Marine Species Distribution

Environment

Ecosystems

This indicator examines changes in the location of fish, shellfish, and other marine species along U.S. coasts.

Figures

Figure 1. Change in Latitude and Depth of Marine Species, 1974–2022

Data source: NOAA, 2024³
Web update: June 2024

Figure 1

These graphs show the annual change in latitude (movement in miles) and depth (feet) of 41 marine species along the Northeast coast, 58 in the eastern Bering Sea, and 58 along the Southeast coast. The multi-region average consists of 157 unique species. Changes in the centers of biomass have been aggregated across all species and by region. For each region, the change in latitude and change in depth are set at zero for a base year, 1989.

Show the data behind this figure

year	Northeast (Spring) - latitude	Northeast (Spring) - depth	Eastern Bering Sea - latitude	Eastern Bering Sea - depth	Multi-Region Average - latitude	Multi-Region Average - depth	Southeast (Spring) - latitude	Southeast (Spring) - depth
1974	-1.67	-39.02	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1976	-10.62	-20.74	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1977	-15.46	-18.92	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1978	-17.08	-20.60	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1979	-16.16	-21.55	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1980	-13.64	-17.39	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1981	-9.49	-15.24	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1982	-7.64	-17.20	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1983	-4.54	-20.46	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1984	-4.66	-22.79	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1985	-0.33	-18.25	0.08	0.76	NA	NA	NA	NA
1986	2.84	-13.15	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1987	4.29	-9.98	0.71	-3.40	NA	NA	NA	NA
1988	2.50	-4.82	0.34	-1.21	NA	NA	NA	NA
1989	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
1990	-1.34	2.76	0.92	1.83	0.54	1.52	1.49	0.33
1991	-2.35	4.80	0.18	1.52	2.11	1.85	7.19	0.10
1992	1.63	14.86	2.37	0.39	4.49	4.10	8.64	0.20
1993	6.76	20.72	1.18	-1.72	4.40	4.91	5.96	0.37
1994	10.20	26.55	1.03	-2.76	5.25	5.97	5.97	0.15
1995	11.69	22.15	-0.45	-2.01	9.17	5.05	17.01	0.01
1996	9.56	21.08	0.32	-3.00	13.04	4.35	28.22	-0.14
1997	8.08	12.62	-0.85	-4.06	13.75	1.58	32.35	-0.57
1998	9.21	4.84	-2.18	-4.58	10.16	-0.70	23.16	-0.75
1999	14.05	-3.69	-2.72	-3.69	10.16	-2.57	20.30	-0.67
2000	20.91	-4.33	-0.26	-3.77	12.24	-2.83	18.62	-0.83
2001	23.04	-0.09	4.16	-4.03	14.76	-1.88	19.50	-1.00
2002	20.76	6.68	7.64	-5.74	13.36	-0.81	13.84	-1.16
2003	16.00	16.66	9.34	-6.30	10.65	1.73	8.18	-0.80
2004	13.65	22.73	10.41	-6.27	7.10	3.72	-0.84	0.27
2005	10.29	25.96	11.09	-5.85	7.32	4.67	1.45	0.14
2006	12.59	26.22	11.59	-5.21	9.14	4.91	4.25	-0.03
2007	18.11	28.19	10.78	-5.85	12.80	5.05	11.06	-0.40
2008	20.29	29.30	9.21	-5.96	11.86	5.52	8.56	0.19
2009	19.73	30.63	7.99	-6.37	11.30	5.58	8.64	-0.17
2010	20.37	24.98	8.68	-6.08	14.82	4.32	17.05	0.12
2011	21.51	20.48	7.36	-5.87	15.17	3.30	18.49	0.33
2012	22.98	14.93	6.12	-6.34	17.26	1.87	24.35	0.86
2013	25.05	15.60	4.80	-8.25	17.24	1.39	24.15	0.99
2014	NA	NA	6.60	-9.76	13.55	-4.45	20.50	0.86
2015	30.33	22.68	8.78	-11.06	19.07	1.93	21.41	0.25
2016	31.24	19.77	11.27	-11.76	21.22	0.79	24.10	-0.09
2017	30.25	23.01	12.94	-11.63	21.58	1.55	24.11	-0.45
2018	29.39	21.90	14.10	-11.65	19.86	1.19	18.87	-0.61
2019	31.48	25.98	15.48	-10.58	20.05	2.40	16.54	-1.29
2021	45.89	32.33	15.84	-6.62	NA	NA	NA	NA
2022	50.42	34.57	17.67	-4.39	NA	NA	NA	NA

