Marine Animal Welfare

Marine Heatwave Wildlife Welfare Advanced

Marine heatwaves are increasing in frequency and intensity, causing mass mortality events and chronic welfare impacts on marine species globally.

Key Facts

Marine heatwaves lasting weeks to months have tripled in frequency since 1987
The 2019-2020 Pacific heatwave caused mass seabird mortality and whale emaciation
Coral bleaching during heatwaves kills reef ecosystems and the animals that depend on them
Sea turtle nesting is disrupted by beach temperature extremes that skew sex ratios toward females
Marine mammals including dolphins and porpoises show elevated stress indicators during heat events

Welfare Considerations

Marine heatwaves cause acute and chronic suffering for marine animals at massive scale; climate mitigation is the most important action for marine wildlife welfare globally.

What You Can Do

Support climate action policies that target ocean temperature rise
Donate to marine wildlife rehabilitation centres supporting heat-stressed animals
Avoid activities that compound marine ecosystem stress during heatwave events