Research and analysis: Impacts of climate change at scales applicable to marine planning

Requirement R009

Requirement detail

Climate change will alter environmental, social and economic conditions and opportunities within or adjacent to marine areas directly or indirectly. Climate change predictions are usually presented at distant time horizons (eg 2100), but impacts (positive or negative) can occur within the 20 year horizon of a marine plan. Impacts are expected to vary in onset time and magnitude among marine plan areas depending on the environmental, social and economic conditions that currently exist and the projections for a plan area.

The MMO therefore seeks better understanding of shorter time scale predictions (eg to 2040) and finer spatial resolution (plan area or better) to identify the timing and magnitude of different impacts on environmental, social and economic conditions in each plan area. This would highlight opportunities for marine plans to improve resilience to climate change and facilitate more targeted management solutions to address impacts that are predicated to occur within the lifespan of marine plans.