Climate change is causing tropical species in the ocean to move from the equator towards the poles, while temperate species recede. This mass movement of marine life, termed tropicalisation, is leading to a cascade of consequences for ecosystems and biodiversity, and has the potential to impact the global economy.
My colleagues and I recently identified and reviewed 215 tropicalisation-related scientific papers published between 2003 and 2023. Our work, now published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, reveals the extent of this species movement, and demonstrates just how widespread its consequences can be.
