Arctic and Subarctic marine heatwaves and their ecological impacts

作者：Laurène Pécuchet, Bayoumy Mohamed, Alexander Hayward, Aïda Alvera Azcarate, Jakob Dörr, Karen Filbee‐Dexter, Katherine J. Kuletz, Kelly Luis, Manfredi Manizza, Charles E. Miller, Peter A. Stæhr, Marysia Szymkowiak, Thomas Wernberg · 发表于：Frontiers in Environmental Science · 年份：2025 · 被引用次数：16 · 研究领域：Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics、Marine animal studies overview、Marine and environmental studies

The Arctic and Subarctic seas are predicted to become hotspots for marine heatwaves (MHWs). High-latitude marine ecosystems face unique consequences from accelerated warming and sea ice loss, challenging species adapted to cold conditions. We review the literature on MHW characteristics and ecological impacts in the Arctic and Subarctic seas, and contrast MHW characteristics between the Bering Sea and Barents Sea. We uncover the pervasive impacts of MHWs across widely different organism groups, including benthic foundation species, phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. MHWs in the Arctic marginal seas are especially prevalent in areas experiencing sea ice retreat, such as seasonal sea ice zones, highlighting the complex interplay between MHWs and sea ice dynamics. Overall, few studies have documented the ecological impacts of MHWs on high-latitude ecosystems, with the notable exception of the impacts from the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea MHWs in 2017–2019. Many Arctic species, with their cold and narrow thermal preferences, appear vulnerable to MHWs, as they might not have access to cold climate refugia, while boreal species appear to benefit from Arctic and Subarctic MHWs. Sessile foundation species, such as kelp and seagrasses, are especially at risk during MHWs, although in the Arctic evidence of MHWs impacts remains limited. Reproductive failure and mass mortality events have been documented for several species in the Pacific Arctic (e.g., seabirds...