Climate-driven marine ecosystem shifts in Europe

Rising sea temperatures are driving significant ecological and economic shifts across European marine environments. In the Adriatic Sea, tropical and thermophilic species are increasingly common, placing pressure on native fish and habitats. Similarly, warming in UK waters is altering plankton communities, which may reduce energy transfer efficiency to fish and impact seafood security.

These temperature increases are also reshaping fish populations and aquaculture. In Germany’s Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, aquaculture production has risen, with the African catfish becoming a dominant species due to its adaptability. In Lake Constance, warmer waters have facilitated an explosion in the European catfish population.

In the North Sea, a temperature increase of approximately four degrees over the last century has caused traditional catches like cod to decline, while cephalopod populations, such as squid and octopus, have surged. In the Flemish fishery, these species now constitute more than one-fifth of the total catch, representing a dramatic shift from previous years.