International Marine Heatwave Working Group Meeting
Marine Biological Association
I was awarded the Challenger Society Stepping Stones Bursary to enable me to attend an International Marine Heatwave Working Group meeting in March 2026. The working group meets every 12-18 months, with each meeting consisting of a small number of scientists, who use the workshop to develop research ideas and subsequent publications on marine heatwaves. I have been fortunate enough to have been invited to the last few meeting with the group which have resulted in a range of well-received publications in journals including Science, Nature, Nature Climate Change and Nature Communications. On this occasion I could not have attended the meeting without the help of the Challenger Society.
Our meeting was held in Galle, Sri Lanka, and despite travel disruptions due to the current situation in the Middle East, was highly successful. The group consisted of 13 members ranging from early career scientists to later-career professors, representing institutes across Australasia, North America and Europe. We spent a week working together, as well as in smaller breakout groups, discussing a variety of ideas. As well as developing several manuscripts during the week, we also sketched out a number of other manuscripts that different group members will lead on over the next year.
International marine heatwave working group members 2026
Outside of meeting time the group generally socialised together, sharing meals and chit chat, which was great for interpersonal relationships. As an added bonus, a local sea turtle hatchery was releasing hatchlings on the beach in front of the hotel that the meeting was held at, providing us an opportunity to experience a ‘turtle crawl’. All in all, the Challenger Society funding enabled me to continue collaborating with colleagues I have previously worked with and also meet new friends and colleagues who are experts in the rapidly growing field of marine heatwaves.
Turtle crawl on a beach outside Galle, Sri Lanka
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