Marine Animals

Marine Heatwaves and Wildlife Welfare

Marine heatwaves are increasing in frequency and intensity, causing mass mortality events and significant welfare impacts on marine wildlife.

Key Facts

Marine heatwaves caused mass coral bleaching events in the Great Barrier Reef
Kelp forest die-offs eliminate habitat and food sources for hundreds of species
Sea surface temperatures in UK waters have risen by around 0.5 degrees Celsius per decade
Heat stress causes physiological suffering in fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals
Mass strandings of heat-stressed or prey-depleted cetaceans have increased

Welfare Considerations

Marine heatwaves cause acute and chronic welfare suffering for billions of marine animals. Climate mitigation combined with local stressors reduction (such as pollution) is essential to protect marine welfare.

What You Can Do

Reduce your carbon footprint to limit future warming
Support marine protected area expansion to give ecosystems resilience
Engage with organisations monitoring and responding to marine wildlife welfare events
Advocate for climate adaptation plans that explicitly consider marine animal welfare
Reduce plastic and pollution entering marine environments to reduce compounding stressors