Warming Waters are Stressing Fish and the Fishing Industry

https://www.climatecentral.org/news/in-hot-water-warming-waters-are-stressing-fish-and-the-fishing-industry-2019

June 26, 2019

America’s inland streams, the Great Lakes, and coastal waters are heating up—spelling trouble for fish and the nation’s $46.1 billion dollar recreational fishing industry.

Data analyzed by Climate Central show that water temperatures in the Great Lakes and coastal surface waters are warming throughout the United States, as well as in many freshwater streams. Those warming waters are impacting the health of fish, their ecosystems, and the economies that depend on them.

Many fish are sensitive to temperature and can survive only in specific temperature ranges. As waters in oceans, streams, and the Great Lakes warm, fish seek out cooler waters in higher latitudes or elevation, or when possible, in greater depths. But there are limitations to how far north, or high in elevation, fish can travel before running out of water, let alone water in a suitable temperature zone. Also, water composition changes with rising temperatures. For example, oxygen levels drop and algae blooms grow.

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