A new research method has confirmed that climate change is contributing to species searching for new habitats in larger numbers than are often recorded.

What's happening?

As summarized in The Conversation, marine ecologists in Australia have used forensic science to track the movement of tropical species into temperate waters and vice versa. They utilized environmental DNA, also known as eDNA, by examining particles of fish mucus, scales, and waste to piece together where species were moving. 

Scientists examined more than 1,200 miles of Australia's east coast, from the tropical Great Barrier Reef to cooler zones in the south. The eDNA was most accurate at detecting tropical fish in temperate ecosystems, while temperate species were easier for divers to find visually.

Why is marine migration important?

Regardless of the method of observation, the research is clear. Marine populations are responding to warming waters by abandoning their original habitats for new ones. Scientists agree this is a clear indicator of climate change.

Warming oceans are a global problem. As sea levels rise, coastal erosion and flooding intensify, damaging not only animal habitats but also human homes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that since 1880, the world's oceans have risen an average of six-tenths of an inch per decade. Research shows that the rate has increased in recent years to more than an inch per decade. 

What's being done about warming oceans?

While the oceans are warming worldwide, Australia's oceans are warming at a rate faster than the global average. As a result, the nation is working to combat climate change, committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

Meanwhile, marine researchers continue to track the movements of fish species. Observation and documentation are the only ways to show the effects of climate change and move forward to a cleaner future for all.

"Tracking these shifts is crucial for understanding how climate change is transforming our oceans," wrote the authors of the study. "And it means we need better ways to detect which species are on the move."

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