A Fresh Perspective
Synergies between art and science to spread awareness of Marine Heatwaves

With rising ocean temperatures, our ecosystems are vulnerable. Extreme temperature events – known as Marine Heatwaves – are more prominent over the globe.
Global sea surface temperature compared to long-term average, known as "anomaly" data. Red colors show where the ocean is warmer than usual, including parts of the North Atlantic Ocean. (Credit: Scientific Visualization Studio )
One of the areas hit hardest by Marine Heatwaves is the shelf off the northeast United States (US) coast. This can seen in a plot of ocean temperatures spanning more than three decades. The blue line is the global average. The red line focuses on the northeast US shelf, which shows a dramatic increase since 2010.

Sea surface temperature observed from satellite. Global average (LEFT) versus shelf temperatures (RIGHT) off the Northeast U.S. coast. Data from NOAA OISSTv2.1 product.
With a shared sense of concern for our fragile ocean, scientists and artists in the New England region collaborated to capture the processes behind – and impacts of – Marine Heatwaves. They worked to find a common language for merging their expertise into artwork that is designed to engage others to learn more.
Svenja Ryan, Deb Ehrens, and Caroline Ummenhofer collaborated to depict Marine Heatwaves. Deb is an artist in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Svenja and Caroline are oceanographers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution .
To convey our work, whether it is a piece of art or the results of data modeling, we need it to tell a compelling visual story.
Diving Deeper into Marine Heatwaves
A key characteristic of our ocean is its constant motion. The data visualization below depicts swirling ocean surface currents. Viewed from above, it shows the Gulf Stream flowing along the US east coast. Its turbulent motion can spin off features known as "warm core rings" that transport heat and salt towards the US northeast coast, causing Marine Heatwaves.
Visualization of ocean currents from the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) consortium. (Source: Scientific Visualization Studio )
The animation below shows warm core rings spinning off the US northeast coast. Red colors show areas experiencing Marine Heatwave conditions in the water column. Superimposed blue arrows show the direction and speed of surface ocean currents, with longer arrows indicating faster flow.
Data derived from monthly mean ocean model output, provided by Geomar, Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel, Germany.
Svenja’s animations of the warm core rings off the New England coast inspired the form of the heatwaves. The two-sided storytelling reflects the interrelated complexity of Marine Heatwaves' development and impacts.
It's Not Just the Heat... It's the Salt
Seawater's density – mass per unit volume – depends on its temperature and amount of dissolved salt, known as salinity. Our ocean is layered with denser waters below and lighter waters above. Characteristics of ocean layering can affect the way Marine Heatwaves evolve over time. Thus, it is important to measure salinity because it can be a valuable indicator of key processes that drive these events.
The previous visualizations show changes in sea surface temperature. The movie below shows how salinity changes off the U.S. northeast coast from month to month. We see the development of low salinity (a.k.a, "fresh" water) in the summer that spreads along the coast. This is mainly due to river runoff. Starting in September, salinity increases with more red colors along the coast. This may due to a higher frequency of warm core rings in this region during the fall.
Color-coded data showing month-to-month changes in sea surface salinity averaged over six years. These data derived from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. Locations of rivers are depicted in blue on land.
Below is a slider with temperature (left) and salinity (right) for the northeast US continental shelf based on data from a realistic ocean model. Pull the slider to the left to see that warm events often coincide with saltier water. This indicates the influence of offshore waters, which are generally warmer and saltier than shelf water. This guides oceanographers as to which processes might be important in driving many Marine Heatwaves.
Modeled temperature (left) and salinity (right) variability over the northeast US continental shelf.
Art & Science Tell the Story
This project has deepened and broadened my art practice trajectory, literally taking my artwork off the wall and into the air.
Art & Science Synergy
As we examined the scientific and artistic process, we were surprised and delighted at the similarity of so many aspects of our work. Whether we work in a laboratory or an art studio, our curiosity drives us to seek patterns that help us understand our world. We may use different tools, but our problem-solving requires us all to use analytical, strategic, and creative thinking.
I never expected the actual process of interacting with artist Deb Ehrens during the conception and creation of the artwork to be so insightful, enriching, and plain fun! While the resulting artwork turned out fabulous, reflecting on what ultimately drives and motivates my research in discussions with Deb has provided new insights and directions for my science.
The Marine Heatwave imagery is intentionally both large and small scale. We wanted the sculpture to intrigue viewers from a distance and invite them to come close and explore.
This macro/micro viewing experience mirrors how scientists and artists dive deep into "rabbit holes" on their way to understanding the big picture.
What Did We Learn?
We found that engaging the broader community requires building connections, networks, and expertise.
Tailoring the communication to different audiences is essential. Incorporating descriptions, labels, and guidance in artworks can make scientific concepts more understandable and engaging for a diverse range of viewers.
This collaboration has been profoundly enriching, both personally and professionally. The artwork became more than just a visual representation; exploration of Marine Heatwaves, their impacts, and the essence of our scientific endeavors. Through this collaboration, I've found a meaningful avenue for outreach, enabling engagement with our local community.
References
- Ryan, S, C.C. Ummenhofer, and G.G. Gawarkiewicz (2024) Seasonal and Interannual Salinity Variability on the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf: Insights from Satellite Sea Surface Salinity and Implications for Stratification. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 129 (11): e2024JC021534, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024jc021534
- Großelindemann, H.S., S. Ryan, C. Ummenhofer, T. Martin, and A. Biastoch (2022) Marine Heatwaves and Their Depth Structures on the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf. Frontiers in Climate 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2022.857937 .
- Perez, E., S. Ryan, M. Andres, G. Gawarkiewicz, C. C. Ummenhofer, J. Bane, and S. Haines (2021) Understanding Physical Drivers of the 2015/16 Marine Heatwaves in the Northwest Atlantic. Scientific Reports 11, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-97012-0 .
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the NASA grant (80NSSC22K0995) that supported this collaboration.
Like this story? Click here to discover more on the NASA Salinity website!