This poster clearly shows how sea surface temperature off Tasmania changes throughout the year, but it also shows an overall warming trend in ocean temperature from 1994 – 2017. Importantly, it shows that warm surface waters are persisting off the coast of Tasmania for more months each year in recent times compared with the past. For example, the most extreme Tasmanian marine heat wave to occur since satellite records began in the early 1980s is evident between November 2015 and May 2016, where sea surface temperatures remained approximately 4 degrees above average over this period.

These changes have been linked with the effects of climate change on the East Australian Current, which has become stronger and is bringing warm water farther south. More on the cause of warming Tasmanian waters can be found in another of our resources here.

This poster has been designed to be printed A1 in size and for use as a teaching resource. Please feel free to download the poster file for printing from this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p3on7pawt4qhis7/SST_Poster.tif?dl=0