top of page

Marine Vertebrate Ecology Lab

Cetaceans in a changing climate

Climate change severely affects marine life worldwide with warming oceans generating unprecedented cascading effects that include the melting of polar ice, rising seas, marine heatwaves, and ocean acidification. Cetaceans are ideal indicator species of ecosystem change and ocean health given their high trophic level and cosmopolitan distribution. We study cetacean ecology in relation to climate change, for example by investigating how species ranges may shift in the future with progressing warming of the oceans.

Output & related content

Peters KJ, Stockin KA, Saltré F (2022). On the rise: Climate change in New Zealand will cause sperm and blue whales to seek higher latitudes. Ecological Indicators 142: 109235

Peters KJ, Stockin KA, Saltré F (2023). Factsheet: Climate Change Implications on Marine Mammal Management. Marine mammals management toolkit, Ocean Governance.

Peters KJ, Stockin KA, Saltré F (2023). Warming oceans may force New Zealand’s sperm and blue whales to shift to cooler southern waters. The Conversation.

bottom of page