GLOBAL IMPACT

We know that a warming ocean means an abundance of tropical storms or full-scale hurricanes, but how do the temperature changes impact the marine habitat?  Will some species flourish?  Will other species die?  Might some migrate to where the ocean is cooler?  How would that impact our fishery management plans?  What happens to marine life when ocean currents change or when the salinity level drops?

Atlantic Salmon
(Photo courtesy of Gilbert van Ryckevorsel)

These are questions that are impossible to answer without comprehensive, on-going research.  Given that the ocean influences our climate, fuels some of the earth’s deadliest natural disasters and feeds significant segments of the world’s population, the need for this library of information seems clear.  To effectively protect and anticipate the future, we need to learn a thousand times more than we currently know about the ocean’s biological and physical properties. 

Through OTN, thousands of commercial and endangered marine species will be tagged to help improve fishing practices and better understand the oceans.  Knowing where fish actually travel means that it’s easier to designate new marine protected areas, set shipping routes and approve oil and gas exploration.