Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the potential impact of high ocean temperatures on marine biodiversity in UK waters.

Defra is working with its agencies, the Met Office and research community to monitor and understand potential impacts of high ocean temperatures on marine biodiversity. Satellite observations and data from ships, buoys, floats and gliders are used to track marine heatwaves, forecast ocean temperature changes and model potential impacts on the health of our seas. Research is examining links between high temperatures and biodiversity, including shifts in fish and shellfish populations, damage to important habitats such as seagrass and kelp, and incidence of harmful algal blooms and marine life mortality events.