As Aotearoa experiences a record breaking heatwave, scientists involved in the 'Moana Project' have recently launched a marine heatwave forecast system for the country. The Moana project is funded by the Ministry of Business and Employment and is currently providing short range forecasts for up to 7 days of where and when marine heatwaves are likely to occur, for selected coastal sites around New Zealand. Aneeka speaks to Dr. Robert Smith, a lecturer in physical oceanography for the department of Marine Science at the University of Otago and an oceanographer for the Moana Project, about this heatwave and what it means for the country's marine ecosystems.