Marine heatwaves have significant impact on microorganisms
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | May 2024
Prolonged warm oceanic waters are altering the marine microorganism communities that form the base of the marine food chain according to new research.
The research A marine heatwave drives significant shifts in pelagic microbiology conducted by The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) shows that marine heatwaves (MHWs) are altering the microorganism communities that form the base of the marine food chain, disrupting coastal ecosystems. Australia has recently experienced several marine heatwaves off the east coast and Tasmania.
MHWs are prolonged oceanic warm water events that can have significant impacts on marine life, including fish, coral reefs and kelp forests. These can be caused by a range of factors and large climate drivers such as El Niño are known to impact their frequency, intensity and duration.
The marine heatwaves transform the microbial community in the water column to resemble those found more than 1000km north and supported the presence of many organisms that are uncommon at this latitude.
This reshaping leads to the occurrence of unusual species, the development of unique combinations of organisms and can cause cascading effects throughout the ecosystem, including changes in the fate of carbon sequestered from the atmosphere. The study is the result of a long-term effort to observe marine microbiota for over 12 years. M