Climate-driven shifts in marine habitat explain recent declines of Japanese Chum salmon.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is accelerating at unprecedented rates, with disproportionate impacts on marine ecosystems. We examined the distributional responses of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), a keystone species, to the recent climatic changes in the North Pacific from 1998 to 2022. We applied a multi-model ensemble approach to examine the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of suitable habitats throughout their seasonal migratory grounds and relate them to recent declines of Japanese chum salmon stocks. Our modelling identified temporal shifts in the locations of feeding and overwintering grounds, driven by increasing ocean temperatures, deteriorating forage conditions, and strengthening wind and marine heatwave intensity. During their feeding migration, the suitable chum habitat in the Ber

SUBMITTER: Alabia ID 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12675643 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature