A journalism investigation reveals that over the past year, the world's oceans have smashed temperature records on a daily basis due to climate change.
The current highs for the time of year have been surpassed by over 50 days, the biggest margin in the satellite era.
Alarming Signs
When it comes to climate change, the oceans have long served as the planet's "get-out-of-jail card."
They absorb about 90% of the surplus heat, in addition to about 25% of the carbon dioxide that humans produce.
The primary reason for this is gases that warm the planet, although El Niño, a natural weather phenomenon, has also contributed to sea level rise.
The extreme heat of the waters has severely impacted marine life and sparked a fresh round of coral bleaching.
But in the last year, the oceab have shown the most alarming signs yet that they are having trouble adjusting, with the sea surface feeling the heat in particular.
The average surface temperature of the world's oceans began to rise steadily above the long-term average in March 2023 and set a new record high in August. The sea surface hit a record global average daily high of 21.09C in February and March of this year, according to Copernicus data, indicating that the recent months have not provided any relief.
Since May 4, 2023, not only has every day beaten the record for this time of year, but on several days the difference has been extremely large. Copernicus data shows that about 47 days broke the record for that day of the year by at least 0.3 degrees Celsius.
The margin of record had never been this large in the satellite era.
The three days that broke the record the most were August 23, 2023, January 3, 2024, and January 5, 2024, when the previous high was surpassed by about 0.34 degrees Celsius.
"The fact that all this heat is going into the ocean, and in fact, it's warming in some respects even more rapidly than we thought it would, is a cause for great concern," says Prof. Mike Meredith from the British Antarctic Survey.
These are actual indications that the environment is shifting toward places we really don't want it to be, and there will be grave repercussions if it continues on that path.
Maritime Impact
According to a new study, this human-caused ocean warming is significantly affecting marine life worldwide and may even be changing the seasonal cycle of sea temperatures. The global bleaching of coral is arguably the most notable effect of the recent warming.
Because the waters in which these important ocean nurseries reside get too heated, they turn white and eventually die. Approximately 25% of all marine species call them home, making them an essential component of the ocean ecosystem.
Unusually warm waters might have also directly harmed the emperor penguin, one of the most adored seabirds on the continent with the lowest temperature.
Rising water temperatures in the UK are having an effect; many species, like several barnacle species, have totally disappeared from coastal areas.
"The problem with climate change is that it's happening too quickly for evolution to catch up with it," says marine biologist Dr. Nova Mieszkowska from the University of Liverpool.
A team from Aberystwyth University tracks changes in Cardigan Bay's marine population using the same technology used by police at crime scenes on the Welsh coast.
By obtaining DNA traces from water samples, they are able to demonstrate the survival of some invasive species, such as the sea squirt, which is thought to have started in Japan and spreads out like a carpet across the ocean floor.
More invasive species seem to be reacting more strongly to rising water temperatures and global warming.
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