Signature of climate-induced changes in seafood species served in restaurants

Abstract

Paper summary generated by OpenAI: This study investigates the impact of climate-induced changes on seafood species served in restaurants, focusing on the analysis of 362 restaurant menus from Vancouver, British Columbia, over four time periods from 1880 to 2021. The research introduces the Mean Temperature of Restaurant Seafood (MTRS) index, which reflects the average temperature preference of seafood species listed on the menus. Findings reveal a significant increase in MTRS from 10.7 °C to 13.8 °C over the studied period, correlating with rising sea surface temperatures. Additionally, present-day MTRS values were highest in Los Angeles and lowest in Anchorage, indicating spatial variations in seafood offerings that align with climate change effects. This study highlights the potential of restaurant menus as unconventional data sources for tracking changes in marine ecosystems and fisheries.