A new study supported by ObsSea4Clim and published in Ocean Science focuses on tracking marine heatwaves in the Balearic Sea, with insights on temperature trends and the role of detection methods.

Significant efforts have been directed towards developing new ways of defining marine heatwaves, motivated by the need to differentiate between long-term temperature trends and extreme events. The Mediterranean Sea serves as an ideal backdrop for comparing different MHW detection methods due to its rapid response to climate change, with higher warming trends than the global ocean. In this work, we evaluate sea surface temperature trends in the Balearic Sea, a subregion of the western Mediterranean, and compare the fixed-baseline MHW detection method with two recently developed alternative methodologies.

It is essential to select an appropriate MHW detection method that aligns with the intended impact assessments. Studies performed with a moving baseline or detrended data may be more appropriate for analysing species with higher adaptability. In contrast, a fixed baseline could be a better option to study species that are less adaptable and more sensitive to exceeding a critical temperature threshold.

This study by Blanca Fernández-Álvarez, Bàrbara Barceló-Llull, and Ananda Pascual (IMEDEA- CSIC) underscores the importance of selecting an appropriate MHW detection method that aligns with the intended impact assessments. Studies performed with a moving baseline or detrended data could be more appropriate to analyse species with higher adaptability, while a fixed baseline could be a better option to study species that are less adaptable and more sensitive to exceeding a critical temperature threshold.

The full article is available here:

Fernández-Álvarez, B., Barceló-Llull, B., and Pascual, A. (2025). Tracking marine heatwaves in the Balearic Sea: temperature trends and the role of detection methods, Ocean Sci., 21, 1987–1999, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-1987-2025 . Published: 15 Sep 2025