World's oceans exceeding heat extremes

More than half of the world’s ocean surface has exceeded a historic threshold of extreme heat on a regular basis since 2014.

That is the conclusion of a study published last week by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium after analyzing more than 150 years of sea surface temperature data.

The year 2014 was identified as the first to see oceans experience heat extremes which started a trend leading to 57% of the ocean by 2019.

Looking at the same benchmark for ‘extreme heat’, in the 19th century just 2% of the ocean was seeing the conditions witnessed today.

Such high temperatures, driven by climate change, increase the risk of collapse of crucial marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, seagrass beds, and kelp forests which are currently in an environment at the limit of survivability.

If these ecosystems are lost, it would not just be a loss for the planet but have a large impact on our lives. Many people rely on marine ecosystems for their livelihoods while they also play a role in flood protection and food sourcing.