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Climate change could shrink fish as they gasp for oxygen

Fish themselves and fish supply may be smaller.

October 1, 2012 at 7:55PM
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

It's not just fish populations shrinking, according to a new study. Fish themselves will be much smaller within a few decades.

Global warming linked to greenhouse-gas emissions will cause the body weight of more than 600 types of marine fish to dwindle up to 24% between 2000 and 2050, according to a report in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Additional factors, such as overfishing and pollution, will only make matters worse.

Ultimately, the changes "are expected to have large implications for trophic interactions, ecosystem functions, fisheries and global protein supply," according to the study.

Aquatic creatures grow depending on the temperature, oxygen and resources available in water, according to researchers. Fish will struggle to breathe and develop as oceans become warmer and less oxygenated.

Fewer, smaller fish could result in a supply crunch, leading to higher prices of seafood down the line.

Read more from Los Angeles Times.

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about the writer

about the writer

Colleen Stoxen

Deputy Managing Editor for News Operations

Colleen Stoxen oversees hiring, intern programs, newsroom finances, news production and union relations. She has been with the Minnesota Star Tribune since 1987, after working as a copy editor and reporter at newspapers in California, Indiana and North Dakota.

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