Scientists Alarmed: Dangerous Temperature Record in the World's Oceans

The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service has reported that the World's Ocean has broken yet another temperature record that is difficult to comprehend. Scientists are alarmed by the recorded values and warn that if global warming does not slow down and temperatures continue to rise, we are facing an ecological catastrophe.

The rapid increase in ocean temperatures is bad news for both us and ecosystems. Warmer waters absorb less carbon dioxide, and more of this greenhouse gas remains in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, excessively warm waters force marine animals to migrate to cooler waters, disrupting food chains.

According to the data, the current record for the average water temperature on Earth stands at 20.96 degrees Celsius and was set on August 1. The graph below shows that this is significantly higher than the current period's average. Incredibly warm waters surround Florida, the United Kingdom, the Mediterranean Sea, and the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean.

This is devastating news for humans and ecosystems alike – ocean temperatures are breaking heat records. For instance, in Florida, where water temperatures should normally fluctuate between 23-31 degrees Celsius, the average temperature last week reached a staggering 38.44 degrees Celsius. NOAA scientists compared this value to a Jacuzzi hot tub.

Some organisms may not be able to adapt to such rapid climate changes, leading to their extinction. This is already evident in corals. Dr. Kathryn Lesneski, who studies heatwaves in the Gulf of Mexico, reports that many coral reefs are already suffering from bleaching and increased cases of mortality.

Researchers, based on data from 1982-2016, have found that during this period, marine heatwaves have doubled in frequency and duration and are appearing in places where they have never been before. Furthermore, we are now entering the El Niño phenomenon, which has the potential to further warm the Earth, so the establishment of new oppressive records cannot be ruled out.

Earlier, scientists warned that as a result of such climate changes, the Gulf Stream could disappear within two years.

It is worth recalling that July of this year became the hottest month in the last 120,000 years.