Warming waters, moving fish: how climate change is reshaping Iceland

ISAFJORDUR, Iceland—Before it became a “Game of Thrones” location, and before hordes of tourists descended upon this small island nation, there were the fish.

Gisli Palsson, a professor of anthropology at the University of Iceland, said “【小题1】” The money Iceland earned from commercial fishing helped the island, which is about the size of Kentucky, become independent from Denmark in 1944.

【小题2】Ocean temperatures around Iceland have increased between 1.8 and 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 20 years. For the past two seasons, Icelanders have not been able to harvest capelin, a type of smelt, as their numbers plummeted. The warmer waters mean that as some fish leave, causing financial disruption, other fish species arrive, triggering geopolitical conflicts.

【小题3】Blue whiting is increasingly moving farther north and west into the waters near Greenland. And cod, which this year brought in record profits of $l billion, feed on capelin. But Mr Birgisson, a fishing captain, said the best place to fish for cod was where warmer ocean temperatures meet colder ocean temperatures, and that is increasingly moving north in keeping with global patterns.

While fishery management problems have long existed, climate change is worsening conflicts. 【小题4】Not only does this have huge consequences for the people living in those regions, it also has global implications, because the lack of a critical food source may cause people to move. Fishing is “dangerous work—I don’t want my kids to be at sea,” said Saethor Atli Gislason, standing on his fishing boat in Bolungarvik, a town roughly 10 miles north of Isafjordur.

One afternoon in 2013, something on the Internet caught my eye: a tiny hedgehog (刺猬) held by a big hand. The post read: “HELP! My hedgehog abandoned (抛弃) her two babies, and I cannot raise both of them because I have to go to school full-time. Good home with experience needed as soon as possible!”

I had no experience with baby hedgehogs. I was an animal person through and through and had raised cats, dogs, birds, and guines pigs. But this tiny animal was new to me, and it touched me that he was abandoned, that maybe I could love him and be the best mom for him.

I wrote the most heartfelt email I could. That was how I found my Louie. True to my word, he was my baby. Louie didn’t know he was a hedgehog. He never curled (蜷缩) into a ball, and he liked my two cats, no fear. The cats, however, were afraid of him, as he often moved into the room, running after the cats and blocking my way.

By the time he reached old age, Louie had only three feet. However, he still managed to climb the stairs to visit other animals. He helped me realize my dream of hedgehog photography, a hobby that began during childhood with cats and dollhouses. I love showing off his modeling.

Life has meaning because of the purpose we have. Louie needed a good home and mom, and in return, I got to be a good mother and be needed. Hedgehogs require great amounts of patience, trust, and knowledge — but the payoff (回报) is pretty great.

While orcas are known for their well-designed joint attacks on unsuspecting oceanic animals, they have never posed a threat to humans. However, since July 2020, the normally social animals have been intentionally attacking sailboats off the coasts of Spain. The unusual hostility is puzzling scientists worldwide.

The strange behavior first surfaced on July 29, when Victoria Morris, a biology graduate, noticed nine orcas circling the 46 foot boat she was crewing near the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar. She was initially cheerful to see the friendly animals, with which she had numerous encounters while teaching sailing in New Zealand. However, that changed when the orcas started striking the boat repeatedly for almost an hour. “They almost turned the boat over and the deafening noise was terrifying,” she said.

The continuous attacks broke the boat's automatic rudder, leaving the boat disabled. Spanish biologist Rocio Espada says, “It is crazy. I've seen these whales grow from babies. I know their life stories. I've never seen or heard of attacks.”

Since then, over 30 more similar incidents have been reported. Some researchers believe the orcas' unusual behavior could be a result of the overfishing of tuna—orcas' primary food source—which has left the area's orcas starving and unable to feed their babies. “I saw orcas look at boats carrying fish. The intelligent animals may know humans are somehow related to food shortages,” says Ken Balcomb, an American scientist.

However, Alfredo Lopez a Spanish biology professor, thinks the attacks were preventative measures the orcas adopted to protect themselves against boat injuries. The researcher came to this conclusion after looking at the footage of a few incidents filmed on the scene and noticing that two of the young orcas involved had serious injuries. The scientist wasn't sure if the orcas were hurt during or before the recent boat encounters. Lopez said, “Our interpretation is that they don't have the slightest intention of attacking people.” Hopefully, the experts will find a way to restore the harmony between the animals and humans soon.