Data from: Climate change impacts on marine biodiversity, fisheries and society in the Arabian Gulf

Second, we conducted a vulnerability assessment of national economies to climate change impacts on fisheries. The modelling outputs suggested a high rate of local extinction (up to 35% of initial species richness) by 2090 relative to 2010. Spatially, projected local extinctions are highest in the southwestern part of the Arabian Gulf, off the coast of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

While the projected patterns provided useful indicators of climate change impacts on the region's diversity, the magnitude of changes in habitat suitability are more uncertain. Fisheries-specific results suggested reduced future catch potential for several countries on the western side of the Arabian Gulf, with projections differing only slightly between models. Qatar and the UAE were particularly affected, with more than a 26% drop in future fish catch potential.

Integrating changes in catch potential with socio-economic indicators suggested the fisheries of Bahrain and Iran may be most vulnerable to climate change. We discuss limitations of the indicators and the methods used, as well as the implications of our overall findings for conservation and fisheries management policies in the region.

Usage notes

Data set for Figure 2A FIGURE2A.csv Data set for Figure 2B FIGURE2B.csv Data set for Figure 2C FIGURE2C.csv Data set for Figure 3 FIGURE3.csv Data set for Figure 5 FIGURE5.csv