Climate Change
New Forecasting Tools May Help Predict Impact of Marine Heatwaves of Ocean Life up to a Year in Advance
These forecasts could help fisheries avoid whale entanglements and unexpected supply chain disruptions.
In 2014, an unprecedented marine heat wave engulfed the west coast of North America, pushing ocean temperatures up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit higher than usual in some areas. Dubbed “The Blob,” this stretch of unusually warm water cooked marine species across the Northeast Pacific, especially hammering populations of sardines and small crustaceans known as krill.