title: Climate change-contaminant interactions in marine food webs: Toward a conceptual framework.
abstract: Climate change is reshaping the way in which contaminants move through the global environment, in large part by changing the chemistry of the oceans and affecting the physiology, health, and feeding ecology of marine biota. Climate change-associated impacts on structure and function of marine food webs, with consequent changes in contaminant transport, fate, and effects, are likely to have significant repercussions to those human populations that rely on fisheries resources for food, recreation, or culture. Published studies on climate change-contaminant interactions with a focus on food web bioaccumulation were systematically reviewed to explore how climate change and ocean acidification may impact contaminant levels in marine food webs. We propose here a conceptual framework to illustrate the impacts of climate change on contaminant accumulation in marine food webs, as well as the downstream consequences for ecosystem goods and services. The potential impacts on social and economic security for coastal communities that depend on fisheries for food are discussed. Climate change-contaminant interactions may alter the bioaccumulation of two priority contaminant classes: the fat-soluble persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as well as the protein-binding methylmercury (MeHg). These interactions include phenomena deemed to be either climate change dominant (i.e., climate change leads to an increase in contaminant exposure) or contaminant dominant (i.e., contamination leads to an increase in climate change susceptibility). We illustrate the pathways of climate change-contaminant interactions using case studies in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean. The important role of ecological and food web modeling to inform decision-making in managing ecological and human health risks of chemical pollutants contamination under climate change is also highlighted. Finally, we identify the need to develop integrated policies that manage the ecological and socioeconomic risk of greenhouse gases and marine pollutants.
authors.affiliation: Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.|Ocean Pollution Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6312-7776
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Alava
authors.affiliation: Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: William W L
authors.initials: WWL
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Ocean Pollution Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: U Rashid
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Sumaila
mesh_terms: D057231:Climate Change; D005398:Fisheries; D020387:Food Chain; D006801:Humans; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: acidification; climate change; contaminants; food web bioaccumulation; ocean warming; organic mercury (MeHg); persistent organic pollutants (POPs); polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)