Future Intensification of Marine Heatwaves in Marine Protected Areas

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designated areas aimed at preserving marine ecosystems. However, they encounter the persistent obstacle of increasing ocean temperature. The occurrence of extreme warming events, known as Marine Heatwaves (MHWs), poses a significant threat to the delicate balance of marine ecosystems within MPAs. To understand the future changes in marine heatwaves (MHWs) in these regions, it is crucial to utilize advanced climate modeling capable of accurately capturing regional bathymetric features in MPAs, like coastlines, continental shelves, or islands. In this study, we utilized the SSP585 greenhouse warming simulations conducted with the OpenIFS-FESOM2 coupled model (AWI-CM3, 31 km atmosphere resolution, 4-15 km ocean resolution) to explore future changes in MHWs in the epipelagic to the upper mesopelagic zones (0-500m depth) of the global MPAs. In the current climate, MHWs in the MPAs exhibit greater maximum intensity and higher frequency than the global averages. However, MHWs in MPAs have shorter durations, leading to a lower cumulative intensity. The average warming rate within the MPAs is similar to or slightly lower than the average warming rate of the global ocean. Nevertheless, the MPAs are expected to see a 20% greater increase in the cumulative intensities of MHWs compared to the global ocean, from the past to the future. The findings suggest that marine protected areas (MPAs) are more susceptible to extreme temperature events compared to open ocean zones. Our findings underscore the significance of addressing anthropogenic warming to safeguard MPAs, emphasizing the need for prompt measures to mitigate these impacts and protect these vital marine ecosystems.