We all presented yesterday on an invertebrate of our choosing and how it is affected, and will be affected, by our changing climate. I chose the Red King Crab, which is one of a few species of King Crabs that has been migrating towards the poles in search of colder waters. Bottom temperature has been increasing over the last few decades, and it's finally starting to affect the distribution, behavior, and growth of many species. Also, not only are the 6-foot crabs abandoning their native areas, they are destroying ecosystems on the way. These crabs eat pretty much anything they can find and have very few natural predators, so while they are readily fished (and very popular and tasty!), arctic conditions are not necessarily conducive for fishing (see "Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel) so we are only able to make a small dent in the about of crabs that are taking over colder waters.
While there are few studies done in arctic ecosystems at this point, the evidence that something is wrong is staring us in the face. While it may be too late to save the arctic at this point from the reign of hungry crabs, making an effort to slow climate change can also slow the degradation of arctic ecosystems, as well as other warmer ecosystems. This is only the beginning of the effects that greenhouse gases will have on our planet.
Anyway, enjoy this video of a King Crab species in action:
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