Relative vulnerability assessment of Indian marine fishes to climate change using impact and adaptation attributes

Abstract

Fish is a poikilothermic animal that cannot regulate body temperature through physiological process; this is regulated instead by environmental process. Fish physiology, like growth and reproduction is directly influenced by changes in temperature. With rising environmental temperature, the physiological activities of fishes also increase, which in turn increases the oxygen demand. But the solubility of oxygen in water is inversely related to temperature and salinity (Weiss, 1970). Thus, dissolved oxygen availability in water will decrease, resulting in the reduction of growth and reproduction success of fishes and prevent them from dealing as effectively with other environmental changes. This is particularly true in the case of fishes living in closed water bodies. In an open ocean system, several factors play a synergistic role in impacting the physiology of the organisms.