What is a marine heatwave?
Marine heatwaves (MHWs) can be defined as periods of abnormally high sea temperatures above the seasonal average which can last days to months [1].
The frequency of marine heatwaves has approximately doubled since the 1980s and there is considerable evidence that this increase is being driven by human activities [2].
The negative impacts of marine heatwaves have received widespread attention in tropical regions where they can result in mass mortality of coral reefs. However, we are also seeing increased marine heatwaves around the United Kingdom. Recently in June 2023, the UK saw abnormally high sea temperatures 4-5 °C above the norm, with sea temperatures as high as 18°C documented in Plymouth Sound compared to the typical June average of 13-14 °C [3].
The predicted increases in the frequency, duration and severity of marine heatwaves over the next century may have the potential to disrupt marine life from individual animals to whole ecosystems, as well as the important services that they provide such as fisheries and aquaculture [1].