of higher trophic species, but changes in the structure and function of food webs will vary  depending on regional differences in changing drivers . Primary production in open water habitats is expected to be supported by smaller phytoplankton species in the future , which could increase the relative importance of the copepod-mesopelagic fish pathway , because krill prefer larger diatoms as food . The optimum habitat for Antarctic krill is expected to decline with a shortening of suitable season for krill growth and reproduction, particularly in the northern Scotia and Bellingshausen Seas  , although changes may be difficult to distinguish from natural variability until later in the century . More subtle and unpredictable changes may occur in the structure and relative importance of energy pathways in the food webs . Small mesopelagic fish are increasingly recognised for their importance as mid-trophic level species in the Southern Ocean, particularly in the sub-Antarctic zone  and Central Indian Sector . Although salps have long been considered to be competitors of Antarctic krill , they provide a third energy pathway in pelagic food webs and, given the changing ocean conditions and their preference for smaller phytoplankton, may increase in importance for copepods  . Declining ice shelves, such as those off the Antarctic Peninsula, will open up new pelagic and benthic habitats  with expected increases in productivity of benthic assemblages in the new areas .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report