Marine climate change risks to biodiversity and society in the ROPME Sea Area

The subtropical ROPME Sea Area (RSA), comprising the Gulf, Gulf of Oman and northern Arabian Sea, is a heavily exploited sea region that experiences extreme environmental conditions, for which climate change expected to further impact marine ecosystems coastal communities, sectors industries. Climate risk assessments provide valuable tool inform decision-making adaptation planning through identifying prioritising risks and/or opportunities. Using first UK Change Risk Assessment as an example, assessment was undertaken environment RSA time. Through extensive literature review workshop involving regional experts, were identified, scored prioritised. A total 45 spanned two key themes: ‘Risks Biodiversity’ Economy Society’. Of these, 13 categorised ‘severe’, including degradation coral reefs their associated ecological assemblages, shifts in distribution wild-capture fisheries resources, changes phytoplankton primary productivity, impacts on threats infrastructure industries, operations safety maritime transport. diversity identified transboundary nature highlight responses will require coordinated action cooperation at multiple scales across RSA. This provides crucial baseline largely overlooked geographic area, can be used underpin future change, serve ‘blueprint’ similar other shared seas.