Western Australia’s humpback sightings fell 60%; days later, weakened Southern Ocean seabirds appeared thousands of kilometres away on the country’s east coast

humpback whale (representative image) Something unusual may be unfolding in the Southern Ocean. In late June, whale watchers in southwest Western Australia reported a sharp drop in humpback whale sightings, around 60% below normal, just when the whales should have been migrating north to calve and feed. A week later, birdwatchers on Australia’s east coast began spotting rare albatrosses and petrels far from their usual Southern Ocean feeding grounds, with many of the birds appearing weak or in poor condition, according to a report by Phys.org.At first glance, those two events might seem unrelated. But together, they raise a bigger question: are changing ocean conditions pushing marine life off course?A cold ocean that’s running hotThe Southern Ocean is usually one of the coldest marine environments on Earth, but it is not immune to warming. Researchers say marine heat waves can affect even Antarctic waters, and a rise of just a couple of degrees can be enough to disrupt food webs built for much colder conditions, as per the report.Since February, a persistent marine heat wave has affected waters around Heard Island and McDonald Islands and stretched as far south as the edge of Anta...