Poster Presentation Australian Marine Sciences Association 2026 Conference

Marine heatwaves – a historical time series for Australia (#527)

Jason Hartog 1
  1. Oceans and Atmosphere, CSIRO, Hobart, TAS, Australia

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) have emerged as one of the most significant manifestations of ocean warming around Australia, affecting marine ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal communities. This poster presents a monthly visualisation of MHW conditions across Australian waters from 1982 to 2025, providing a continuous record of the spatial extent, intensity, and evolution of extreme ocean temperature events over more than four decades. Using satellite-derived sea surface temperature observations and standard MHW detection methods, the animation highlights both regional and continental-scale variability, revealing trends in the frequency, duration, and severity of MHWs. The record captures well-known events, including the 2011 Western Australian marine heatwave and recent widespread extremes, while illustrating the increasing prominence of MHWs across Australia's marine estate. This long-term perspective provides an accessible tool for communicating climate-driven ocean change and supports ongoing research, monitoring, and adaptation efforts in Australia's marine environment.