Heatwave

Marine heatwaves

Marine heatwaves have become a prominent subject of research in recent years, reflecting the fact that since the turn of this century many ocean areas have experienced peaks of temperatures, along with more frequent, more intense, and more prolonged warming events than ever met on record. The genesis of marine heatwaves is mainly driven by a combination of oceanic and atmospheric factors, often triggered by high pressure systems that will reduce cloud cover and increase solar absorption by the sea surface. Human-induced climate change appears bound to play a growing role in the development of marine heatwaves, with increasing impacts on marine ecosystems, such as mass mortality in benthic communities, coral bleaching events, disruptions in fishery catches, and shifts in species distributions.