Presented by: Amanda Bates of the University of Victoria
Date/Time: Thursday, December 3, Noon US EST/9 am US PST/5 pm UTC
Description: Marine heatwaves are one of the most direct ways climate change affects ocean biodiversity. Past events have removed kelp forests and seagrass meadows, caused mass coral bleaching, and triggered harmful algal blooms and fisheries closures. Global sea surface temperatures reached a record high in August 2026, and the 2026–27 El Niño is forecast to be very strong, increasing the likelihood of marine heatwaves across multiple ocean basins. Most of what we know about marine heatwave impacts has been assembled after the fact, using monitoring designed for other purposes. Now, forecasts provide weeks to months of advance warning—creating an opportunity to begin monitoring before events occur. This webinar will introduce a global protocol to enable at least one survey before and one after an event, paired with a temperature record, so observations can be compared across locations and methods. Participation will be open to researchers, managers, Indigenous knowledge holders, community scientists, and industry, and contributors will retain control of their data. Join us to learn about ongoing efforts to build an international network ahead of the El Niño, plan an in-person workshop in 2027 in Perth, Australia, and share knowledge through a dedicated special issue of the journal Biological Conservation. Key questions this work aims to answer include: Do impacts scale with heat exposure? Are populations at the warm edge of the heatwave most affected? Where do refuges exist?
Hosted by: The Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation and OCTO
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_98grzit2QNCr2QfgdwWDKg