Smart buoys, deployed along Western Australia’s coast as part of a major marine heatwave project, have been used to gather crucial data that helped warn of the latest extreme ocean event in the state.

A strong (Category 2) marine heatwave warning was issued this week by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) for WA’s North Coast bioregion and the Gascoyne bioregion.

Current sea surface temperatures are 4 to 5 degrees above the long-term average for the North Coast bioregion.

The ‘Advancing predictions of WA marine heatwaves and impacts on marine ecosystems’ project is managed by the WA Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) and comprises a multi-disciplinary project team of 26, including scientists from DPIRD.

Project lead scientist, Professor Nicole Jones from The University of Western Australia, said real time data from the smart buoys have revealed extreme temperatures.

“We know the water temperatures are higher than what many species can tolerate,” Professor Jones said.

“We have been sharing our analysis of the smart buoy data, satellite data and trialling our new statistically downscaled ocean temperature forecast model to help government agencies to manage the current marine heatwave.”

WAMSI acting CEO Dr Jenny Shaw, said the impact of marine heatwaves could be devastating.

A marine heatwave off WA’s coast in 2010-2011 had a devastating impact on marine ecology and WA’s ‘blue economy’ including fisheries.

“Shark Bay was one of the areas particularly affected by that extreme event and it resulted in the collapse of about 1,000 square kilometres of seagrass,” Dr Shaw said.

WAMSI is working on ways of better protecting marine areas from marine heatwaves and the organisation’s ‘Shark Bay (Gathaagudu) Science Plan’ identified climate change, including marine heatwaves, as the area most needing research.

The Science Plan’s research priorities were identified through surveys and meetings with a variety of interested stakeholders, including but not limited to scientists, government, Traditional Owners and the local community members.

Supporting the Science Plan was ‘A Snapshot of Marine Research in Shark Bay (Gathaagudu)’ that summarised 70 years of research in the World Heritage estate and helped to identify areas most in need of further investigation.

WAMSI is working to access funding for further research in Shark Bay to progress the Science Plan’s priorities.

The Marine Heatwave project team includes specialists in oceanography, marine ecology, atmospheric science and data science.