As ocean heat waves proliferate, problems will mount for people who depend on fishing and fish farming, or aquaculture, said Gretchen Hofmann , chairwoman of the department of ecology, evolution and marine biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

“If you look at geography, lots of the world’s population lives on the coast,” said Dr. Hofmann, who was not involved in the study. “Commercial fisheries, but also aquaculture facilities on the coast, will face challenges as ocean water changes. Heat waves are not great for aquaculture production.”

The study’s authors found many parts of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans where aquatic life was especially vulnerable. These areas were home to a lot of biological diversity and had plants and animals that were already living in the warmer parts of their ranges. They were also affected by other human impacts like pollution and overfishing.

Even seabirds did not emerge from marine heat waves unscathed, most likely because their food sources either died off or moved in response to the warming.