According to a new report from NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. South Atlantic marine ecosystem is showing signs of chronic stress including rising sea levels, ocean acidification, increased nutrient inputs, and recent warming. Ocean dynamics appear to be changing, with indications of recent increases in sea surface temperatures, declines in coastal upwelling, and changes in the variability of the Gulf Stream location. These changing ocean dynamics have potential implications for the base of the marine food web. In addition, the coastal population is growing rapidly, urbanization is increasing along the coast, and fisheries in the region are becoming increasingly recreationally dominated.
This is NOAA's first U.S. South Atlantic Ecosystem Status report that provides an overview of the status, trends, and recent conditions of key ecosystem components of the South Atlantic marine ecosystem. Some examples of key components include sea surface temperature, status of fish stocks, and recreational fishing engagement. The report provides a view of the ecosystem as a whole, rather than its individual parts, with the intent to provide scientific information to resource managers on how the ecosystem is connected and changing for consideration in management and policy decisions.