PARIS: Ocean heatwaves which can have “devastating and long-term impacts” on ecosystems have become longer and more frequent over the past century, according to an international study published on Tuesday.

From 1925 to 2016, the number of annual marine heatwave days globally jumped by 54 per cent, with a noticeable acceleration over the last three decades, a paper in the journal Nature Communications said.

Similar to an atmospheric heatwave, a marine heatwave is a prolonged period of unusually warm water.

“While some of us may enjoy the warmer waters when we go swimming, these heatwaves have significant impa­cts on ecosystems, biodiversity, fish­­eries, tourism and aquaculture,” said the stu­dy’s lead author Eric Oliver from Dal­housie University, Canada.

“There are often profound economic consequences that go hand in hand with these events.” The heatwaves are linked to an overall rise in average sea surface temperatures consistent with climate change effects, the study found.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2018