The revised statistic is a mere hundredth of a degree higher than the previous record set in March 2016, when the oceanic temperature was 20.95 degrees Celsius, as stated by a representative from the EU's Copernicus climate change service. Moreover, since April, the average sea temperature has consistently shattered seasonal heat records. This increment persists as greenhouse gases amplify their concentration in the Earth's atmosphere, experts elucidated.
Rowan Sutton, the Climate Research Director at the University of Reading, stated that, "Even though there are short-term factors at play, the primary long-term cause is certainly the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, a result of human activities, predominantly the combustion of fossil fuels." As waters become warmer, their ability to absorb carbon dioxide diminishes, thereby intensifying the perilous cycle of global warming. There is also a looming fear of the El Niño phenomenon escalating temperatures even further, the impacts of which are expected to be particularly felt by late 2023.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2019 report revealed that marine heatwaves have doubled in frequency over the past four decades, and by 2100, they could be 10 times more potent than in the early 20th century, provided pollutant emissions are not curtailed. Indicative of this trend are recent historical temperature peaks globally, such as a 38.3 degrees Celsius reading off Florida's coast (U.S.) and an average of 28.71 degrees Celsius in the Mediterranean Sea, as per Spain's Leading Maritime Research Center.
Scientists caution that ocean warming, among other impacts, will influence marine flora and fauna, resulting in potential species migration and the proliferation of invasive species. This could pose a threat to fish populations, thereby jeopardizing food security in certain regions of the world.
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