In recent years, marine heatwaves have been taking an ever-greater toll on the world’s oceans and their ecosystems. Amplified by increasing global warming, these events are occurring more frequently and lasting longer. The Arctic is not spared from this trend either, as it is warming faster than any other region on our planet. However, due to local processes and conditions, marine heatwaves in the Arctic differ fundamentally from those in non-polar oceans. A recent study, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, summarizes how these events have developed over recent decades, what science knows about the driving forces behind them, and where there are still knowledge gaps to be filled. 

In a new study scientists reveal up to 38-fold higher DMSP concentrations in Southern Ocean sea-ice versus the surrounding seawaters during the Southern Ocean austral winter. DMSP is known for protecting organisms against environmental stressors. Its degradation yields dimethylsulfide (DMS) and methanethiol (MeSH) which are important climate-cooling gases. The study underscores the role of this seemingly uninhabitable environment as a dynamic reservoir and transformation hub influencing climate-cooling cycles in the polar region.

Paul E. Renaud has been appointed Program Director, bringing more than 30 years of Arctic research experience and a strong track record of linking science with societal needs. His background from initiatives like The Nansen Legacy and his work on Arctic ecosystems position him well to lead the program into its next phase. “It is something of a dream to work in the Arctic Ocean with more than 500 researchers, advanced technologies and models, and innovative tools over the next decade,” says Renaud. “I look forward to working with Paul as program director in the years ahead. At the same time, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to interim director Bodil Bluhm. She has done an excellent job and laid a very strong foundation for the work Paul is now taking on,” says Chair of the Board, Jørgen Berge.

Shanghai and China's coastal waters might be especially vulnerable to this century's predicted sea level rise, especially in the context of local land subsidence, river water discharge, and marine currents, per new analysis

It is becoming increasingly urgent to study the impacts of climate change on the global ocean system. Future projections indicate significant changes in the Mediterranean and Atlantic circulation system, which could have unpredictable climatic consequences, especially for one of the most influential ocean currents in the global climate: the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).

Florida State University researchers have identified key differences in the root causes of long-term sea-surface temperature changes across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, a finding that could help guide future research on ocean variability.

Research by Assistant Professor of meteorology Michael Diamond and FSU meteorology graduate alumnus Anthony Freveletti found that long-term temperature changes in the Pacific Oceans are driven primarily by internal ocean variability, while those in the Atlantic are largely the result of human emissions.

A major milestone for marine conservation has arrived in The Bahamas. FAU Harbor Branch, in partnership with The Island School’s Cape Eleuthera Institute and supported by Chef José Andrés’ Longer Tables Fund, has successfully launched the Queen Conch Mobile Lab following its first egg masses and hatch. Designed to produce up to 2,000 juvenile queen conch each year, the innovative mobile hatchery is helping restore one of the Caribbean’s most iconic and threatened marine species while advancing long-term ocean conservation across the region.

Prof. GAN Jianping, Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Ocean Science at HKUST and Director of the Centre for Ocean Research in Hong Kong and Macao, Dr. LAI Wenfeng, HKUST Postdoctoral Fellow and the paper’s first author, and other HKUST research team members find that urbanization has significantly increased both regional temperature and rainfall.