Vulnerability of semi-enclosed marine systems to environmental disturbances

Abstract

Semi-enclosed marine systems (SEMSs) are impacted on time scales ranging from the very short (days or less) to the very long (decades and beyond) by many of the same forces and stresses as other components of the Earth system. Like the open ocean, SEMSs are linked to large-scale anthropogenic disturbances through climate change, acidification from increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (C02), and atmospheric deposition of contaminants.