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Arctic freshwater fish productivity and colonization increase with climate warming

Nature Climate Change volume 10, pages 428–433 (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

Climate warming at high latitudes has long been expected to exceed that predicted for tropical and temperate climes, but recent warming in the Arctic has exceeded even those expectations1. The geophysical consequences of this warming are reasonably well established2, but the impacts on freshwater fauna are poorly understood. Here we use a large-scale geospatial analysis of the population dynamics of one of the most abundant north temperate freshwater fish species to forecast increased demographic rates, productivity and colonization range in response to IPCC climate warming scenarios. Geospatial lake morphometry data were used to characterize 481,784 lakes in the Canadian Arctic capable of supporting lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) populations. Lake trout productivity in existing habitat is projected to increase by 20% by 2050 due to climate change, but an expanded habitable zone may result in a 29% increase in harvestable biomass. Although many ecosystems are likely to be negatively impacted by climate warming, the phenotypic plasticity of fish will allow a rapid relaxation of the current environmental constraints on growth in the far north, as well as enhanced colonization of bodies of water in which there are few potential competitors.

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Fig. 1: Distribution and characteristics of 481,784 lakes with a surface area >10 ha in the Canadian Arctic.
Fig. 2: Length at age of lake trout.
Fig. 3: Lake trout population dynamics.
Fig. 4: Observed spatial patterns in lake trout growth, mortality and productivity, and those predicted under climate change model RCP8.5 to the year 2050.

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Data availability

The geospatial data (Canadian Digital Surface Model and Canadian Digital Elevation Model) are available from http://maps.canada.ca/czs/index-en.html. Air temperature data from 881 weather stations across Canada are available from http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1981_2010_e.html.

Other data that support the findings of this study have been archived at Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity https://doi.org/10.5063/F1ZP44F1 and https://doi.org/10.5063/F1TX3CPV.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, US National Science Foundation grant OCE-9985884 and the University of Iceland. We thank S. Armsworthy, P. Bentzen, J. Brazner, C. Campana, P. Campana, S. Campana, S. Casselman, M. Fowler, D. Houlihan, W. Joyce, P. Leblanc, A. MacDonnell and M. Showell for their exceptional assistance in the field and laboratory. B. Shuter and J. Morrongiello provided valuable comments on the MS.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Life and Environmental Science, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Steven E. Campana

  2. Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

    John M. Casselman

  3. Center for Quantitative Fisheries Ecology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Cynthia M. Jones

  4. Population Ecology Division, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

    Gerald Black

  5. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

    Oliver Barker

  6. Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Marlene Evans

  7. Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

    Matthew M. Guzzo

  8. Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick (Saint John), Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

    Raouf Kilada

  9. Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Andrew M. Muir

  10. Yukon Department of Environment, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

    Robert Perry

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Contributions

The study was conceived and designed by S.C., J.C. and C.J., and coordinated by S.C. All authors contributed to fieldwork, data collection and/or data interpretation. G.B. (now retired) prepared and analysed the geospatial data. S.C. drafted the paper with contributions from all authors.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven E. Campana.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Peer review information Nature Climate Change thanks Arild Folkvord and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Supplementary Figs. 1–3, Tables 1–4 and Notes 1–4.

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Campana, S.E., Casselman, J.M., Jones, C.M. et al. Arctic freshwater fish productivity and colonization increase with climate warming. Nat. Clim. Chang. 10, 428–433 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0744-x

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