Figure 2

Figure 2. Average Location of Three Fish and Shellfish Species in the Northeast, 1974–2022

Data source: NOAA, 2024³
Web update: June 2024

Figure data (CSV) EPA source data (CSV)

Figure 3

This chart shows the annual centers of biomass for three species in the northeastern United States from 1974 to 2022. Dots are shaded from light to dark to show change over time.

Show the data behind this figure

species	year	latitude (degrees)	longitude (degrees)	change in latitude (miles)
American lobster	1974	40.96	-69.41	0.00
American lobster	1976	41.33	-69.06	25.54
American lobster	1977	41.48	-68.93	36.22
American lobster	1978	41.47	-69.03	35.48
American lobster	1979	41.52	-68.91	38.59
American lobster	1980	41.53	-68.88	39.49
American lobster	1981	41.60	-68.76	44.38
American lobster	1982	41.55	-69.14	40.94
American lobster	1983	41.68	-69.07	49.94
American lobster	1984	41.71	-69.08	51.48
American lobster	1985	41.76	-69.03	55.17
American lobster	1986	41.70	-68.97	51.28
American lobster	1987	41.68	-68.96	49.53
American lobster	1988	41.62	-69.15	45.86
American lobster	1989	41.72	-69.26	52.58
American lobster	1990	41.76	-69.38	55.31
American lobster	1991	41.85	-69.50	61.27
American lobster	1992	42.02	-69.28	73.13
American lobster	1993	42.33	-68.90	94.83
American lobster	1994	42.68	-68.48	118.73
American lobster	1995	42.81	-68.58	127.78
American lobster	1996	42.79	-68.81	126.45
American lobster	1997	42.65	-69.16	116.85
American lobster	1998	42.63	-69.27	114.94
American lobster	1999	42.65	-69.20	116.81
American lobster	2000	42.79	-68.95	126.32
American lobster	2001	42.81	-68.69	127.77
American lobster	2002	42.86	-68.37	131.25
American lobster	2003	42.83	-68.04	128.86
American lobster	2004	42.88	-67.83	132.76
American lobster	2005	42.91	-67.79	134.67
American lobster	2006	42.93	-67.84	136.23
American lobster	2007	42.94	-67.98	136.90
American lobster	2008	42.96	-68.04	137.99
American lobster	2009	43.02	-68.08	141.96
American lobster	2010	43.09	-68.14	147.16
American lobster	2011	43.16	-68.18	151.51
American lobster	2012	43.18	-68.17	153.02
American lobster	2013	43.21	-68.22	155.56
American lobster	2015	43.15	-68.09	151.30
American lobster	2016	43.11	-68.01	148.33
American lobster	2017	43.09	-67.96	147.00
American lobster	2018	43.07	-67.88	145.73
American lobster	2019	43.02	-67.78	142.28
American lobster	2021	42.90	-67.71	133.72
American lobster	2022	42.91	-67.73	134.35
Black sea bass	1974	37.57	-74.38	0.00
Black sea bass	1976	36.93	-74.69	-44.22
Black sea bass	1977	36.85	-74.74	-49.62
Black sea bass	1978	36.86	-74.74	-49.44
Black sea bass	1979	36.93	-74.70	-44.70
Black sea bass	1980	36.98	-74.65	-40.81
Black sea bass	1981	37.10	-74.54	-32.86
Black sea bass	1982	37.13	-74.48	-30.78
Black sea bass	1983	37.25	-74.36	-22.02
Black sea bass	1984	37.45	-74.18	-8.80
Black sea bass	1985	37.74	-73.96	11.52
Black sea bass	1986	37.84	-73.94	18.16
