Tracking Marine Heat Waves in the Gulf
The world’s oceans are getting hotter; in fact, May 2024 was warmer globally than any previous May in the data record. We know that warmer ocean temperatures can mean more frequent and more intense hurricanes, but that’s just one impact. Marine heat waves (MHW) — warmer than normal water temperatures over an extended period — can impact fisheries, coral reefs and even inland temperatures.
GCOOS is partnering with researchers at the University of South Alabama/Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) on a project focused on MHW. In addition to developing a framework for expected heat wave impacts and a heat wave alert system, the project will define the tools needed for better detection of marine heat waves — both at the surface and in the water column — to help Gulf stakeholders and resource managers mitigate impacts on coastal communities, ecosystems and industries.
GCOOS National Academy of Sciences Science Policy Fellow Dr. Ren Kamakura is leading the project.
Time series of the sea surface average temperature anomaly for the Gulf of Mexico (red) and northern subtropical Atlantic Ocean, from Wang, Z., T. Boyer, J. Reagan, and P. Hogan, 2023: Upper-Oceanic Warming in the Gulf of Mexico between 1950 and 2020. J. Climate, 36, 2721–2734, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-22-0409.1.
Impact Reports
As part of our ongoing marine heat waves project, we are drafting a series of short reports on MHW impacts on species, ecosystems and industries in the Gulf and Caribbean. We will share the reports here as they are finalized.
