ABSTRACT
While the effects of climate change on marine environments are not fully understood, climate change has significant potential implications to coastal and marine environments including: Rising sea levels (0.09–0.88m by 2100), melting of Polar sea ice, changes to global ocean circulation patterns, increased ocean acidification, increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events, migration of biological communities towards Polar areas as a result of increasing ocean temperatures and release of seabed methane deposits as a result of increasing ocean temperatures. The domestic and international responses to climate change are to limit the amount of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) input into the atmosphere (mitigation); build or maintain resilience in ecosystems (protection); adapt human societies to a changing planet (adaptation); and repair damage that has already occurred (repair). The primary international agreements governing mitigation and adaptation are the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement.
