Summary/Abstract
In this peer-reviewed study, the authors find that marine heat waves in 2023 were record-breaking in duration, extent, and intensity. Although ocean temperatures historically vary, as they do on land, the 2023 marine heat waves were up to three standard deviations above historical averages from the past four decades. The study highlights extreme events in the North Atlantic and Southwest Pacific. The 2023 marine heat waves “highlight the intensifying impacts of a warm climate and the challenges in understanding extreme events.”