Record warm oceans: 'Very worrying'

Ocean temperatures worldwide have hit a record high, a development that has oceanographers deeply concerned. New data from the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service reveals that on August 22, the global average sea surface temperature, excluding polar regions, reached 21.1 degrees Celsius.

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As oceanographers, it is very worrying to see what is happening in the world's oceans right now.

This figure is alarming not only because it's a record, but also because it was set in August. Typically, ocean temperatures peak in March and April, following the Southern Hemisphere's summer. "It's impossible not to be worried when you see what's happening in the world's oceans right now," said Ola Kalén, an oceanographer at SMHI, Sweden's meteorological institute.

Kalén attributes the extreme heat primarily to human-induced climate change, with the El Niño phenomenon adding to the warming. "We simply have to reduce emissions," he urged. El Niño is expected to strengthen in the coming months, making it highly probable that this heat record will be broken again. This intensification could make it the strongest El Niño on record.

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It's impossible not to be worried when you see what's happening. The majority is caused by human climate change, with extra input from El Niño. We simply have to reduce emissions.

Warmer oceans have far-reaching consequences. Marine organisms face the choice of migrating or perishing as their habitats become too hot. Additionally, increased heat at the ocean surface leads to more moisture in the atmosphere, fueling more intense storms and extreme weather events. Kalén emphasized that while the oceans will continue to warm for a long time due to absorbing the majority of excess energy from global warming, the rate of warming can be slowed by reducing emissions. He also advocated for the implementation of the UN's ocean treaty to protect 30% of the world's oceans, noting that healthier, protected ecosystems are better at absorbing carbon dioxide.

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This could be the strongest El Niño that has been measured, and it makes it very likely that this heat record will be broken again in the future.