Ocean Research Environmental Studies Program

Research Activities Related to Climate Change

The broad array of marine environmental studies that BOEMRE conducts are not focused specifically on climate change, however, many of the studies do collect information that is used to characterize the environment and may be used to assess the effects of climate change. BOEMRE field studies broadly describe distribution, abundance, and migratory behavior of selected species of marine mammals, birds, and fishes. These studies can provide environmental information that would inform discussions on climate change. In some cases, studies are designed to take into consideration the influence of climate change, such as the effects on sea ice.

The Alaskan environment exhibits the effects of a changing climate most prominently, particularly with the changing extent of sea ice. BOEMRE research in Alaska focuses on characterization of polynyas and land fast ice, collection of meteorological data on the North Slope and Beaufort Sea, and characterization of the ice edge habitat and the animals that rely on that habitat including shorebirds, polar bears, walrus, bearded seals, and bowhead whales. These studies must consider the dramatic changes associated with a rapidly changing climate.

Along the Pacific coast, BOEMRE partners with numerous agencies to monitor rocky intertidal systems. Through this partnership, the Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network or MARINe has systematically been adding new plots "above the barnacles" in order to record global warming trends which cause intertidal species to move higher in the intertidal zone. MARINe data also documents the changes in species distribution to cooler or warmer waters as the ocean temperature changes.