A first-of-its-kind study led by William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS is predicting estuaries along the East Coast of the U.S. will experience marine heat wave conditions for up to a third of the year by the end of the century. With estuaries serving as important nursery habitats for nearly 75% of all fish species and supporting more than 54 million jobs, this could have devastating consequences for marine ecosystems as well as the fisheries and communities that depend on them.