Marine heatwaves (MHWs)—prolonged periods of unusually high temperatures in the ocean—have had profound impacts on marine ecosystems and coastal communities across the globe. These events have also contributed to the co-occurence and amplification of extreme weather conditions on adjacent lands. Moreover, the intensification of these extreme events influenced by anthropogenic warming has led to more frequent and severe events. Recent advances have significantly improved our understanding of the local and remote drivers of MHWs and their temporal evolution. At the same time, new research frontiers are emerging, including: 1) Characterizing subsurface MHWs dynamics, drivers, and impacts, and understanding their connection to surface MHWs across different ocean regimes; 2) Developing methods to define, detect and track the spatiotemporal evolution of MHWs; 3) Quantifying the co-occurrence and interactions between MHWs and other physical or biogeochemical extremes and 4) Attributing the relative contributions of anthropogenic global warming and internal variability to the frequency, severity, and persistence of MHWs in different regions.

We invite submissions that address any of these topics or other innovative frontiers in both surface and subsurface MHW research. Contributions may include observational studies, modeling efforts, forecasting approaches, attribution analysis, or applied science focused on policy and adaptation.

• Air-Sea Interactions -
• Physical-Biological Interactions -
• Physical Oceanography: Mesoscale and Larger -