Climate change threatens Australia's marine food chain: research

Australia's plankton population has moved more than 300 kilometers south in 30 years, prompting fears it could affect the food chain in years to come.

Scientists from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) released the 2015 Plankton Report on Tuesday, which took a deeper look at the role of tiny ocean plankton in the marine ecosystem.

It found that off the south coast of Australia, cold-water plankton had given way to a different, warm-water species of plankton.

The report's lead author Dr Anthony Richardson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) it could affect the diet and hunting patterns of marine birds and fish species in the area.

"Warm-water plankton is smaller and some fish, seabirds and marine mammals just don't like the taste," he said.

"The main food for young fish is plankton, and so as the climate warms we're getting this tropical plankton which is very diverse, but small, moving further south and that is bad for fish spawning and breeding."

The report uncovered vital data about how much and where the plankton is, and determined fish and mammal numbers in the surrounding seas.

Richardson said plankton are vital in understanding climate change and the impact of climate on marine life and, in turn, humans.

"The key findings are that plankton, which are really important to people, are changing and changing really in response to climate change," he said.

"Plankton are responsible for about half the oxygen we breathe, and are critical to the marine food web.

"They can impact human life." Endit