Sitting at the edge of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the Kerguelen Plateau is known for its complex oceanography that drives a unique marine ecosystem. The region is recognised for its high value fisheries and rich marine biodiversity with two Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). We also know that this biodiversity is already being affected by the impacts of climate change.
Documenting these changes and making causal inferences about climate change requires collecting ecological data from a range of conditions. Ensuring survey design produces adequate sampling to support decision making is vital to enable quantitative analyses to this end. To support this, we looked at the patterns of variation of climate change in the area. This will enable future surveys to be designed in ways that allow the impact of these gradients to be incorporated. We computed various climate change metrics for the northern part of the plateau. The results from our analysis of the metrics identify regions of high and low priority for future monitoring to capture the impacts of climate change. There are distinct spatial patterns in the study area, specifically along the north-south axis. Future demersal fish survey designs should ensure they capture a diversity of these patterns.