Germana Carillo The marine heat wave is most likely the cause of the mass death of fish on the Pilbara coast, in Australia: around 30 thousand fish were found dead on Gnoorea beach, near Karratha
Approximately 30,000 fish were found dead off the coast of Western Australia, a catastrophic event directly linked to the ongoing climate crisis.
Climate Central, a non-profit news organization, described how marine heatwaves have been affecting the waters off Western Australia since September. Based on its analysis, climate change has boosted the frequency of this marine heatwave by 20 times—and as much as 100 times more probable at its height in November.
Record-breaking sea heatwave boosts ocean temperatures
Sea heatwaves happen when the temperature of oceans is higher than the 90th percentile for a minimum period of five successive days. Northwest coastal waters were the warmest, with sea temperatures 2.7°F above normal across five months and sometimes hitting the surface anomalies between 7.2°F and 9°F above mean.
“Prolonged heat stress from these marine conditions can be linked to the fish kill,” DPIRD communications officer Nathan Harrison said. “Following the recent tropical cyclone, the severity of the marine heatwave reduced. But we are heading toward the summer season, which is more vulnerable.”
The sea surface temperatures have remained between 7.2°F to 9°F above the long-term mean. The heat began to build up in the northern waters during September and propagate westward at a slow pace, warming surface waters along the coast.
Greenhouse gases drive marine heatwaves and extreme weather
As University of Western Australia oceanographer Matt Rayson explains, “90% of the extra energy trapped by the greenhouse gases has gone into the ocean, increasing the chances of marine heatwaves.” Rayson warned that added heat not only affects marine environments, but also makes the region more susceptible to extreme weather conditions like tropical cyclones.
Marine heatwaves, he pointed out, are not coincidences but are due to climate change. With mounting pollution, the heatwaves are getting stronger and more frequent.
“Humans are impacting the world in so many ways. We think of how it’s impacting us on land, but it’s impacting everything on our planet. The ocean covers the majority of our world and is greatly affected by what we’re doing,” the researchers concluded.