Black sea bass	1987	37.71	-74.08	9.70
Black sea bass	1988	37.58	-74.21	0.44
Black sea bass	1989	37.52	-74.28	-4.01
Black sea bass	1990	37.54	-74.29	-2.24
Black sea bass	1991	37.55	-74.30	-1.39
Black sea bass	1992	37.49	-74.34	-5.68
Black sea bass	1993	37.52	-74.30	-3.52
Black sea bass	1994	37.58	-74.22	0.22
Black sea bass	1995	37.73	-74.13	10.70
Black sea bass	1996	37.72	-74.16	10.32
Black sea bass	1997	37.70	-74.19	8.95
Black sea bass	1998	37.58	-74.30	0.33
Black sea bass	1999	37.67	-74.23	6.56
Black sea bass	2000	37.98	-74.01	27.91
Black sea bass	2001	38.25	-73.79	46.78
Black sea bass	2002	38.44	-73.62	59.45
Black sea bass	2003	38.46	-73.57	61.06
Black sea bass	2004	38.48	-73.53	62.49
Black sea bass	2005	38.47	-73.52	61.83
Black sea bass	2006	38.56	-73.45	67.91
Black sea bass	2007	38.75	-73.29	81.10
Black sea bass	2008	38.86	-73.13	88.49
Black sea bass	2009	38.81	-73.13	85.58
Black sea bass	2010	38.79	-73.17	83.84
Black sea bass	2011	38.82	-73.16	86.13
Black sea bass	2012	38.93	-73.09	93.50
Black sea bass	2013	39.02	-73.00	99.92
Black sea bass	2015	39.52	-72.55	134.50
Black sea bass	2016	39.68	-72.44	144.99
Black sea bass	2017	39.43	-72.63	128.12
Black sea bass	2018	39.30	-72.75	119.30
Black sea bass	2019	39.16	-72.87	109.73
Black sea bass	2021	39.48	-72.75	131.20
Black sea bass	2022	39.47	-72.76	130.93
Red hake	1974	41.08	-70.66	0.00
Red hake	1976	40.84	-70.92	-16.33
Red hake	1977	40.75	-71.03	-22.91
Red hake	1978	40.76	-71.03	-21.82
Red hake	1979	40.97	-70.73	-7.83
Red hake	1980	41.11	-70.57	2.24
Red hake	1981	41.30	-70.29	15.49
Red hake	1982	41.34	-70.23	17.84
Red hake	1983	41.53	-69.97	30.88
Red hake	1984	41.70	-69.71	43.07
Red hake	1985	41.84	-69.40	52.28
Red hake	1986	41.82	-69.31	51.23
Red hake	1987	41.85	-69.30	52.96
Red hake	1988	41.83	-69.37	51.61
Red hake	1989	41.81	-69.43	50.33
Red hake	1990	41.77	-69.44	47.89
Red hake	1991	41.85	-69.39	52.90
Red hake	1992	41.95	-69.29	60.00
Red hake	1993	42.06	-69.15	67.46
Red hake	1994	42.11	-68.98	71.13
Red hake	1995	42.10	-68.91	70.33
Red hake	1996	42.15	-68.89	73.74
Red hake	1997	42.20	-68.97	76.91
Red hake	1998	42.25	-69.00	80.81
Red hake	1999	42.31	-69.07	84.73
Red hake	2000	42.36	-69.00	88.59
Red hake	2001	42.34	-68.96	86.93
Red hake	2002	42.37	-68.84	88.88
Red hake	2003	42.37	-68.77	88.97
Red hake	2004	42.36	-68.65	88.28
Red hake	2005	42.20	-68.67	77.08
Red hake	2006	42.14	-68.80	73.41
Red hake	2007	41.97	-68.66	61.12
Red hake	2008	41.94	-68.71	59.19
Red hake	2009	41.85	-68.66	53.39
Red hake	2010	41.84	-68.70	52.76
Red hake	2011	41.83	-68.65	51.41
Red hake	2012	41.84	-68.67	52.16
Red hake	2013	41.97	-68.51	61.55
Red hake	2015	42.28	-68.49	82.79
Red hake	2016	42.33	-68.60	85.96
Red hake	2017	42.35	-68.62	87.67
Red hake	2018	42.38	-68.63	89.70
Red hake	2019	42.43	-68.62	93.08
Red hake	2021	42.56	-68.57	102.12
Red hake	2022	42.60	-68.52	105.11

