Impacts of Climate Change on Marine Life

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Ocean and Global Climate".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 932

Special Issue Editor

Underwater Survey Technology 21, Incheon, Republic of Korea
Interests: data assimilation; regional climatology; high-resolution simulation for forecasting regional climates; cold water upwelling
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is increasingly recognized as one of the most significant threats to marine ecosystems. Rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, deoxygenation, and shifting current systems are altering the habitats and physiological conditions critical for marine organisms. These changes are driving shifts in species distribution, modifying food web dynamics, and impacting biodiversity from coastal zones to the deep sea.

This Special Issue, "Impacts of Climate Change on Marine Life", invites original research and review articles that investigate the biological, ecological, and biogeochemical responses of marine organisms and ecosystems to climate-related stressors. We particularly encourage interdisciplinary studies that explore mechanistic processes, long-term monitoring results, modeling approaches, and regional or global-scale assessments.

Key topics may include, but are not limited to: species adaptation and resilience, phenological changes, altered reproductive or migratory behaviors, impacts on fisheries and aquaculture, microbial community responses, and implications for ecosystem services. Studies that integrate physical, chemical, and biological perspectives to understand how marine life is changing in the face of global warming are especially welcome.

Through this collection, we aim to enhance our understanding of how climate change shapes the future of marine biodiversity and to support science-based solutions for sustainable ocean stewardship.

Dr. Joonho Lee
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • climate change
  • marine ecosystem
  • species distribution shifts
  • ocean warming and acidification
  • ecological resilience biogeochemical responses
  • marine biodiversity
  • ecosystem services

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

27 pages, 5201 KB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of the Thermophilic Benthic Harmful Dinoflagellates in Annaba Bay (Southern Mediterranean): Influence of Environmental Factors and Macrophyte Substrates
by Ouafa Sad Laib, Aicha Beya Amira, Hocine Frihi, Mounia Aouissi and Mohamed Laabir
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(4), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14040398 - 22 Feb 2026
Viewed by 517
Abstract
For the first time in the bay of Annaba (Southern Mediterranean), we studied the spatiotemporal distribution of potentially toxic benthic dinoflagellates: Ostreopsis cf. ovata, Prorocentrum lima, Coolia monotis, and Amphidinium carterae, hosted by the dominant macrophytes Posidonia oceanica, [...] Read more.
For the first time in the bay of Annaba (Southern Mediterranean), we studied the spatiotemporal distribution of potentially toxic benthic dinoflagellates: Ostreopsis cf. ovata, Prorocentrum lima, Coolia monotis, and Amphidinium carterae, hosted by the dominant macrophytes Posidonia oceanica, Padina pavonica, Codium fragile, and Halopteris scoparia. Sampling of these macrophytes was conducted weekly during spring and summer as well as bi-weekly in autumn and winter, from October 2022 to November 2023, at contrasting sites within Annaba Bay. The measured environmental parameters included temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, dissolved organic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phosphate, dissolved organic phosphorus, silicate, and chlorophyll a. A proliferation of O. cf. ovata was recorded in July 2023, coinciding with a marked increase in temperature, with a maximum abundance exceeding 40 × 103 cells g−1 of fresh weight (FW) on H. scoparia and C. fragile. The maximum abundance of P. lima reached 8700 cells g−1 FW on H. scoparia during July and August 2023. Coolia monotis exhibited a peak of 2800 cells g−1 FW on H. scoparia. The abundance of A. carterae increased with temperature, reaching a maximum of 980 cells g−1 FW on P. pavonica. The distribution of epiphytic dinoflagellates varied according to the macrophyte substrate. Overall, statistical analyses indicate that benthic dinoflagellate community structure is shaped by the combined effects of temperature, nutrient availability, and ecological niche differentiation, with temperature emerging as the dominant driver. This suggests that climate-driven increases in Mediterranean Sea surface temperatures are likely to extend the seasonal window of harmful benthic algal blooms, thereby enhancing ecological disturbances and potential risks to human health. This study provides the first assessment of BHAB dynamics along the Eastern Algerian coast, highlighting the role of ongoing regional warming in shaping future bloom patterns. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Climate Change on Marine Life)
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