Marine heatwaves are becoming more frequent under global warming and this is having a significant impact on species' ability to recover.

Since April, the world has seen record high ocean temperatures, and that's bad news for the plants and animals that call the ocean home.

Longer and more frequent bouts of extreme temperatures can cause the exodus of some species and the invasion of others, with potentially devastating impacts on the resident ecosystem.

Global warming manifests as a gradual increase in temperatures over time around the world, caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions.

However, scientists are finding that the most important impacts come from short-term spikes in temperature. In the ocean, these discrete periods of extreme temperatures, lasting weeks to months, are called marine heatwaves. Marine heatwaves can be generated by either the atmosphere or by ocean processes.

For example, weather systems like high pressure systems can lead to low cloud and greater solar heating while ocean changes can be driven by strengthened poleward currents that move heat from high to low latitudes.

The likelihood and intensity of these atmospheric and oceanic drivers of marine heatwaves can also be affected by large-scale phenomena like El Niño or La Niña. Larger portions of the oceans are likely to experience marine heatwaves during El Niño events.

Read the full article about marine heatwaves by Alex Sen Gupta and Katie Smith at Environmental News Network.