Cross-Regional Comparison Summary

Regional Patterns: Western Pacific LMEs (Yellow Sea, Kuroshio Current) exhibit the highest levels of ecosystem stress, with multiple critical indicators including marine heatwaves and harmful algal blooms. The Yellow Sea faces compounding pressures from declining primary production alongside critical HAB frequency and hypoxia events. In contrast, the Gulf of Alaska demonstrates relative resilience with predominantly good to stable conditions across most indicators, though ocean acidification remains a shared concern across all regions.

Basin-Wide Trends: Ocean acidification shows a consistent worsening trend across all seven LMEs, indicating a systemic challenge requiring coordinated management response. Marine heatwaves range from caution to critical status basin-wide, with the Kuroshio Current experiencing the most severe conditions. Primary productivity remains stable in most systems, providing a foundation for ecosystem resilience, though the Yellow Sea's declining trend warrants monitoring.

Management Priorities: Immediate attention is needed for Western Pacific systems experiencing multiple concurrent stressors. The Kuroshio Current's critical marine heatwave status and the Yellow Sea's declining ecosystem stability represent the most urgent concerns. Arctic and Subarctic systems show mixed conditions but face emerging threats from increasing HAB frequency. Eastern Pacific upwelling systems maintain relatively good health but require proactive management of ocean acidification impacts on shellfish populations.