Field in the frame: flying over the Ocean

Marine heatwaves threaten vulnerable ecosystems and are intrinsically linked to a warming climate. Dr Athanase and colleagues performed coupled climate model simulations and found that future climate change could create a feedback loop, increasing the intensity and spatial extent of marine heatwaves. For example, in a future + 4 °C warmer climate, global oceans could be + 1.9 °C warmer than present levels, while warming in Northeast Pacific marine heatwaves could be + 2.9 ± 0.15 °C above present levels. This work demonstrates the stress that future climate warming could play on marine ecosystems.