Can Aquatic Resources Survive Global Climate Change and Humanity's Best Intentions?, Part 1

During the 20^th Century, mean annual air temperatures increased by 0.6° C, and most indicators suggest that this trend will accelerate.  Aquatic ecosystems are expected to become warmer, more variable, and prone to larger, more frequent “disturbances,” that substantially exceed historical conditions.  At the same time, environmental changes such as deforestation, ocean acidification, and overfishing continue at a dramatic pace.  Because these processes are inextricably linked, the decline in environmental conditions and species extinction will likely accelerate as many ecosystems change and collapse.  Understanding the full spectrum of effects related to global climatic and ecological change requires consideration by a suite of scientific disciplines applied to presently available long-term datasets, newly developing information sources, and models that predict future conditions.  The effects of these changes on ecosystems and human culture worldwide demand the scientific community to undertake the moral imperative to understand and moderate the effects of climate and other changes on the earth.  Our symposium integrates physical, biological, and social research to foster collaboration among disciplines and to understand the connection between climate change and natural/human caused disturbances on aquatic ecosystems, species health, and people.