Figure 4

Figure 3. Average Location of Three Fish and Shellfish Species in the Bering Sea, 1985–2022

Data source: NOAA, 2024³
Web update: June 2024

Figure data (CSV) EPA source data (CSV)

Figure 5

This chart shows the annual centers of biomass for three species in the eastern Bering Sea from 1985 to 2022. Dots are shaded from light to dark to show change over time.

Show the data behind this figure

species	year	latitude (degrees)	longitude (degrees)	change in latitude (miles)
Snow crab	1985	59.56	-172.22	0.00
Snow crab	1987	59.54	-172.13	-1.40
Snow crab	1988	59.40	-172.00	-10.87
Snow crab	1989	59.24	-171.92	-22.24
Snow crab	1990	59.11	-171.89	-31.06
Snow crab	1991	59.12	-172.01	-30.39
Snow crab	1992	59.31	-172.09	-16.95
Snow crab	1993	59.56	-172.16	0.39
Snow crab	1994	59.61	-172.11	3.82
Snow crab	1995	59.46	-172.05	-6.71
Snow crab	1996	59.27	-171.90	-19.70
Snow crab	1997	59.18	-171.89	-25.93
Snow crab	1998	59.22	-171.99	-23.37
Snow crab	1999	59.40	-172.30	-11.20
Snow crab	2000	59.68	-172.82	8.33
Snow crab	2001	59.95	-173.30	26.92
Snow crab	2002	60.05	-173.39	33.86
Snow crab	2003	60.08	-173.24	36.23
Snow crab	2004	59.94	-172.91	26.60
Snow crab	2005	59.70	-172.52	9.91
Snow crab	2006	59.41	-172.07	-10.12
Snow crab	2007	59.23	-171.81	-22.57
Snow crab	2008	59.25	-171.97	-21.27
Snow crab	2009	59.45	-172.57	-7.75
Snow crab	2010	59.66	-173.20	7.08
Snow crab	2011	59.63	-173.43	4.68
Snow crab	2012	59.37	-173.13	-12.82
Snow crab	2013	59.07	-172.56	-33.58
Snow crab	2014	58.93	-172.05	-43.30
Snow crab	2015	59.18	-172.04	-26.28
Snow crab	2016	59.71	-172.39	10.44
Snow crab	2017	60.06	-172.65	34.51
Snow crab	2018	60.12	-172.64	39.00
Snow crab	2019	60.04	-172.55	33.49
Snow crab	2021	60.06	-173.10	34.99
Snow crab	2022	60.19	-173.26	43.30
Walleye pollock	1985	58.28	-170.97	0.00
Walleye pollock	1987	58.32	-171.41	2.47
Walleye pollock	1988	58.30	-171.56	1.42
Walleye pollock	1989	58.28	-171.58	-0.20
Walleye pollock	1990	58.17	-171.54	-7.43
Walleye pollock	1991	58.04	-171.12	-16.47
Walleye pollock	1992	57.90	-170.44	-26.33
Walleye pollock	1993	57.68	-169.39	-41.18
Walleye pollock	1994	57.57	-168.80	-49.03
Walleye pollock	1995	57.62	-168.79	-45.77
Walleye pollock	1996	57.97	-169.38	-21.11
Walleye pollock	1997	58.44	-170.36	11.32
Walleye pollock	1998	58.55	-170.59	18.45
Walleye pollock	1999	58.35	-170.59	4.83
