Incorporating climate change into Endangered Species Act decisions: Case studies from aquatic systems (original) (raw)

Abstract

Background/Question/Methods A changing climate makes the conservation of marine, estuarine, and freshwater organisms even more challenging than these efforts would normally be due to the strong links between climatic and aquatic processes, the dynamism of aquatic systems, the large migrations of many aquatic organisms, and the relative uncertainty of the pace and magnitude of climate-related changes in some areas. Changing environmental conditions (including ocean acidification) have the potential not only to worsen the conditions for imperiled species, but also to pose new scientific and societal challenges to their conservation especially within the context of statutory mandates such as the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Recent court decisions have affirmed the importance of considering climate change in determinations under the ESA. Recognizing the need to address this issue, the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducted eight case studies to explore approaches ...

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