Hot water
Off the back of the hottest year on record, climate indicators are already climbing to new heights. Alarming ocean temperatures seen throughout last year have continued to surge in January and February, with data from the NOAA (reported by the University of Maine) recently clocking a temperature reading of 21.2°C on March 4th — a seasonal record, following 10 months of seasonal highs being reached every day.
These temperatures are astounding climate scientists, as the ocean warming recorded is more extreme than many forecast. A simple look at decade-long intervals reveals the pace of the change and, so far, 2024 is tracking 0.33°C warmer than 2023.
Turning tide
Climbing sea temperatures have long been linked to global warming, and the world's atmosphere has risen more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. But the stark increases of late are also thought to be the result of several concurrent shorter term factors, including the El Niño weather event, slow wind speeds affecting ocean water mixing, and sulfur emissions from ships.
Looking forward, the overall warming trend is “virtually certain” to continue accelerating, according to the IPCC, and related environmental consequences like ocean hypoxia, acidification, and coral bleaching are likely to have devastating impacts on marine wildlife.
