Ongoing near real-time monitoring of sea surface temperature (SST) across Australian waters will help inform operational decision making, assessment and prioritisation of marine ecosystems at risk of thermal stress. The Bureau of Meteorology is developing an application to monitor ocean thermal stress at 2 km resolution around Australian coasts (100oE-165oE, 7oS-46oS) using SST observations from geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites.
The Bureau’s existing operational ReefTemp Next Generation system has provided heat stress monitoring tools for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) region since 2012, and has been extensively used by marine managers, government agencies and researchers for managing the GBR Marine Park. Similar tools for all Australian coasts are essential for understanding extreme events such as marine heatwaves (MHWs) and their potential impacts on marine ecosystems. A new composite SST product is used to develop thermal stress and MHW metrics for Australian coastal regions. We will show comparisons of the new thermal stress monitoring tools with ReefTemp NextGen over the GBR. Further, MHW metrics such as MHW duration and intensity are demonstrated around Australia, along with case studies.
The new tools will have utility across conservation, reef management, aquaculture, and fisheries, supporting effective management of MHW impacts in a warming ocean.