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Peeking Below Marine Heatwaves
Marine heatwaves extend deep underwater Revealing their hidden structure improves risk assessment and event prediction
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Research Project
Challenge
Life thrives throughout the ocean depths, yet most marine heatwave monitoring stops at the surface. This leaves deeperliving ecosystems and fisheries exposed to hidden extremes that satellites can’ t see. By uncovering these subsurface events, this research aims to close a critical blind spot for managers and industries.
Solution
This team developed the novel framework to classify and describe subsurface marine heatwaves, providing a clear language for comparing events across regions and depths. This approach makes hidden extremes visible, highlights their driving mechanisms and creates a foundation for early risk assessment. It also enables clear communication between stakeholders and scientists. Strong collaborations with fisheries and ecosystem scientists will ensure the framework can be integrated into monitoring and management systems.
Target customers / end-users
• researchers developing improved ocean forecasts
• ecological scientists evaluating ecosystem vulnerability
• fisheries scientists assessing resource risks and interacting with industry and other stakeholders.
Progress
• secured ARC Future Fellowship Project funding
• published multiple highimpact papers on subsurface / extreme MHWs
• hosted interdisciplinary workshop with fisheries and ecosystem partners.
Basic research
TRL 1
Multidisciplinary team
Climate & Clean Energy
Using floating sensors, satellite records and stateof-the-art ocean models, this team reveals the hidden, subsurface structure of marine heatwaves. Its mechanism-first approach pinpoints how these extremes form and persist, informing early assessments of ecosystem risk through strong cross-disciplinary partnerships.
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