Species and Climate Change: More than Just the Polar Bear

10 well-known species are cover in this publication. They illustrate some of the many and varied ways that climate change impacts different regions of the world, from African deserts to the polar ice-caps. We hope these species can help to share the Polar Bear’s burden in representing the effects of climate change on our natural world, and the millions of species with whom we share the planet. Among these 10 species, 2 are relevant to coral reefs:

• Staghorn corals are severely impacted by bleaching and disease. They highlight impacts of rising sea temperatures and increasing ocean acidification due to climate change.
• Clownfish’s coral reef habitats are under severe threat and their ability to find their protective host anemones is being disrupted. They highlight impacts of coral reef degradation, increasing ocean acidification and warming oceans due to climate change.