Climate change and Cannery Row come together in “A warming world”, the multi-day report published in the San Francisco Chronicle that looks at effects of a teensy tiny increase in global temperatures on the Pacific’s coastal ecosystems — including the tide pools in Monterey Bay.
It’s hard for many folks to get their head around the importance that a degree or two of warming makes, and this series tries to illuminate some of those subtle effects.
Chronicle reporter Jane Kay puts it like this:
“Unlike in the Arctic, where floating sea ice and land glaciers dramatically melt before Alaskans’ eyes, along the California coast the signs of a changing environment are more subtle.
Those who know where to look can see that a few degrees increase in the temperature of the Pacific and a couple of inches rise in sea level have already changed life in Monterey Bay’s fragile tide pools.
While some species will prosper, others may die. The question scientists up and down the coast are pursuing is just how the continued warming of the atmosphere and water may disrupt the ocean’s intricate web of life.”
The articles, which started running Sunday, span geographically from Alaska to Mexico and include an audio slide show.
Locally, the UW’s Climate Impacts Groups have looked in detail at the predicted effects of a warmer world on this region, and the P-I has covered the topic as well (Nov. ’03, July ’05, Oct. ’05). The forecast includes snow levels creeping higher up the passes, more precipitation falling as rain rahter than snow, higher sea levels around Puget Sound, stressed out salmon and warmer temperatures overall.