Newly Discovered Underwater Heat Waves Spark Concern Among Scientists
Researchers have discovered extreme warming along the seafloor of the North American continental shelves, which can compromise critical habitats for commercial species and cause impacts such as the disappearance of near-shore lobster populations, coral bleaching, and declines of reef fish. These temperature anomalies, called bottom marine heat waves, can occur with little or no evidence of warming at the surface and have become about 50% more frequent over the past ten years, according to NOAA.