Record high temperatures in the world’s oceans have a fatal impact on corals

Flora and fauna may lose their uniqueness and protection from predators

Temperatures in the world’s oceans have reached their highest levels on record, raising fears that coral reefs are on the brink of a massive and potentially deadly heat stroke.

New satellite data from the European Climate Change Service Copernicus shows the average global sea surface temperature in February 2024 was 21.06 degrees Celsius, higher than the previous record of 20.98 degrees Celsius set in August 2023.

Maps published by the organization show that vast areas of the world’s oceans have become much warmer than average over the period of observation. The change was particularly noticeable in the Atlantic, including the sea around Great Britain.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned that sea temperatures are now so warm that the world’s coral reefs are facing the fourth known mass bleaching event.

Heat stress can cause corals to crowd out the colorful algae living in their tissues. Without algae, they become discolored and vulnerable to disease and starvation, and eventually they die.

NOAA Coral Reef Monitoring Coordinator Derek Manzello told Reuters news agency: “It looks like the entire Southern Hemisphere is likely to lose color this year. We are literally on the verge of the worst bleaching event in the history of the planet.”

Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service also shows that the global average temperature broke the February record, reaching 13.54 degrees Celsius. This is 1.77 degrees above the estimate of the long-term monthly average during pre-industrial times.

It is emphasized that this is the ninth time in a row that monthly records have been broken. Human-caused climate change has been exacerbated by a strong El Niño, when high water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean trigger the atmosphere to create extreme weather events.

As a reminder, the cyclical and natural El Niño phenomenon peaked in December 2023 and is now weakening, which should lower global temperatures slightly in the coming months.

Scientists believe the world’s climate will become increasingly unstable if long-term temperatures remain more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.