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Global Climate Change and Marine Mammals

  • Chapter
Marine Mammals

Abstract

The global climate is changing, at least in part because of human-generated emissions of ozone-depleting substances (Ashmore and Bell, 1991; United Nations Environmental Program, 1987, United Nations Environmental Program, 1993; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001a, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001b, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001c), world-wide use of hydrocarbons responsible for emissions of greenhouse-effect gases (Flavin, 1992; Wellburn, 1994), and largescale deforestation and desertification (Barbier et al., 1994). Predictions for the world’s oceans range from little or no change to partial melting of Arctic and Antarctic loose ice and shelves, with concomitant rises of sea levels. While many “alarmist” scenarios have been proposed, it is generally accepted that in the next 100 years, sea temperatures will rise by about 1.3-5.8°C and overall sea level will rise by anywhere from 9 to 88 cm (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2001a). Because of the overall global change, there are likely to be more local fluctuations in rainfall, storm frequencies, and the incidence of abrupt cold and dry spells, along with other mesoscale changes. Hurricanes and typhoons are known to form with greater frequency when water temperatures are at or above 28° C, and even short-term changes in climate (for example, El Niño Southern Oscillation events, ENSOs) can affect the incidence and severity of such storms. This generally grim scenario could be improved if the present decline in ozone-depleting emissions were to continue, or if energy substitutes for fossil fuels were more fully developed and widely adopted (Moore et al., 1996, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001c).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University, 4700 Ave. U, Galveston, TX, 77551, USA

    Bernd Würsig & J. G. Ortega-Ortiz

  2. Okapi Wildlife Associates, 27 Chandler Lane, Hudson, Quebec, J0P 1H0, Canada

    Randall R. Reeves

Authors
  1. Bernd Würsig
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  2. Randall R. Reeves
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  3. J. G. Ortega-Ortiz
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sea Watch Foundation, Oxford, England

    Peter G. H. Evans

  2. University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Juan Antonio Raga

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Würsig, B., Reeves, R.R., Ortega-Ortiz, J.G. (2002). Global Climate Change and Marine Mammals. In: Evans, P.G.H., Raga, J.A. (eds) Marine Mammals. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0529-7_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0529-7_17

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