Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of high ocean temperatures on marine biodiversity in UK waters.

Through the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership, we are improving our understanding of the impact of climate change, including on sea temperature and marine biodiversity. Evidence suggests that increasing sea temperature is associated with a number of possible impacts on marine biodiversity, such as changes in the range, distribution and abundance of marine species, impacts on growth rates and size, and altered foodwebs due to the location of primary production and prey availability.

In the UK we are committed to ensuring that climate change adaptation, resilience and mitigation are fully considered and integrated in our marine and fisheries policies. The third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) was published on 17 July 2023 and showcases our plans to adapt to and mitigate the risks of a warming climate on the marine environment, including to protect, restore and create blue carbon habitats and manage the risks and opportunities to marine species, habitats, and fisheries.