Causes and Effects of Record High Ocean Temperatures

Every day for the last year, the ocean water around the world has been warmer than at any point in the previous 62 years, but scientists are unsure why this warming trend started or is continuing.

In the Atlantic Basin, temperatures have climbed an average of 1.8 to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Ocean water off the coast of South Africa, Japan and the Netherlands have seen the most dramatic rise, with temperatures averaging 5.4 degrees above normal.

Celeste Saulo, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization, says that seeing this warming trend in the world's oceans is especially alarming because it takes more energy to warm water than warm air.

Ocean Temperatures Climb at Alarming Rate

On March 13, 2024, NASA researchers at the University of Maine found the ocean hotter than ever, with a mean temperature of 70.16 degrees Fahrenheit. This beat the current record set in August 2022, when the mean temperature was 69.98 degrees.