A gradual change in water temperature or oxygen concentration can lead to a fundamental shift in the structure and/ or composition of an ecosystem when a tipping point is exceeded. For example, all species have upper temperature limits below which they can thrive. In the tropics, prolonged warm temperatures can cause fatal 'bleaching' of tropical corals, leading reef ecosystems to degrade and become dominated by algae. In temperate regions, MHWs can kill or reduce the growth of kelp, threatening the other species that depend on the tall, canopy-forming marine plants for habitat. In the Arctic, rising temperatures are melting sea ice and reducing the available habitat for communities of ice-dependent species.
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report