There's a heatwave in the sea and scientists are worried
BBC Future
By Isabella Kaminski
21st July 2023
… Global ocean sea surface temperatures were higher than any previous June on record, according to a report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, with satellite readings in the North Atlantic in particular "off the charts". Last month also set a record at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the biggest difference between expected and actual sea surface temperatures.
Water temperatures around Florida, in particular, have been particularly warm…Extreme marine temperatures have also recently been observed around Ireland, the UK and in the Baltic Sea, as well as areas near New Zealand and Australia. More recently, scientists suspect a possible heatwave south of Greenland in the Labrador Sea.
"We are having these huge marine heatwaves in different areas of the ocean unexpectedly evolve very early in the year, very strong and over large areas," says Karina von Schuckmann, an oceanographer at Mercator Ocean.… A significant drop in phytoplankton has already been seen in the western North Atlantic, which Mercator Ocean attributes to the recent heatwave. This spring bloom is crucial because it provides most of the energy needed to sustain the region's marine food chain and makes a substantial contribution to global ocean CO2 uptake.
…More broadly, experts say the persistence of recent marine heatwaves is a worrying sign about how climate change is unfolding, alongside heatwaves on land, unusual melting of snow cover in the Himalayas and a loss of sea ice. Von Schuckmann notes that, even if humans stopped pumping CO2 into the air tomorrow, the oceans would continue to warm up for many years yet. "I am concerned as a climate scientist that we are further than we thought we are."
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230720-theres-a-heatwave-in-the-sea-and-scientists-are-worried
I am definitely getting Day after Tomorrow vibes these past two months.
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