Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast report that marine species are shifting poleward at an average of 59 km per decade, with some fish like Kingfish moving about 102 km per decade. By 2040, Australian waters could enter conditions beyond historical norms — including extreme heat, oxygen loss and greater acidity — even under emissions reductions. These redistributions, observed globally, can disrupt food webs, threaten fisheries and increase extinction risk. The authors urge major cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions and increased research, monitoring and adaptive management of marine migrations.
Marine Species Are Racing Poleward — Climate Change Is Rewriting Ocean Ecosystems
Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast report that marine species are shifting poleward at an average of 59 km per decade, with some fish like Kingfish moving about 102 km per decade. By 2040, Australian waters could enter conditions beyond historical norms — including extreme heat, oxygen loss and greater acidity — even under emissions reductions. These redistributions, observed globally, can disrupt food webs, threaten fisheries and increase extinction risk. The authors urge major cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions and increased research, monitoring and adaptive management of marine migrations.
10:44 AM, 11/13/2025Environment
Marine life is moving toward cooler waters
When people seek shade or a cool swim on a hot day, they have choices. Marine animals do not — many must relocate to survive warming oceans. A study led by researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast and published in Earth's Future finds that, on average, marine species are shifting poleward at about 59 kilometres (≈36 miles) per decade.
Some species are moving even faster. The research highlights that certain fish, including Kingfish, are advancing poleward at roughly 102 kilometres (≈63 miles) per decade. These movements are a direct response to rising sea temperatures and changing ocean chemistry.
Uncharted conditions ahead for Australian waters
The authors warn that, even with substantial emissions reductions, warming is likely to push Australia's oceans into conditions outside historical experience by 2040. According to the study and reporting in The Guardian, the team concluded that within about 15 years many marine ecosystems could be confronting extreme heat, oxygen loss and increased acidity.
"As our oceans acidify [and] lose oxygen, the life they support is under increasing pressure to move, adapt or die. We're already seeing this in action,"
— Alice Pidd, lead author, University of the Sunshine Coast
Global redistribution and ecological ripple effects
These poleward shifts are not limited to Australian waters. A 2020 review reported by Scientific American documented century-scale movements of marine animals from the equator toward the poles worldwide. Scientists warn that redistributions of species can disrupt food webs, alter ecosystem function, and threaten the livelihoods of communities that depend on key fisheries.
Warming also changes animal physiology and behaviour. Research from the Baltic Sea shows that warmer water raises fish metabolic rates, increasing daily food requirements; as a result, fish may eat smaller prey more often rather than waiting for larger, more energy-rich meals. That change in feeding patterns can cascade through food chains and raise the risk of local extinctions.
Why species loss matters
Loss of a species can produce wide-ranging, indirect effects. For example, the historical removal of wolves from Yellowstone — documented by National Geographic — led to elk overpopulation, vegetation loss and downstream impacts on smaller mammals and other species such as grizzly bears. Similar trophic cascades are possible in marine systems as community composition changes.
What scientists recommend
The study's authors call for deep cuts to greenhouse-gas emissions and reduced reliance on high-emission energy sources to slow ocean warming and acidification. They also argue that marine migration should be treated as a central climate issue: it requires continued monitoring, better forecasting, and adaptive fisheries and conservation management because past conditions may no longer predict future ecosystem behavior.
Separately, the original report included an online reader poll about who should pay to clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, reflecting public interest in ocean stewardship and responsibility for marine pollution.