This document identifies the most appropriate climate change scenarios to employ during research efforts to understand the potential impacts of climate change on marine species and traditional ocean users, particularly in light of growing marine industry development along the U.S. West Coast. Given new development projects, such as offshore energy, will have permitting lifespans of 25–35 years with potential renewals extending to the end of the century, it is important to move beyond historical data and incorporate future ocean conditions into marine spatial planning.
Guerra et al. (2026) studied this question.