IB Biology SL 4.3.6 Climate Change and Species Distribution

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabit almost all tropical and temperate oceans between $45^{\circ} \mathrm{N}$ and $45^{\circ} \mathrm{S}$. Over a two-year period, aerial surveys were carried out to investigate the seasonal distribution of these animals along the mid-Atlantic and eastern coastal waters of the USA. Sightings were recorded using a global positioning system (GPS) while flying parallel to the coast approximately 500 m offshore. The diagram below shows a map of the section of coast surveyed. The bar graph shows the seasonal data for summer and winter at the corresponding latitudes ( ${ }^{\circ} \mathrm{N}$ ). A total of 5431 bottlenose dolphins were sighted during these surveys.

Explain how an increase in water temperature due to global warming could affect the distribution of bottlenose dolphins along the eastern coast of the USA.