Marine heatwaves and global warming impacts on winter waters in the Southern Indian Ocean

Abstract

In the Southern Ocean, the term “winter waters” (WWs) refers to a water mass characterized by a subsurface layer of minimum temperature that plays an important ecological role for marine ecosystems, and in particular for top predators. Given that the Southern Ocean is experiencing warming and intense marine heatwaves (MHWs), particularly at subantarctic latitudes, we investigate here how different levels of warming might impact the presence, depth and minimum temperature of WWs in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. In particular, we assess how WWs are impacted by surface MHWs using in situ Argo hydrographic observations and biologging data. The results indicate that WWs are substantially reduced, deeper and warmer during the presence of MHWs. Using the most recent climate projections, we find a significant, but scenario-dependent, southward shift of WWs under global warming. Potential impacts of such WW shifts on pelagic ecosystems, at different timescales (from daily to decadal), are discussed.