Moderate-
High
Climate vulnerability
Sensitivity to climate change
Moderate
Though there is limited information regarding the sensitivity of Pacific sand lance to climate change, their sensitivity is likely to stem from climate-induced changes in their intertidal spawning habitat and changes in prey distribution and abundance. Increasing air and sea surface temperatures could lead to suboptimal sediment temperature and lower oxygen conditions in sediments where sand lance prefer to burrow, forcing sand lance to emerge from the sediment and making them more susceptible to predation. Sand lance tend to return to the same burrowing sediment habitat interannually, so changes in nearshore habitat (e.g., due to rising sea level or coastal erosion from increased storms) could limit burrowing and spawning habitat availability. Increasing sea surface temperature could also lead to declines and changes in distribution in zooplankton, limited prey availability for sand lance, and decreased recruitment.
Exposure to climate change
Moderate-
High
- Increased air and ocean temperatures
- Decreased oxygen
- Sea level rise
- Increased coastal erosion