Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are prolonged and extreme warm ocean conditions that cause substantial ecological and socio-economic damage. Understanding of the physical mechanisms that generate MHWs is important to improving our capacity to forecast them. Meanwhile, gaining a better understanding of the impacts of MHWs on ecosystems, and their interactions with other parts of the climate system, is significant for promoting sustainable development in the face of climate change. We welcome abstract submissions across all aspects of marine heatwave research and particularly encourage studies of the following themes:
- Definition and Methods: novel physics and impact-based definitions which challenge the now-traditional statistical framework; observational and modelling requirements; spatial and temporal evolution); AI/ML-based detection; local/coastal to regional/global scales.
- Impacts: Socio-economic damage to marine activities and industries including but not limited to tourism, fisheries, aquaculture; discussions with stakeholders.
- Mitigation/Adaptation: forecasting efforts on short-term to decadal timescales; projections of future changes; studies of precursors and predictability.
- Interactions: compound and concurrent events, ecosystem and biogeochemical implications (e.g. on nutrient/oxygen availability and trophic web), impact on atmospheric circulation/weather.