Publication Abstract

40 priority questions to advance understanding of the risks and opportunities of marine heatwaves around the UK

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are periods of extremely warm sea temperatures that are becoming increasingly prevalent as ocean stressors. Globally, these events have led to widely documented impacts on marine ecosystems and caused significant implications for coastal communities and industries. The unprecedented MHW that occurred in the coastal waters around the UK in summer 2023 highlighted a crucial gap in our understanding in terms of the region-specific characteristics of MHWs and their impacts on UK marine ecosystems, the services they underpin, the blue economy and society. Using diverse expert opinion, here we propose 40 priority questions for interdisciplinary research in the UK that must urgently be addressed to prepare for future risks and potential opportunities associated with MHWs. The targeted questions are listed under the following themes: unique UK exposure, marine ecosystem impacts, impact on marine natural capital, ecosystem services and the blue economy, impact on physical and mental human health, forecasting, monitoring & strategy-implementation to enhance preparedness, effective adaptation & management options to mitigate future impacts, public attitudes and engagement via effective communication, harnessing the power of social media to gather data and communicate science. Recommendations to policy makers and those influencing the strategic direction and allocation of funding and resources are also suggested to assist decision-makers towards evidence-based action and guide funding streams.

 

 

Jacobs, Z¹., Smith, K.E²., Kajtar, J¹., Smale, D²., Moore, P³., Stephenson, F³., Burrows, M⁴., Rowland, C⁵., Renshaw, R⁵., Oliver, S¹., Jakins-Pollard, M⁶., Palmer, F⁷., Kloker, A¹., Baker-Austin, C⁸., Townhill, B⁸., Rees, S⁹., Coulthard, S³., Popova, E¹.

¹National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK

²MBA

³University of Newcastle

⁴SAMS

⁵Met Office

⁶Defra

⁷University of Southampton

⁸Cefas

⁹University of Plymouth

Nature Comms Earth & Environment