Deep heat threatens life on the seafloor

2026/03/07 by Samuel Starko, Shinae Montie, Thomas Wernberg · 1 voice
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology #Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses #Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena

paper · doi:10.1016/j.tree.2026.02.005

Abstract

Marine heatwaves are transforming ocean ecosystems, yet subsurface events remain poorly understood. Konsta et al. use high-resolution climate projections to show that bottom marine heatwaves could expose most Mediterranean benthic species to near-continuous extreme heatwaves by the century's end, exposing hidden threats to biodiversity and questioning the assumption of deep-water refugia.

Citations

• Marine heatwaves as hot spots of climate change and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services
• A hierarchical approach to defining marine heatwaves

Discussions

• How hot will the seafloor get? A new Spotlight in TREE highlights our Konsta et al paper: bottom marine #heatwaves could expose >90% of #Mediterranean benthic species to extreme heat for 150–300 days [bsky, 14 points, 1 comments]

Related

• Increasing bottom marine heatwaves pose a critical risk to Mediterranean benthic species
• Frequent marine heatwaves hidden below the surface of the global ocean
• Bottom marine heatwaves along the continental shelves of North America
• Global warming drives a threefold increase in persistence and 1 ^° C rise in intensity of marine heatwaves
• A global overview of marine heatwaves in a changing climate