Recent studies reveal that ocean surface temperatures are rising at an alarming rate of 0.27°C per decade, significantly higher than the 0.06°C increase observed in the late 1980s. This sharp rise poses critical threats to marine ecosystems and global weather patterns.
A team led by Professor Christopher Merchant from the University of Reading analyzed global sea temperatures from 1985 to 2023, uncovering that between April 2023 and July 2024, average ocean temperatures were 0.18°C higher than ever before, peaking at 0.31°C above previous records.
Merchant’s research highlights that nearly half of this extreme temperature increase can be attributed to rapid, accelerated warming rather than just cyclical patterns like El Niño. The findings suggest that the pace of ocean warming is speeding up, indicating that future increases could surpass those observed over the last 40 years.
To mitigate this critical situation, Merchant emphasizes the urgent need to reduce global carbon emissions, stating: "The way to slow this warming is to start turning off the heat tap."