The 2014-2016 marine heatwave along the Pacific coast of North America was unprecedented in its duration and severity. This prolonged event pushed temperatures to two to six degrees above historical averages, leaving an indelible mark on the region’s marine ecosystems. Researchers from the University of Victoria’s Baum Lab have compiled a comprehensive synthesis of 331 primary studies and governmental reports, shedding light on the far-reaching ecological impacts of this heatwave.

“The marine heatwave resulted in unprecedented ecological disturbance across thousands of kilometers of North America’s west coast,” says Samuel Starko, lead author and former UVic postdoctoral fellow. “Our comprehensive synthesis helps us better understand its overall impacts and how these fit into the broader context of other marine heatwaves.”

The consequences of this heatwave were multifaceted and far-reaching:

* 240 species were found outside their typical geographic range, with many swimming further north than ever before.
* Several species, such as the northern right whale dolphin and sea slug Placida cremoniana, were discovered over 1,000 kilometers north of their usual habitat.
* Kelp forests collapsed, and widespread declines in kelp and seagrass occurred.
* Sea stars, seabirds, and marine mammals experienced unprecedented mortality events.
* Temperature-linked diseases contributed to ecosystem collapse.

The impacts of this heatwave cascaded throughout the ecosystem, affecting everything from plankton to whales. The reduced abundance and nutritional quality of forage fish caused problems for predators, while plankton communities reorganized, and offshore oceanographic productivity was altered.

The economic costs were substantial, with hundreds of millions of dollars in losses due to the closure of multiple fisheries driven by changes in species interactions, disease proliferation, and habitat loss.

“As heatwaves become more frequent and intense under climate change, the 2014-16 Northeast Pacific marine heatwave provides a critical example of how climate change is impacting ocean life,” says Julia Baum, UVic marine ecologist and special advisor on climate. “This study underscores the urgent need for proactive, ecosystem-based marine conservation strategies and climate change mitigation measures.”

The research published in Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review was supported by funding from various organizations, including the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Research in the Baum Lab supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) No. 11 (life below water) and No. 13 (climate action).

The deep-sea mining industry is planning to extract valuable resources from the remote Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. However, new research has raised alarming concerns about the impact this activity could have on ocean life, including whales and dolphins.

A team of researchers from the University of Exeter conducted two studies, which found that the CCZ is home to a diverse range of marine species, including an endangered sperm whale. The studies highlight the urgent need for assessing the risks associated with deep-sea mining in these ecosystems.

“We know remarkably little about these ecosystems, which are hundreds of miles offshore and include very deep waters,” said Dr. Kirsten Young, one of the researchers involved in the study. “Many species here are long-lived and slow-growing, especially on the seabed. It’s very hard to predict how seabed mining might affect these species and wider ecosystems, and these risks must urgently be assessed.”

One of the research papers reviews noise sensitivity among species known to live in the CCZ. The results show that only 35% of taxonomic classes there have been studied for noise impacts. Soniferous fish, which rely on acoustic communication, are particularly vulnerable to noise. Chronic exposure to mining noise might have cascading ecological consequences, disrupting key behaviors, the researchers say.

The second study is a survey of whales and dolphins conducted from the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise. Over 13 days of visual and acoustic monitoring, there were 74 acoustic detections and six sightings. These included a sperm whale, Risso’s dolphins, common dolphins, and 70 dolphin groups that could not be identified to species level.

Dr. Young emphasized that if deep seabed mining becomes a reality, whales and dolphins will be exposed to multiple sources of noise throughout the water column. Many species are highly sensitive to certain frequencies – chronic ocean noise can mask social and foraging communications, and whales could be displaced from critical habitats.

“The behavior and impact of sediment plumes created by mining is also poorly understood but could affect food webs,” Dr. Young added.

Louisa Casson of Greenpeace International stated, “The confirmed presence of cetaceans, including threatened sperm whales, in areas that The Metals Company is targeting for deep sea mining is yet another clear warning that this dangerous industry must never be allowed to begin commercial operations.”

The two research papers are published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin and Frontiers in Marine Science, respectively. They provide a compelling argument for why deep-sea mining should not proceed without further consideration of its potential impacts on marine ecosystems and the species that inhabit them.

As we delve into the fascinating world of marine mammals, a team of scientists from the SETI Institute and the University of California at Davis has made a groundbreaking discovery. For the first time, they’ve documented humpback whales producing large bubble rings, akin to a human smoker blowing smoke rings, during friendly interactions with humans. This previously little-studied behavior may represent play or communication.

Humpback whales are already known for using bubbles to corral prey and creating bubble trails and bursts when competing to escort a female whale. These new observations show humpback whales producing bubble rings during friendly encounters with humans. This finding contributes to the WhaleSETI team’s broader goal of studying non-human intelligence to aid in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

The study, published in Marine Mammal Science, analyzed 12 bubble ring-production episodes involving 39 rings made by 11 individual whales. According to Dr. Laurance Doyle, SETI Institute scientist and co-author on the paper, “Because of current limitations on technology, an important assumption of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is that extraterrestrial intelligence and life will be interested in making contact and so target human receivers.” This assumption is certainly supported by the independent evolution of curious behavior in humpback whales.

Dr. Fred Sharpe, co-lead author and UC Davis Affiliate, notes, “Humpback whales live in complex societies, are acoustically diverse, use bubble tools, and assist other species being harassed by predators. Now, akin to a candidate signal, we show they are blowing bubble rings in our direction in an apparent attempt to playfully interact, observe our response, and/or engage in some form of communication.”

The team’s findings have significant implications for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. By studying intelligent, non-terrestrial (aquatic), nonhuman communication systems, they aim to develop filters that aid in parsing cosmic signals for signs of extraterrestrial life.

Other team members and coauthors of the paper include Dr. Josephine Hubbard, Doug Perrine, Simon Hilbourne, Dr. Joy Reidenberg, and Dr. Brenda McCowan, with specialties in animal intelligences, photography, behavior of humpback whales, whale anatomy, and the use of AI in parsing animal communication.

An earlier paper by the team was published in PeerJ, entitled “Interactive Bioacoustic Playback as a Tool for Detecting and Exploring Nonhuman Intelligence: ‘Conversing’ with an Alaskan Humpback Whale.” The authors would like to acknowledge the Templeton Foundation Diverse Intelligences Program for financial support of this work.