Four shovelers up over the Baylands
0 replies
South Korea’s beloved squid may vanish from its waters due to climate change, heat waves
news.mongabay.com↗
South Korea’s beloved squid may vanish from its waters due to climate change, heat wavesSEOUL — Many South Koreans remember days when squid was inexpensive, everyday food: Stir-fried with spicy chili flakes, steamed in a bath of water and soju, or dried and eaten as a bar snack along…
A study by researchers at Pukyong National University in Busan looked at whether ocean changes explain the falling catch of Pacific flying squid (Todarodes pacificus) in South Korean waters.
- The researchers compared fishery records from 1993 to 2025 with data on sea temperatures, currents, winds and climate conditions in the Pacific, then ran models.
- Models predict South Korea could reach a "zero-catch state" for the squid between 2043 and 2048, depending on emissions. Sea surface temperatures around the peninsula rose 0.7°C over the past decade, more than twice the global average.
- Marine heat waves (periods of unusually warm seawater lasting at least five straight days) add stress on top of long-term warming. Catch records are not a direct count of all squid in the sea, the authors caution.
"Catch records are valuable, but they are not a direct count of all squid in the sea." (Kim Kyung-hoi, the study's corresponding author)
North Sea heat wave fueled underwater plankton bloom largely missed by satellites
Heat is coming for Hawaiian corals, but study finds there may be time to adapt
Climate Crisis Likely Caused World's Largest Penguin Colony to 'Crash'
South Korea’s ‘sea women’ seek justice after marine habitat devastated by harbor work
Why Nearly 2,000 Dead Seabirds Have Washed Up on the California Coast: Scientists say El Niño is exacerbating conditions by causing Pacific Ocean temperatures to rise.