rising temperatures are melting polar ice and together with thermal expansion of water are contributing to sea level rise changing precipitation patterns more frequent intense weather events storm surges and flooding coastal erosion increased sedimentation of coastal waters and pollution from flooded or destroyed infrastructure and storm runoff ipcc a b usd nd the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change states that with high confidence changes will occur in marine biological systems due to rising water temperatures affecting shifts in pelagic algae and other plankton and fish abundance in high latitudes ipcc a migratory patterns of stocks are expected to alter due to modified seasonality of marine and freshwater systems