Climate Change Will Shift Marine Predators’ Habitat

Climate Change Will Shift Marine Predators’ Habitat

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The top ocean predators in the North Pacific could lose as much as 35% of their habitat by the end of the century as a result of climate change , according to a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. The analysis took data compiled from tracking 4,300 open-ocean animals over a decade and looked at how predicted temperature changes would alter the areas they depend on for food and shelter. Some habitats could shift by as much as 600 miles while others will remain largely unchanged, the scientists found, and these changes could affect species in different ways. For some key species already facing threats — including blue whales and loggerhead turtles — this will make the food that sustains them more elusive.