Getting ready for marine heatwaves in NSW this summer

Did you know that coastal NSW is likely to experience another marine heatwave this summer?

If you’re wondering what a marine heatwave is, or what’s being done to prepare, read on for a quick rundown.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, sea temperatures along the south-eastern coast of Australia could be up to 2.5°C warmer than normal.

We spoke to DPIRD Fisheries climate change scientists Professor Melinda Coleman and Dr Curtis Champion to understand what this means.

“A marine heatwave is a distinct and prolonged period of unusually warm water in a specific area. Like heatwaves on land, they can cause significant impacts in our oceans,” Professor Coleman said.

A marine heatwave occurs when waters stay significantly higher than average for a particular area for at least 5 consecutive days.

To prepare for this, NSW DPIRD scientists developed a Marine Heatwave Response Plan during last summer’s heatwaves. The plan guides the response to heatwave events all summer.

Dr Champion explains.

“The plan includes an early warning system, an incident response assessment, response actions and a communications strategy to ensure we are ready to act quickly at all stages of a marine heatwave event.

Right now, we’re in the early warning phase, keeping a close eye on ocean temperatures and communicating these broadly,” he said.

Everyone on the water is encouraged to look out for signs of heat stress in marine life as the summer progresses.

“Many eyes on the water will help us detect early impacts and ramp up our response if necessary.”

Professor Coleman and Doctor Champion research climate change impacts on the NSW coast as part of the Marine Estate Management Strategy Initiative 3 (Preparing for Climate Change).

Stay tuned for updates on marine heatwave conditions as summer progresses.