What is one consequence of climate change for marine species?

The correct choice highlights how climate change can drive speciation through adaptation. As marine environments undergo shifts due to rising temperatures, altered salinity, and changing currents, marine species may be forced to adapt to new conditions. These adaptations can lead to genetic divergence, especially if populations become isolated in different habitats or if they start exploiting different resources within the same environment. Over time, these adaptations may result in the emergence of new species as traits become more specialized.

In contrast to the other options, diminished food sources, enhanced reproductive rates, and the reduction of ecological niches focus more on immediate impacts rather than long-term evolutionary consequences. While climate change can indeed result in reduced food availability and may affect reproduction negatively in some species, these changes do not inherently lead to the formation of new species. The reduction of ecological niches often leads to competition and could threaten existing species but does not facilitate the process of speciation in the same way that adaptation does.