Publication Abstract

Introduction to the Marine Climate Change Impact Partnership and the Marine Climate Change Annual Report Card

Introduction to the marine climate change impacts partnership and the marine climate change annual report card

Paul Buckley

The UK government has set out a vision for ‘clean, safe, healthy, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas’, yet as recently as 2005, ‘charting progress’, was unable to assess the potential impacts of climate change on the UK’s marine environment. MCCIP has come together to inform key decision makers about these issues. 

MCCIP is a partnership between marine scientists and sponsors from government, its agencies and NGOs. Our principal aim is to develop a long-term multi-disciplinary approach to understanding and communicating the implications of marine climate change.

The marine climate change annual report card (ARC) will provide one of the most important outputs of the MCCIP programme, synthesising the previous years work in a highly accessible and actionable format. As this first report card will set the scene for our understanding of climate change impacts on the UK marine environment, we have adopted a wide-ranging approach to assess the current state of understanding through reviews submitted by leading UK marine and climate scientists. Each of the scientists has also rated their level of confidence in the evidence presented.

The ARC begins with a summary of climate changes in the marine environment, setting the context for the subsequent assessments of impacts on our vision for an ecosystem that is healthy and biologically diverse; clean and safe; and (commercially) productive. The high level statements presented in the ARC are supported by more detailed reports from each of the contributing scientists. These reports are fully accessible through the online version of the report card and set out the supporting case for the headline messages presented in the ARC. These notes are fully referenced and key sources of information highlighted so that the user can explore each subject in greater depth.

Our first online newsletter is also due to be launched, which will be used to communicate the activities of MCCIP and to highlight relevant marine climate change news and events. The newsletter will be published every two months and subscription will be available through our website.

MCCIP aims to expand its activities significantly in 2007 when we will be running workshops and seminars, developing a response centre for marine climate change enquiries and exploring applications of UKCIP marine climate change scenarios. Further details and dates for these activities will be made available on our website.

Links:

• Website and newsletter: www.mccip.org.uk
• Online annual report card (ARC) www.mccip.org.uk/arc

P. Buckley*

Coatal futures: climate change and the marine environment; the state of knowledge and our responses. November 30th 2006, SOAS, London