Walleye pollock	2000	58.18	-170.18	-7.06
Walleye pollock	2001	58.14	-170.16	-9.44
Walleye pollock	2002	58.20	-170.15	-5.27
Walleye pollock	2003	58.22	-170.39	-4.25
Walleye pollock	2004	58.19	-170.63	-6.28
Walleye pollock	2005	58.18	-171.12	-6.99
Walleye pollock	2006	58.27	-171.65	-0.37
Walleye pollock	2007	58.42	-172.23	9.82
Walleye pollock	2008	58.54	-172.52	17.88
Walleye pollock	2009	58.53	-172.53	17.06
Walleye pollock	2010	58.43	-172.17	10.50
Walleye pollock	2011	58.36	-171.81	5.78
Walleye pollock	2012	58.36	-171.42	5.61
Walleye pollock	2013	58.44	-171.35	11.01
Walleye pollock	2014	58.54	-171.16	17.92
Walleye pollock	2015	58.60	-170.86	21.87
Walleye pollock	2016	58.56	-170.37	19.03
Walleye pollock	2017	58.50	-170.24	15.40
Walleye pollock	2018	58.53	-170.45	17.01
Walleye pollock	2019	58.62	-170.99	23.27
Walleye pollock	2021	58.49	-171.01	14.75
Walleye pollock	2022	58.28	-170.69	0.38
Pacific halibut	1985	57.33	-166.41	0.00
Pacific halibut	1987	57.14	-166.82	-13.18
Pacific halibut	1988	57.14	-166.63	-13.16
Pacific halibut	1989	57.25	-166.22	-6.13
Pacific halibut	1990	57.39	-165.81	3.59
Pacific halibut	1991	57.53	-165.76	13.65
Pacific halibut	1992	57.54	-166.00	14.25
Pacific halibut	1993	57.56	-166.39	15.61
Pacific halibut	1994	57.53	-166.81	13.16
Pacific halibut	1995	57.50	-167.10	11.29
Pacific halibut	1996	57.46	-167.40	8.97
Pacific halibut	1997	57.38	-167.64	3.20
Pacific halibut	1998	57.38	-167.96	3.26
Pacific halibut	1999	57.39	-167.97	4.00
Pacific halibut	2000	57.54	-167.89	13.91
Pacific halibut	2001	57.67	-167.53	23.48
Pacific halibut	2002	57.83	-167.31	34.32
Pacific halibut	2003	57.90	-167.20	38.82
Pacific halibut	2004	57.87	-167.12	37.26
Pacific halibut	2005	57.81	-166.89	32.72
Pacific halibut	2006	57.76	-166.64	29.25
Pacific halibut	2007	57.72	-166.45	26.68
Pacific halibut	2008	57.67	-166.27	23.03
Pacific halibut	2009	57.62	-166.12	19.50
Pacific halibut	2010	57.64	-165.83	21.14
Pacific halibut	2011	57.69	-165.59	24.69
Pacific halibut	2012	57.77	-165.52	30.00
Pacific halibut	2013	57.83	-165.77	33.87
Pacific halibut	2014	57.85	-166.06	35.87
Pacific halibut	2015	57.87	-166.30	36.85
Pacific halibut	2016	57.87	-166.37	36.92
Pacific halibut	2017	57.86	-166.33	36.38
Pacific halibut	2018	57.87	-166.26	37.29
Pacific halibut	2019	57.90	-166.22	39.07
Pacific halibut	2021	58.04	-166.17	48.79
Pacific halibut	2022	58.10	-166.11	53.11

