review · Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Climate change impacts ocean functions through rising sea temperatures, marine heatwaves, ocean acidification, and rising sea levels. These drivers disrupt marine species diversity and distribution by degrading habitats and triggering species range shifts, which subsequently weakens vital ocean ecosystem services supporting tourism, recreation, and food provision. To counter these threats, adaptation strategies focus on building ecosystem resilience. Evaluated solutions comprise both nature-based and human-led interventions, notably habitat restoration such as coral reef and mangrove rehabilitation, the establishment of marine protected areas, and supportive policy and legislative frameworks. Integrating indigenous knowledge systems alongside active community participation provides crucial foundations for sustainable marine conservation. Furthermore, tackling these complex ecological challenges requires transdisciplinary methods, international cooperation, and dedicated financial support drawn from climate funding mechanisms and tourism revenues.
Marine ecosystems support essential human activities, including food provision and tourism, but face mounting threats from rising temperatures and ocean acidification. Understanding effective adaptation strategies, such as habitat restoration and community-led conservation, is vital to protect marine biodiversity and sustain the socioeconomic benefits that coastal communities and broader economies rely upon.
This work informs conservation managers, policymakers, and coastal tourism operators seeking structured adaptation models. Applications lie in designing nature-based restoration projects, such as mangrove and coral rehabilitation, and structuring conservation financing from tourism revenues. As a broad synthesis of secondary literature and existing adaptation measures, the findings provide high-level strategic guidance rather than a market-ready technology, requiring local contextualisation before direct deployment.
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Oceans play a vital role in socioeconomic and environmental development by supporting activities such as tourism, recreation, and food provision while providing important ecosystem services. However, concerns have been raised about the threat that climate change poses to the functions of oceans. This study examines the impacts, threats, and adaptation strategies of climate change and marine biodiversity. Using bibliometric and secondary data analysis, this study determines that climate change leads to rising sea temperatures, marine heatwaves, acidification, and increasing sea levels. These factors undermine the significance of ocean ecosystem services. This study also identifies the significant risks posed by climate change to marine species diversity and distribution, primarily through habitat degradation and shifts in species ranges. Scholarly focus on these challenges has grown over time, focusing on adaptation strategies and building resilience to mitigate adverse impacts. This study critically evaluates various adaptation measures, including nature-based and human-based solutions such as habitat restoration, policy and legislative frameworks, and their potential to protect marine ecosystems. It provides detailed discussions on the effectiveness of adaptation strategies such as marine protected areas (MPAs), mangrove and coral reef restoration, and species range shifts. This review also emphasises the significance of indigenous knowledge systems and community participation in marine conservation efforts to achieve holistic and sustainable management. It highlights the need for enhanced international cooperation and a transdisciplinary approach to address the complex interplay between climate change and marine biodiversity. Additionally, this study suggests that funding for research gaps and conservation can be secured through tourism revenue and other climate funding mechanisms.
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DOI: 10.3390/jmse12020344
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