![]() Here we analyze temperature and salinity data collected by northern elephant seals to better understand the development of the North Pacific Blob, a marine heatwave that began in late 2013 and continued through 2015. ![]() As the planet continues to warm, these events will increase, with substantial effects on marine life and on the socioeconomics of communities that depend on marine resources. Marine heatwaves, extended periods when ocean temperatures are abnormally warm, have occurred with greater frequency and magnitude over the last few decades. These findings contribute to our understanding of the physical dynamics of the Blob, especially the thermal content and structure of the water column, and offer mechanisms for its formation and maintenance, which are crucial to assessing the ecological effects of MHWs now and in the future. Temperature and salinity anomalies and the expansion of the water column at the base of the pycnocline both indicate that northward advection of warm, salty water played an important role in the observed accumulation of warm water, in addition to surface warming. Using temperature and salinity as a tracer of layers of constant density, we looked at how lateral advection may have contributed to the development of the Blob. Temperature and salinity data collected by northern elephant seals ( Mirounga angustirostris) from 2014 to 2017 show significant (>2 sd) warm anomalies throughout the top 1,000 m of the water column, with peak warming in late 2015. The Northeast Pacific Blob was an unusually widespread MHW that affected ecosystems across the Northeast Pacific, from producers to top predators. Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are prolonged warm water events that are increasing in frequency and magnitude due to rising global temperatures.
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