Figure 6

Figure 4. Average Location of Three Fish and Shellfish Species in the Southeast, 1989–2019

Data source: NOAA, 2024³
Web update: June 2024

Figure data (CSV) EPA source data (CSV)

Figure 7

This chart shows the annual centers of biomass for three species in the southeastern United States from 1989 to 2019. Dots are shaded from light to dark to show change over time.

Show the data behind this figure

species	year	latitude (degrees)	longitude (degrees)	change in latitude (miles)
Smooth butterfly ray	1989	29.89	-80.55	0.00
Smooth butterfly ray	1990	29.74	-80.68	-10.39
Smooth butterfly ray	1991	29.68	-80.88	-14.44
Smooth butterfly ray	1992	29.74	-81.01	-10.34
Smooth butterfly ray	1993	29.87	-81.14	-1.12
Smooth butterfly ray	1994	29.87	-81.15	-1.55
Smooth butterfly ray	1995	29.88	-81.10	-0.47
Smooth butterfly ray	1996	30.14	-81.01	17.55
Smooth butterfly ray	1997	30.32	-80.96	30.00
Smooth butterfly ray	1998	30.29	-81.04	27.29
Smooth butterfly ray	1999	30.36	-80.94	32.43
Smooth butterfly ray	2000	30.78	-80.68	61.50
Smooth butterfly ray	2001	31.26	-80.22	94.50
Smooth butterfly ray	2002	31.01	-80.30	77.01
Smooth butterfly ray	2003	30.76	-80.36	59.92
Smooth butterfly ray	2004	30.15	-80.75	17.80
Smooth butterfly ray	2005	30.35	-80.54	31.54
Smooth butterfly ray	2006	30.90	-80.10	69.92
Smooth butterfly ray	2007	31.41	-79.72	104.75
Smooth butterfly ray	2008	31.92	-79.26	140.05
Smooth butterfly ray	2009	32.74	-78.62	196.61
Smooth butterfly ray	2010	33.70	-77.71	263.14
Smooth butterfly ray	2011	33.48	-77.97	247.40
Smooth butterfly ray	2012	32.67	-78.73	191.54
Smooth butterfly ray	2013	32.35	-79.04	170.08
Smooth butterfly ray	2014	31.55	-79.86	114.63
Smooth butterfly ray	2015	31.84	-79.62	134.78
Smooth butterfly ray	2016	32.14	-79.41	155.03
Smooth butterfly ray	2017	32.40	-79.16	173.01
Smooth butterfly ray	2018	32.18	-79.40	158.09
Smooth butterfly ray	2019	32.12	-79.49	154.20
Banded drum	1989	30.01	-81.06	0.00
Banded drum	1990	29.95	-81.01	-4.53
Banded drum	1991	30.02	-80.95	0.66
Banded drum	1992	30.05	-81.06	2.49
Banded drum	1993	30.30	-81.06	20.04
Banded drum	1994	30.46	-81.05	31.02
Banded drum	1995	30.33	-81.18	21.53
Banded drum	1996	30.45	-81.17	30.37
Banded drum	1997	30.85	-80.93	57.77
Banded drum	1998	30.79	-80.96	53.63
Banded drum	1999	30.61	-81.03	41.36
Banded drum	2000	30.97	-80.65	65.89
Banded drum	2001	31.17	-80.60	80.14
Banded drum	2002	31.22	-80.72	83.25
Banded drum	2003	31.11	-80.88	75.45
Banded drum	2004	30.35	-80.88	23.01
Banded drum	2005	30.70	-80.61	47.47
Banded drum	2006	31.15	-80.30	78.77
Banded drum	2007	32.29	-79.36	157.33
Banded drum	2008	32.79	-79.00	191.58
Banded drum	2009	33.01	-79.00	206.78
Banded drum	2010	32.98	-79.19	204.39
Banded drum	2011	32.77	-79.46	190.12
Banded drum	2012	32.64	-79.54	181.28
Banded drum	2013	32.74	-79.33	187.97
Banded drum	2014	32.62	-79.38	180.01
Banded drum	2015	32.47	-79.48	169.33
Banded drum	2016	32.10	-80.00	143.95
Banded drum	2017	31.63	-80.47	111.38
Banded drum	2018	31.62	-80.51	111.04
Banded drum	2019	31.67	-80.46	114.55
Atlantic croaker	1989	31.61	-79.65	0.00
Atlantic croaker	1990	31.87	-79.50	17.93
Atlantic croaker	1991	32.23	-79.30	42.96
Atlantic croaker	1992	32.79	-78.86	81.28
Atlantic croaker	1993	33.14	-78.56	105.70
Atlantic croaker	1994	33.65	-78.11	140.68
Atlantic croaker	1995	33.70	-78.07	143.90
Atlantic croaker	1996	33.77	-78.07	149.18
Atlantic croaker	1997	33.82	-78.05	152.21
Atlantic croaker	1998	33.85	-77.98	154.49
Atlantic croaker	1999	33.83	-78.00	153.04
Atlantic croaker	2000	33.97	-77.87	162.92
Atlantic croaker	2001	33.99	-77.85	164.39
Atlantic croaker	2002	34.04	-77.82	167.63
Atlantic croaker	2003	33.97	-77.90	162.87
Atlantic croaker	2004	33.98	-77.85	163.71
Atlantic croaker	2005	34.10	-77.64	171.97
Atlantic croaker	2006	34.09	-77.66	171.27
Atlantic croaker	2007	34.03	-77.82	166.63
Atlantic croaker	2008	33.98	-77.89	163.59
Atlantic croaker	2009	33.94	-77.93	160.62
Atlantic croaker	2010	34.03	-77.81	166.77
Atlantic croaker	2011	34.06	-77.75	168.71
Atlantic croaker	2012	34.06	-77.74	168.94
Atlantic croaker	2013	34.00	-77.85	165.17
Atlantic croaker	2014	34.00	-77.90	164.68
Atlantic croaker	2015	33.99	-77.94	163.88
Atlantic croaker	2016	34.02	-77.92	166.10
Atlantic croaker	2017	33.88	-78.07	156.62
Atlantic croaker	2018	33.69	-78.22	143.34
Atlantic croaker	2019	33.28	-78.56	114.85

