The average daily temperature of the sea surface of the oceans was the highest in the measurement history this week. The average temperature was 20.96 degrees, breaking the 2016 record by 0.01 degrees.
Veikko Eromäki,
Elsa Osipova
The daily average sea surface temperature of the oceans is the highest ever in its measurement history, reported the BBC.
According to Copernicus, the European Union’s environmental information service network, the average daily sea surface temperature this week was 20.96 degrees Celsius.
The previous record is from 2016. In March 2016, the highest sea surface temperature in the oceans was 20.95 degrees.
The current reading of 20.96 degrees is clearly above the average for the season, according to the statistics.
The El Niño phenomenon increases the heat
Scientists are worried about the timing of the new record. Normally, the seas are at their warmest in March. Doctor Samantha Burgess The Copernicus Climate Change Service tells the BBC that they are now thinking about how much the seas will warm before March next year.
The El Niño phenomenon, which changes the ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean, was reported to have started in July. El Niño, which warms the Pacific region and thus the entire globe, is only in its early stages, and scientists expect sea temperatures to rise even more in the coming months.
Dr Burgess tells the BBC that marine heatwaves are now being detected in surprising places. For example, the territorial waters of Great Britain were three to five degrees warmer than usual at the same time.
The actual whirlpool temperatures were measured in Florida, USA, when last week the sea surface temperature was 38.44 degrees Celsius. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Florida’s waters would usually be 23-31 degrees Celsius at the same time.
The sea binds less carbon as it warms
The warming of the seas can have serious consequences for humans, animals and the planet, scientists warn the BBC.
The warming of the seas affects, for example, their ability to bind carbon dioxide. Because of this, more carbon dioxide, which warms the earth, remains in the atmosphere. In addition, the glaciers melt as the sea warms, which in turn raises the sea level.
In animal and plant life, the warming of the seas damages, among other things, coral reefs, the algae living inside of which suffer from excessive heat. Plant and animal plankton are also sensitive to heat. The warm water stratifies the surface water, which means that phytoplankton production is poor.
Plankton, on the other hand, are a vital food source for both crustaceans and whales.