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From kelp to whales: marine heatwaves are reshaping ocean life
https://news.uvic.ca/media-release/from-kelp-to-whales-marine-heatwaves-are-reshaping-ocean-life/From kelp to whales: marine heatwaves are reshaping ocean life
July 17, 2025
By University of Victoria
New research from the University of Victoria (UVic) highlights how marine heatwaves can dramatically impact marine ecosystems and offers a stark preview of how future ocean warming will reshape ocean life.
From 2014 to 2016, the Pacific coast of North America experienced the longest marine heatwave ever recorded, with temperatures reaching two to six degrees above historical averages over a prolonged period. Researchers from UVic’s Baum Lab have compiled a comprehensive overview of the heatwave’s ecological impacts, reviewing the findings from 331 primary studies and governmental reports.
According to the research, 240 different species were found outside of their typical geographic range during the heatwave, with many of them found further north than ever before. Several species, such as the northern right whale dolphin and the sea slug Placida cremoniana, were found over 1,000 kilometres north of their typical habitat.
The heatwave caused widespread kelp and seagrass declines and many kelp forests collapsed. Species from sea stars to seabirds died on unprecedented scales and unusual mortality events were observed in several species of marine mammal. A key rocky shore predator, Pycnopodia helianthoides, came close to extinction.
…
https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003589600-2July 17, 2025
By University of Victoria
New research from the University of Victoria (UVic) highlights how marine heatwaves can dramatically impact marine ecosystems and offers a stark preview of how future ocean warming will reshape ocean life.
From 2014 to 2016, the Pacific coast of North America experienced the longest marine heatwave ever recorded, with temperatures reaching two to six degrees above historical averages over a prolonged period. Researchers from UVic’s Baum Lab have compiled a comprehensive overview of the heatwave’s ecological impacts, reviewing the findings from 331 primary studies and governmental reports.
According to the research, 240 different species were found outside of their typical geographic range during the heatwave, with many of them found further north than ever before. Several species, such as the northern right whale dolphin and the sea slug Placida cremoniana, were found over 1,000 kilometres north of their typical habitat.
The heatwave caused widespread kelp and seagrass declines and many kelp forests collapsed. Species from sea stars to seabirds died on unprecedented scales and unusual mortality events were observed in several species of marine mammal. A key rocky shore predator, Pycnopodia helianthoides, came close to extinction.
…