Regional and context-specific approaches can improve marine heat wave research

Ocean heat waves can create chaos in marine ecosystems and destroy coastal economies. In recent years, they have made headlines to fuel the storm system, which has encouraged dramatic changes in fish migration, and that harmful algae occur more frequently than blooms, as well as fueling the storm system. However, in some situations, the broad definition of ocean heat waves (sea temperatures above seasonal thresholds for five consecutive days) leaves more questions than answers.

A new commentary published in Nature Climate Change involves an interdisciplinary group of researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and San Diego State University (SDSU) calling for scientists to become more specific. Different scientific disciplines prioritize different aspects of ocean heat waves and include what drives them, as well as local impacts they may have.

“Ecologists look at biological effects such as marine life and food source migration, while physical oceanologists analyze the underlying drivers from a statistical perspective, while climate scientists try to attribute the cause,” explained Svenja Ryan. “The detection, interpretation, and impact assessment of marine heat waves are heavily influenced by methodological choices, such as definition of temperature baselines and selection of data sources.”

“As scientists, we often aim for standardized methodologies to ensure comparability between studies. However, drivers of unusually warm waters and their ecological impacts can vary by region and species.”

“So, while a “one-size-fits-all” approach to identifying and characterizing ocean heat waves may seem ideal, our goal as a community is to determine the practices that are most suitable for the oceanographic and ecosystem dynamics of a particular region. ”

In 2012, a long-term marine heatwave wreak havoc on Maine’s marine life and fishing. Sometimes the water temperature was nearly above 40°F above average. The state’s classic lobster fishing industry suffered. A study on the outbreak at the University of Maine showed that lobster yields were not low, but early molting led to a significant price drop. Since 2012, marine warming has been pronounced off the coast of the northeastern US coast, and fishermen often find warm fish and squid, which are not usually found in this area.

“Sites like the Gulf of Maine are so dynamic that using different methods to detect ocean heat waves makes a huge difference in how these events are characterised,” says Camlyn Brown, a biologist at WHOI and a member of the Marine Predators Group. “On the other hand, looking at areas like the Gulf of Mexico, the various methodologies for identifying ocean heat waves lead to inconspicuous differences in detection that result from these events.”

“When we see ocean heat waves happening more frequently, it becomes more important to take a regional approach to studying them. These extreme events can usually result in commercially important marine species that lose proper habitat in the critical areas they normally occupy.”

“Scientists need to take a regional and context-specific approach to studying marine heat waves so that they can support marine life, livelihoods and livelihoods of people who rely on marine ecosystems.”