Articles | Volume 23, issue 13
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4667-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4667-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
08 Jul 2026
Research article |
| 08 Jul 2026
| 08 Jul 2026
Modelling the impacts of marine heatwaves on plankton in the Salish Sea
Karyn D. Suchy
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
Susan E. Allen
Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
Akash R. Sastri
Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sidney, BC, V8L 5T5, Canada
Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 3N5, Canada
Kelly V. Young
Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sidney, BC, V8L 5T5, Canada
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Short summary
We used a biophysical model to examine the impacts of the 2014–2017 Northeast Pacific Marine Heatwave on plankton in the Salish Sea. Warming was strongest in the Juan de Fuca Strait, increasing phytoplankton growth. The Strait of Georgia showed stronger links to the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation with warming beyond 2017 and a reduction in large phytoplankton. Results highlight that multiple marine heatwaves can overlap within one waterbody, each with distinct effects on the local food web.
We used a biophysical model to examine the impacts of the 2014–2017 Northeast Pacific Marine...
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