Identifying marine climate refugia to advance climate-smart conservation

Trends in Ecology & Evolution 2026 Open access

Read full text
Authors: Marina Sanz‐Martín, Carolina Olguín‐Jacobson, Jessica A. Bolin, Carla Quiles-Pons, Isaac Brito‐Morales, Jorge García Molinos, Manuel Hidalgo, Irene D. Alabia, Elena Gissi, Mikaela Provost, Fiorenza Micheli, Nur Arafeh‐Dalmau
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2026.04.007
Cited by: 6
References: 103

Abstract

Climate change is impacting the ocean and the services it provides, but the rate of change is not spatially uniform. Some areas, known as marine climate refugia, are less impacted by climate change and, if conserved, can provide a promising climate adaptation strategy. In this review, we synthesize the processes that create refugia conditions and the scientific approaches used to identify them, which fall into three main categories: low climatic exposure, ecological resilience, and habitat suitability. These approaches are applied across levels of biological organization and multiple temporal and spatial scales, reflecting the dynamic nature of the ocean. We show that integrating these approaches into conservation and management can support climate-smart strategies to enhance ocean resilience and biodiversity under intensifying climate threats.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses Marine Ecology and Invasive Species Species Distribution and Climate Change

Publication details

Journal / source
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
41
Issue
7
Pages
651–667
Publication date
15 May 2026
Language
EN