Source: The Hindu (Page No II)
Relevance: GS-III Biodiversity, Climate Change
Prelims Take away: Grey whale
Mains Take Away: Global Warming impact on aquatic fauna
Why In News:
The study reveals that even large and long-lived species, such as grey whales in the eastern North Pacific, are sensitive to the dynamic and changing conditions resulting from the warming of the Arctic..
Key Point of Study:
- Populations of these grey whales have been experiencing significant fluctuations, some of which have led to mass mortality events.
- These fluctuations are primarily driven by changes in prey availability (prey biomass) and the extent of ice cover in the Arctic region.
- As climate change accelerates, it is causing rapid transformations in Arctic ecosystems, affecting critical marine areas in the shallow basins of the Pacific Arctic.
- These areas are essential for various migratory marine species, and the alterations in prey distribution and ice cover have far-reaching consequences for these species, including the grey whales.
- This study underscores the ecological impacts of climate change on marine life and highlights the need for conservation and adaptation strategies to mitigate the effects on these sensitive ecosystems and the species that rely on them.