Researchers have observed changes in growth rates of several species of fish, which they believe are linked to higher surface water temperatures and wind shifts.
Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization has studied fish earbones, which contain growth rings, to conclude that fish near the surface of the water are growing up to 30 percent faster and to a larger scale than they were 50 years ago. The study has also concluded that fish in cooler, deeper water are growing at a slower rate.
The research may suggest that climate change has caused increased productivity in shallow waters, but limited deep-ocean waters. Ocean temperatures measured in the area have increased by nearly two degrees.