A new report published by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), supported by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), is shedding light on the future impacts of climate change on marine species across the United Kingdom.

The study, which focuses on 21 marine species listed as ‘threatened’ or ‘declining’ ranging from sharks and rays to seahorses and oysters, aims to help policymakers and conservationists understand which UK species will be most vulnerable to the future impacts of climate change and human pressures.

Predictive models were used to forecast the impacts of climate change on ‘habitat suitability’ - the degree to which a particular environment provides the necessary conditions for species to thrive and reproduce. Factors such as sea temperature, salinity, and seabed sediment type were used to assess whether climate change would lead to an ‘increase’ or ‘decrease’ in the amount of suitable habitat available around the UK over the coming century.