Changing States of North Atlantic Large Marine Ecosystems

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Effects of climate forcing are examined for 15 large marine ecosystems bordering the North Atlantic basin. Trends in multi-decadal time-series data of temperature, chlorophyll, primary productivity, nutrients, and fisheries yields, differed among the LMEs. Responses to climate warming varied between northwestern and northeastern Atlantic LMEs, with warming rates influencing changes in northeast Atlantic LME plankton production and fisheries yields more directly than in LMEs of the northwest Atlantic, where warming rates are lower. In contrast, negative effects of nutrient overenrichment in relation to harmful algal blooms and hypoxic conditions were greater in the northwest Atlantic LMEs. Forecasts suggest significant increases in nutrient overenrichment of North Atlantic LMEs by 2050. Fishery time-series analyses suggest increases in fishery yields for sub-arctic LMEs, and declines in LMEs of more southerly latitudes.