Warmer Oceans

Extreme temperatures did not only affect people around the world but also marine ecosystems, as sea and ocean temperatures reached their warmest surface temperatures on record. August as a whole saw the highest global monthly average sea surface temperatures ever recorded across all months, while daily temperature records were broken every day from July 31 to August 31, according to Copernicus data. In places like Florida, ocean temperatures surpassed the 38C (100F) mark, adding to previous warnings over warming water putting marine life and ecosystems in peril. Meanwhile, the Mediterranean Sea’s surface temperature hit 28.7C (83.7F), the highest median recording since at least 1982. According to an EU-backed study published in October, the rapid rise in ocean temperatures and water levels due to anthropogenic climate change is having far-reaching consequences on marine life and global weather systems. Through satellite and in situ observation, ocean reanalyses, and high-performance computing that enabled 4D observations of the ocean, the nearly 100 scientific experts who worked on the report were able to identify various “unusual” patterns across the world’s ocean systems, including changes in circulation currents, more frequent and intense marine heatwaves, and unexpected events in biological production. Specifically, rising sea surface and subsurface temperatures can have serious implications for marine species, such as coral reefs, kelp, and fish, often resulting in mass die-offs and migrations that inevitably lead to lower catch amounts and increased pressure on the fishing industry. They can also impact the salinity and freshwater levels in the oceans, altering oceanic circulation, currents, and water cycles, and can lead to a rise in sea levels.