity, climate factor exposure, and adaptive capacity of 21 species management units are analyzed.
Provide insights to guide conservation strategies and adaptive management under increasingly changing environmental conditions.
Support policymakers to prioritize actions for marine conservation by contributing to the development and validation of methodologies for assessing species’ vulnerability to climate change.

Impact

Combined with significant risks for species including short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), the study found 62% of species management units scored high to very high vulnerability and are at risk.
As a group, units that had restricted range in the archipelago (e.g. species restricted to Madeira and the Canary Islands) were more sensitive than Macaronesia-wide units.
Key conclusions include:
- Migration, habitat specificity and site fidelity, plus exposure to changing sea surface temperatures, ocean acidification and lower dissolved oxygen levels, were the most important factors in contributing to vulnerability.
- It was found to have a high potential for ecological changes in distribution, abundance and phenology, indicating that ecosystem changes are likely.
- The results emphasize the importance of establishing regional conservation strategies and improve the data gathering and monitor cetacean populations at a rate consistent with anticipated effects of climate change.
- The findings underscore the need for incorporating scientific research within policy frameworks aimed at addressing impacts to a warming ocean and to marine biodiversity.

Supported UN Global Goals

Sousa et al.’s catacean climate change vulnerability study in Macoronesia are connected with Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water by highlighting the threats that marine species will be facing by the change of the ocean. Through the trait based assessment the research supports marine biodiversity conservation, it informs and drives adaptive management and contributes to sustainable ecosystem management in the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands. The emphasis in this work is on the need to ensure the safety of sea life as we face global climate challenges.