Marine heatwaves: the devastating impact of climate change on the oceans

emissions Greenhouse gases They are warming the oceans, with serious consequences at all levels, from organism rates to ecosystem processes. The direct factor is the interaction between anthropogenic warming and natural fluctuations in local temperatures. Now, a new article has just been published in Annual review of ecology, evolution, and systematicshighlights the interaction between both conditions.

These two properties cause Unusual warm phenomenasuch as marine heat waves, with increasing frequency and magnitude.

However, the interaction between a constantly warming climate and local temperature extremes tends to be underestimated. Investigations regarding Climate change They often focus on the global warming trend.

But organisms in the ocean suffer, too Temperature fluctuationsThis is less studied and therefore less understood. What we are trying to do is add more realism to studies of ocean change by looking at the smooth upward trend of global warming and fluctuation above that trend.

The paper proposes a new approach to understanding and modeling marine impacts, with suggestions for future research.

Coral is an example of the need for a fresh look. Although an organism like this is already trying to adapt to the warming trend, it then experiences a heat wave that causes a sudden, large rise in temperature.

These peaks tend to cause… Coral bleaching, which occurs when, under metabolic stress, it expels the beneficial microscopic algae living within it and turns white. If the temperature remains high and the algae cannot return to their host coral, the bleached algae will die. Whitman noted that heat waves in the Mediterranean Sea caused increased coral bleaching and Death of corals and sea fans.

Extreme events, such as heat waves, can occur changing also Damage to marine ecosystems In a way that makes them more vulnerable to gradual climate change and subsequent temperature fluctuations. a A more realistic model “It could help scientists better identify areas where coral reefs are most likely to die in an extreme event, leaving the organisms that depend on them vulnerable over time.”

In other cases, temperature fluctuation can trigger the opposite response in the affected organism: the ability to acclimatize or adapt to temperature extremes, depending on their frequency and intensity. These responses to changing events are compounded and exacerbated by the effects caused by Rapid and continuous increase of ocean temperatures.

He collaborated on the research with Andrew Pershing of the nonprofit Climate Central, who studied biology at Brown University; and John Bruno, a professor of biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who earned his doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology from the same university.

The work examined how organisms and communities adapt or adapt to fluid trends and changing changes, and then reviewed the processes that affect the speed with which marine communities adapt to changes in their physical environment, in addition to those processes that can affect the speed with which they adapt to changes in their physical environment. Make adjustment or adaptation difficult. The researchers stressed that all these factors explain why it is important to consider both types of change when studying marine climates.

If we simply study how organisms respond to a smooth trend, we miss all the fluctuations that drive environmental change. This is not simply the worsening of physiological stress over time; There are also variable events that have their own effects.

A global model has been created that shows temperature variability relative to trend, highlighting areas likely to experience temperature extremes. Particularly harmful effects. In regions Gulf of Mainehe Caribbean Sea And the The Mediterranean SeaThere is a high probability of exceptional warming events and environmental surprises.

Major foundation species have already been seen in these areas, such as seagrasses and corals Substantial changes Climate-related. These areas are particularly worthy of research to improve our understanding of what will happen in the future, as well as our perception of what we call the new ocean.

*John D. Whitman is Professor of Biology at Brown University Lead author of the study. The information in this journal article is derived from research entitled “Soft and prickly: the importance of marine variability for climate change”, published in Annual review of ecology, evolution, and systematics, of which Andrew J. Pershing and John F. Bruno were also co-authors. In addition to the press release issued by Brown University.