Figure 8

Key Points

The average center of biomass for 157 marine fish and invertebrate species shifted northward by nearly 17 miles between 1989 and 2019 (see Figure 1). These species also moved an average of 0.6 feet deeper.
In waters off the northeastern United States, several economically important species have shifted northward since the 1970s (see Figure 2). The three species shown in Figure 2 (American lobster, red hake, and black sea bass) have moved northward by an average of 145 miles.
In the Bering Sea, walleye pollock, snow crab, and Pacific halibut have generally shifted away from the coast since the 1980s (see Figure 3). They have also moved northward by an average of 41 miles.
In waters off the southeastern United States, several species have shifted northward since the late 1980s (see Figure 4). The three species shown in Figure 4 (Atlantic croaker, banded drum, and smooth butterfly ray) have moved northward by an average of 169 miles.

Background

Changes in water temperature can affect the environments where fish, shellfish, and other marine species live. Certain fish species naturally migrate in response to seasonal temperature changes, moving northward or to deeper, cooler waters in the summer and migrating back during the winter. As climate change causes the oceans to become warmer year-round (see the Ocean Heat and Sea Surface Temperature indicators), however, populations of some species may adapt by shifting away from areas that have become too warm and toward areas that were previously cooler. Along U.S. coasts, this means a shift northward or to deeper waters that may have a more suitable temperature. As smaller prey species shift their habitats, larger predator species may follow them.

Marine species represent a particularly good indicator of warming oceans because they are sensitive to climate and because they have been studied and tracked for many years. Fish are especially mobile, and they may shift their location more easily than species on land because they face fewer physical barriers.¹ Also, many marine species, especially fish, do not have fixed nesting places or dwellings that might otherwise compel them to stay in one place. Populations of many marine species have been measured consistently for several decades across various types of ocean habitats. Tracking data from many species is useful because if a change in behavior or distribution occurs across a large range of species, it is more likely the result of a more systematic or common cause.

The movement of species based on their preferred temperature conditions can affect commercial and recreational fisheries, with implications for fisheries management and the economy of communities that rely on fisheries.² Climate-related fishery losses have already resulted in billions of dollars of lost catch in recent years, directly harming jobs, livelihoods, and local culture.² Temperature-driven changes in suitable habitats are expected to continue in the future.²

About the Indicator

This indicator tracks marine animal species in terms of their “center of biomass,” which is a point on the map that represents the center of each species’ distribution by weight. If a fish population were to shift generally northward, the center of biomass would shift northward as well. This approach is similar to the way changes in bird population distributions have been measured (see the Bird Wintering Ranges indicator).

