Climate change is having a major impact on Britain’s coast, the seas around the coast, and the life in those seas, a government-sponsored report has concluded.
The Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) says seas are becoming more violent, causing coastal erosion and a higher risk of flooding. Higher CO2 levels in the atmosphere are making oceans warmer and more acidic, affecting plankton, fish and birds.
The increasing choppiness of coastal waters means that 17% of Britain’s coastline is being eroded. “An increasing trend in extreme water levels has been observed,” the report concludes, “which is most likely to be caused by the rise in average sea level, and which brings an increased risk of flooding.”
Living by the sea may not be that desirable after all…