Record ocean temperatures show that the seas are warming faster than expected, impacting polar ice shelves and coastal cities worldwide. The oceans, absorbing over 90% of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases, are warming rapidly.
Since late March 2023, global ocean surface temperatures have consistently set new records. On 47 days, these temperatures exceeded previous highs by the largest margins seen in the satellite era, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. By February 2024, the world experienced a year of surface air temperatures 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, with some ocean regions reaching temperatures expected at 3°C of global warming.
The effects are already damaging. In summer 2023, buoys off Florida recorded temperatures hotter than a hot tub. Coral reefs are facing their fourth and most extensive global bleaching event. Other impacts include deep-sea deoxygenation and more intense rainfall, indicating the destabilizing effect of record ocean temperatures.
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