Data for this indicator were collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service and other agencies. These agencies monitor marine species populations by conducting annual surveys in which they trawl the ocean at regular intervals along the coast. By recording what they catch at each location, scientists can calculate each species’ center of biomass in terms of latitude, longitude, and depth.

This indicator focuses on three survey regions that have the most continuous and longest-running sampling: the Northeast, the eastern Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska, and the Southeast. Figure 1 shows the average change in the center of biomass across 157 species in these regions as well as changes by region. For consistency, each line in Figure 1 is limited to species with the most complete records throughout the timeframe shown. Figures 2, 3, and 4 show detailed changes for three species in each region. These species were chosen because they represent a variety of habitats and species types (a mixture of fish and shellfish) and because they tend to be fairly abundant. Some of these species support major fisheries, but are presumed not to be heavily affected by overfishing, reducing the chance that fishing is unduly influencing the observed trends. Northeast data come from surveys that have been conducted every spring since 1974, Bering Sea data come from summer surveys that have been conducted consistently since 1985, and Southeast data come from surveys that have been conducted every spring since 1989.

Indicator Notes

Water temperature is not the only factor that can cause marine animal populations to shift. Other factors could include interactions with other species, harvesting, ocean circulation patterns, habitat change, and species’ ability to disperse and adapt. As a result, species might have moved northward for reasons other than, or in addition to, changing sea temperatures. This indicator is limited to the Northeast, the eastern Bering Sea, and the Southeast because these areas have used consistent survey methods and because they do not have coastlines that would prevent species from moving northward in response to warming (in contrast to regions like the Gulf of Mexico, where the coast blocks northward migration).

Data Sources

Data for this indicator were collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service during annual bottom trawl fisheries surveys. These data have been processed and made publicly available through the Distribution Mapping and Analysis Portal at: https://apps-st.fisheries.noaa.gov/dismap/DisMAP.html. Data from these surveys have been used to support a wide variety of studies.^1,4

Technical Documentation

Download related technical information (PDF)

References

Pinsky, M. L., Worm, B., Fogarty, M. J., Sarmiento, J. L., & Levin, S. A. (2013). Marine taxa track local climate velocities. Science, 341(6151), 1239–1242. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1239352
Mills, K. E., Osborne, E. B., Bell, R. J., Colgan, C. S., Cooley, S. R., Goldstein, M. C., Griffis, R. B., Holsman, K., Jacox, M., & Micheli, F. (2023). Chapter 10: Ocean ecosystems and marine resources. In USGCRP (U.S. Global Change Research Program), Fifth National Climate Assessment. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA5.2023.CH10
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). (2024). DisMAP data records. Distribution Mapping and Analysis Portal. Retrieved May 6, 2024, from https://apps-st.fisheries.noaa.gov/dismap/DisMAP.html
Morley, J. W., Selden, R. L., Latour, R. J., Frölicher, T. L., Seagraves, R. J., & Pinsky, M. L. (2018). Projecting shifts in thermal habitat for 686 species on the North American continental shelf. PLOS ONE, 13(5), e0196127. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196127
USGCRP (U.S. Global Change Research Program). (2018). Impacts, risks, and adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, volume II (D. R. Reidmiller, C. W. Avery, D. R. Easterling, K. E. Kunkel, K. L. M. Lewis, T. K. Maycock, & B. C. Stewart, Eds.). https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA4.2018.RiB
USGCRP (U.S. Global Change Research Program). (2021). USGCRP indicators: Marine species distribution. www.globalchange.gov/indicators/marine-species-distribution

Text on this page is EPA’s own published wording (a U.S. Government work, not subject to domestic copyright), extracted from EPA’s published indicator page and verified paragraph by paragraph against the archived HTML. Data, chart code, and the full extraction pipeline are maintained in the marine-species-distribution repository, which this page reads its data from directly.

Two changes were made to EPA’s wording. EPA’s published heading for Figure 4 gives the period as 1984–2019, but the data and EPA’s own description of the figure run from 1989 to 2019, so the period is given as 1989–2019 here. And EPA’s descriptions of Figures 2, 3, and 4 say “This map shows”, but the figures on this page plot latitude against longitude without a base map, so they say “This chart shows”.