All Irish marine waters close to coastline will be under pressure from climate change by the end of the century with heightened risk of marine heatwaves, according to a report by Fair Seas.
Published on Wednesday, it identifies key Irish marine areas that are more resilient and can promote biodiversity in the face of worsening climate disruption in coming decades and should be protected as marine protected areas (MPAs). Most are further offshore and concentrated off the west coast.
Fair Seas coordinator Dr Donal Griffin said: “The marine heatwaves that struck Ireland and across the world last summer are a stark reminder of the effects of climate change. Rising sea temperatures may cause fish and other species typically found in Irish waters to move out of our marine area to cooler northern latitudes.”
Much excess heat created from greenhouse gas emissions is absorbed by the ocean. Record levels of heat were absorbed during 2023, with sea temperatures rising year on year for the past decade. This can impact animal behaviour and movement, and destabilise vital ecosystems relied on for food and coastal protection. In areas off the northwest of Ireland temperatures last summer were up to 5 degrees above what is usual.
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Fair Seas, a coalition of environmental NGOs, asked Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) to identify areas of Ireland’s marine environment with the best opportunity to preserve ocean species and habitats for decades to come. It said it hoped the findings would help to inform the site-selection process for MPAs in Ireland contained in long-awaited legislation due to be published by the Government in coming weeks – MPAs will have a bearing on where offshore wind farms are located.
PML found more than half of Irish waters host “climate change sanctuaries” – areas more resilient to climate change impacts. The majority of these areas are located in offshore regions and overlap with sites previously identified as “areas of interest” for MPA designation by Fair Seas.
“MPAs provide a huge opportunity for us to preserve our biodiversity for future generations and we need to be smart about where they are located,” Dr Griffin said.
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PML’s principal investigator Prof Ana Queiros said climate-driven changes to habitat conditions were already leading to an unprecedented redistribution of marine species in our coasts and seas. “MPAs that are put in place in recognition of those changes present an invaluable time-buying strategy to protect our marine wildlife until such a time when we have slowed down the pace of climate change,” she added.
“Warming seas due to climate change threaten marine biodiversity and livelihoods of Ireland’s coastal communities,” said Grace Carr, marine advocacy officer for the Irish Wildlife Trust. “Therefore, it is vital that measures are put in place to carefully manage and monitor the areas showing the greatest resilience to these adverse effects.”
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“MPAs offer our coastal communities and biodiversity this key solution to ensuring a safe and viable future in Irish waters. While it is vital that global emissions are also simultaneously reduced, MPAs store and lock away carbon, once managed correctly, helping us in the fight against climate change,” she added.
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