A reflection on four impactful Ambio papers: The biotic perspective This article belongs to Ambio's 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Climate change impacts

Climate change represents one of the most pressing societal and scientific challenges of our time. While much of the current research on climate change focuses on future prediction, some of the strongest signals of warming can already be seen in Arctic and alpine areas, where temperatures are rising faster than the global average, and in the oceans, where the combination of rising temperatures and acidification due to increased CO2 concentrations has had catastrophic consequences for sensitive marine organisms inhabiting coral reefs. The scientific papers highlighted as part of this anniversary issue represent some of the most impactful advances in our understanding of the consequences of anthropogenic climate change. Here, we reflect on the legacy of these papers from the biotic perspective.

Automated summary

Climate change is a pressing societal and scientific challenge, with strong signals of warming already visible in regions like the Arctic, alpine areas, and oceans. The impact of rising temperatures and acidification due to increased CO2 concentrations has had catastrophic consequences for sensitive marine organisms, reflecting a significant legacy from the biotic perspective.