Water levels in the Caspian Sea – the world’s largest landlocked water body – are getting lower, as hotter temperatures cause more water to evaporate than is flowing in. Even if global warming is limited to below 2°C, it is likely that the level of the Caspian Sea will decline by 5 to 10 m, but if temperatures rise further, water levels could drop by as much as 21 m by 2100.
Researchers led by Leeds have mapped the potential risks this poses to the region’s biodiversity and human infrastructure, in a paper published today (Thursday 10 April) in Communications Earth & Environment. The Caspian Sea is home to the endangered Caspian seal and six species of sturgeon, as well as hundreds of species of fish and invertebrates found nowhere else. According to the research, the declining water levels will leave Caspian seals with significantly reduced breeding habitat, restrict access to spawning rivers for sturgeons, and lead to the loss of coastal lagoons and reed beds important for the spawning of other fish species and migrating birds.
The researchers say policymakers and conservationists need to take a dynamic approach to biodiversity protection, rather than relying on traditional protected areas with fixed boundaries, since these may quickly become obsolete due to the rapidly changing water levels.
Source: Eurek Alert!
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