Intense marine heatwaves disrupt fish populations and fisheries in NZ

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-10-01 06:57

New Zealand

Image by Marco Leeggangers from Pixabay

Marine heatwaves, where sea surface temperatures are unusually warm, can lead to increased or decreased fisheries catches, depending on their intensity. Researchers studied sea surface temperatures and daily fishing data from 1990 to 2023 in NZ's exclusive economic zone, including over 280 fish species and 39 fishing methods. They found prolonged moderate marine heatwaves were linked to increases in fish catch, but fewer fish were caught during more intense and longer heatwaves. The authors say their work highlights how marine heatwave impacts vary around NZ waters, and that we need management strategies to make sure fisheries are sustainable as such heatwaves become more frequent, more intense, and longer due to climate change.

Expert Reaction

These comments have been collated by the Science Media Centre to provide a variety of expert perspectives on this issue. Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. Views expressed are the personal opinions of the experts named. They do not represent the views of the SMC or any other organisation unless specifically stated.

Miloud Lacheheb, PhD candidate in Economics at Victoria University of Wellington

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are short periods of unusually warm sea temperatures that can disrupt marine ecosystems and impact fisheries. Due to climate change, these heatwaves are expected to become more frequent, longer, and more intense.

"In our study examining the effects of MHWs on fish catches in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone, we found that moderate MHWs are linked to increased fish catches. However, as MHWs intensify, their impact turns negative, leading to significant reductions in fish populations and catches. This suggests that intense heatwaves severely disrupt marine habitats, posing a threat to the sustainability of fisheries.

"As MHWs continue to rise in frequency and intensity, new management strategies will be crucial to protect fisheries and marine ecosystems from further harm.

Last updated: 01 Oct 2024 7:31am

Contact information

Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.

Declared conflicts of interest Miloud Lacheheb is an author of the study.

Attachments

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public. Research URLs will go live after the embargo ends.

Research Elsevier, Web page

Journal/
conference: Science of The Total Environment

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Victoria University of Wellington, University of Otago

Funder: N/A

Media Contact/s

Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.