Finding Ocean-Based Solutions for Climate Change
Thanks to climate change, it may only be a few decades before certain important marine species disappear. As Canada Research Chair in Ocean Sustainability and Global Change, Dr. William Cheung is tackling important questions about how climate change affects marine fish and fisheries and how we can help reduce its impacts.
Canada’s rich marine resources along the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coasts are being affected by ocean warming, acidification and deoxygenation due to climate change. These impacts will unquestionably affect the social, cultural and economic well-being of all Canadians, as we depend heavily on our oceans and fisheries for food and jobs. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we can help marine species, ecosystems and fisheries adapt to the changing environment.
Cheung and his research team are developing and integrating large databases of marine biology, ecology and fisheries. They are then inventing and using modelling tools to analyze these data to better understand the characteristics that make marine species, ecosystems and fisheries more resilient to climate change impacts. They are also exploring ways in which humans can help boost the resilience of marine ecosystems and fisheries.
By examining the effectiveness and potential benefits and trade-offs of these options, Cheung’s research will support the design of marine adaptation interventions that will benefit ocean management and resource users in Canada and worldwide by helping them meet climate change challenges.