Warming UK seas could 'fundamentally reshape marine ecosystems' - report

A four-year study warns that warming seas around the UK and the broader north-east Atlantic could destabilize marine food webs and threaten food security by 2050. Researchers say the results challenge the assumption that mid-latitude marine biodiversity will generally increase. Instead, they project a predator-prey imbalance: fish and some seabed invertebrates may become more diverse by mid-century, while key plankton groups lower in the food chain are likely to decline. The report notes the southern North Sea and nearby waters are “marine climate hotspots” among the fastest-warming regions globally over the past 50 years.