We have just experienced the warmest month since records began and reports of new weather extremes have become a regular feature of the news. Most of the extra heat we are inflicting on our planet doesn't end up in our cities and landscapes however. Most is absorbed by the oceans. There it will not only disrupt marine ecosystems, it also feeds more deadly storms and accelerates the loss of the ice caps and thus sea level rise. Even if we can still be grateful that the oceans save us from even worse heating, all of these changes will eventually come back to bite us.
Pegged to the ongoing marine heatwaves in the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean, my feature looks at what we can learn from previous heatwaves and how the warmer oceans are going to affect life on Earth, both marine and terrestrial. The feature is out now:
Oceans feel the heat
Current Biology Volume 33, Issue 16, 21. August 2023, Pages R829-R831
Restricted access to full text and PDF download
(will become open access one year after publication)
Magic link for free access
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See also my Mastodon thread where I will highlight all this year's CB features.
Kelp forests off the Californian coast and their residents, such as this kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus), were affected by the extended marine heatwave nicknamed the North Pacific Blob in the years 2014 to 2016. (Photo: © Chris Honeyman.)
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