Researchers at the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) have developed an online tool to monitor marine heatwaves in the country.
The Marine Heatwave Tracker, developed at the Physical Oceanography and Observation Laboratory (POOL), is now accessible to provide daily updates on marine heatwave events in the Philippine seas.
It offers critical insights into the timing and locations of abnormally high sea surface temperatures that pose threats to marine life, fisheries, and coral reef ecosystems.
Developed by Cristan Dave Zablan, Rachel Francisco, and Dr. Charina Lyn Amedo-Repollo, the tracker utilizes data from the Global Operational Sea Surface Temperature and Sea Ice Analysis Near Real Time (OSTIA NRT) dataset, made available through the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service.
While the tracker is already live and accessible to the public, the team plans to incorporate additional user-friendly features in the future to enhance its functionality.
The development of the tool is part of several collaborative projects aimed at understanding the mechanisms and impacts of marine heatwaves in the region.
These include the project “Mechanisms and Drivers of Marine Heatwave in the Philippines,” led by Dr. Amedo-Repollo and funded by UP Inhouse, as well as “Marine Heatwaves in the Western Pacific: Impacts of Marine Heatwaves in Select West Philippine Sea Reefs,” led by Dr. Maria Vanessa Baria-Rodriguez, and the “REINVEST Project 1: Resource Inventory and Assessment of the West Philippine Sea,” led by Dr. Laura T. David, both funded by the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development.