The continued decline in ocean biomass caused by the ongoing rise in temperature is the main stress factor faced by marine species. “When we remove the noise of extreme short-term weather events, the data show that this warming is associated with a sustained annual decline in biomass of up to 19.8%,” explained Chaikin. “Unlike extreme short-term weather fluctuations, which can vary dramatically, this chronic warming exerts a constant negative pressure on fish populations in the Mediterranean Sea, the North Atlantic Ocean, and the Northeastern Pacific Ocean,” adds National University of Colombia researcher Juan David González Trujillo.