Rate Of Marine Species' Retreat Towards The Poles 6X Faster Than Movement Of Land Species

Rising temperatures, shifts in precipitation patterns, and changes in vegetations, all direct effects of a warmer world, are changing the range and distribution of many species — they are now forced flee from their normal habitats to find more suitable places. This doesn’t occur equally for all species. Marine species are actually moving to the poles six times faster than those on land, according to a recent meta-analysis that compared over 30,000 habitat shifts in more than 12,000 species.

Land species are moving closer to the poles as the planet heats up but this shift is “at a pace that is much slower than expected, especially in areas with warm climates,” the authors wrote. Instead, marine species are following global thermal shifts much closer, they argued.

Marine species were found to move towards the poles at an average pace of six kilometers per year, while land animals showed a pace of almost 1.8 meters per year – which is faster than previous estimates but still much slower than marine species. This might be due to air sensitivity, the authors argue. Air transports heat less effectively than water and land animals can easily regulate their body temperature.

This means marine species are more susceptible to the changing temperatures on the planet due to global warming. At the same time, animals in the water are capable to migrate easier when they have to, while on land the movement of animals is more difficult due to human activities and geography.

EDIT

https://www.zmescience.com/science/climate-change-marine-migration-05325/